ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΡΚΟΝ

ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΡΚΟΝ 10:46-52 1881 Westcott-Hort NT (WHNU)

46 και ερχονται εις ιεριχω και εκπορευομενου αυτου απο ιεριχω και των μαθητων αυτου και οχλου ικανου ο υιος τιμαιου βαρτιμαιος τυφλος προσαιτης εκαθητο παρα την οδον

47 και ακουσας οτι ιησους ο ναζαρηνος εστιν ηρξατο κραζειν και λεγειν υιε δαυιδ ιησου ελεησον με

48 και επετιμων αυτω πολλοι ινα σιωπηση ο δε πολλω μαλλον εκραζεν υιε δαυιδ ελεησον με

49 και στας ο ιησους ειπεν φωνησατε αυτον και φωνουσιν τον τυφλον λεγοντες αυτω θαρσει εγειρε φωνει σε

50 ο δε αποβαλων το ιματιον αυτου αναπηδησας ηλθεν προς τον ιησουν

51 και αποκριθεις αυτω ο ιησους ειπεν τι σοι θελεις ποιησω ο δε τυφλος ειπεν αυτω ραββουνι ινα αναβλεψω

52 και ο ιησους ειπεν αυτω υπαγε η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε και ευθυς ανεβλεψεν και ηκολουθει αυτω εν τη οδω

Mark 10:46-52 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

46 And they come to Jericho, and as he is going forth from Jericho, with his disciples and a great multitude, a son of Timaeus -- Bartimaeus the blind -- was sitting beside the way begging,

47 and having heard that it is Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out, and to say, `The Son of David -- Jesus! deal kindly with me;'

48 and many were rebuking him, that he might keep silent, but the more abundantly he cried out, `Son of David, deal kindly with me.'

49 And Jesus having stood, he commanded him to be called, and they call the blind man, saying to him, `Take courage, rise, he doth call thee;'

50 and he, having cast away his garment, having risen, did come unto Jesus.

51 And answering, Jesus saith to him, `What wilt thou I may do to thee?' and the blind man said to him, `Rabboni, that I may see again;' [ραββουνι ινα αναβλεψω literally, rabbi, that again I will see]

52 and Jesus said to him, `Go, thy faith hath saved thee:' and immediately he saw again, and was following Jesus in the way.

In our gospel reading for Sunday, Jesus is still on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem, going through Jericho, conveniently on the way, a town to get a BigMac maybe, but Mark doesn’t indicate that Jesus stopped there, looks like he rushed straight through maybe.

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This reading shows some of Mark’s writing characteristics, which I love to discover. There’s his “historical present” that can make a passage more dramatic as though the narrator is bringing the reader right into the scene (... they come to Jericho, and as he is going forth ...). There’s Mark’s obsessive use of και “and” to start almost every thought. And there’s that word ευθυς usually translated “immediately” or “straightaway” that gives a constant sense of urgency to Mark’s message. There’s the healing miracle because of Jesus’ compassion (as opposed to his use of “signs” in John to indicate who and what he is). There’s the title “Son of David,” and question, how Bartimaeus knew this about Jesus, and isn’t it messianic? How does a blind man know that about Jesus when all the "seeing" people around Jesus were so obtuse? (Get it, reader?!) There’s Jesus’ line, η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε “the faith your has saved you” and the question, was Bartimaeus saved by faith alone, (which we can carry out theologically with Paul) or was he healed by Jesus’ presence and words and lovingkindness -- Jesus doesn’t touch Bartimaeus here or smear mud on his eyes as in another case -- if Jesus doesn’t need to touch, why can’t my faith cure my ills, what was so special about blind Bartimaeus?

  

The most enjoyable thing I do these days is Bible study in groups, enormous fun. Some flak comes my way from time to time because my Bible studies are never devotional as popular Episcopal teacher Verna Dozier offered (and her style is still popular), but always the historical criticism method that I discovered in seminary and enjoy in all my personal study since then, and love sharing with interested folks. Someone told me that my style lacks the presence of God that one could know in devotional study; but everyone is different and I totally disagree! Jesus promised that when two or three are gathered in his name, he is in the midst of us, and for me, God comes present palpably, tangibly everytime we convene a group Bible study with prayer. This was pointed out to us as the case in our seminary classes, and I've always found it so. Bible study does not need to be devotional style -- which in fact I do not enjoy at all and find rather more pietistic than I like -- But the fact of the study is itself a powerful spiritual event. That a group enjoys gathering in God's name, praying, studying together enthusiastically (which means literally “filled with God”), asking questions, discovering what was going on for a gospel writer, why he wrote, what he seems to have meant, his special agenda, little nuances such as how his autograph may have been changed in later generations and why, theological implications and the church’s influence on the author’s text as finally canonized, often laughing together, is itself the presence of the Holy Spirit. 

So, I make no apologies, although being in charge of adult Christian education for HNEC I may need to rethink this and come up with alternatives for folks who prefer a devotional approach. Maybe a team teaching arrangement with alternating teaching styles.

Anyway, there you go. I’m outta here, it's getting late.

TW+

P.S. Sorry I forgot to include the CVN picture yesterday, scroll down, this is POWER!