Lessons from a Blind Man and a Crowd of Followers: Mark 10:46-52

As we read through Jesus’ life from the gospels, frequently we find events that are both powerful and relatable. The miracle present in our passage for this week is no exception. When we look at the background details surrounding this event, I can’t help but chuckle a little at the crowd of people following Jesus.

With that said, let’s read this event from the gospels, and as we read it together, pay attention to the crowd’s actions and reactions in each of the stages of this event and miracle. Our passage is found in the gospel of Mark, chapter 10, and we will read it using the Good News Translation. Also, at the end of this passage, I will pull in Luke’s closing verse for this event, since Luke includes a detail that Mark doesn’t include.

Mark, chapter 10, starting in verse 46, tells us that:

⁴⁶ They came to Jericho, and as Jesus was leaving with his disciples and a large crowd, a blind beggar named Bartimaeus son of Timaeus was sitting by the road. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸ Many of the people scolded him and told him to be quiet. But he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up!” they said. “Get up, he is calling you.”

⁵⁰ So he threw off his cloak, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

“Teacher,” the blind man answered, “I want to see again.”

⁵² “Go,” Jesus told him, “your faith has made you well.”

At once he was able to see and followed Jesus on the road.

That is how Mark concludes this miracle. Luke’s gospel ends this event with a little more detail. Luke chapter 18, verse 43 concludes this event by saying, “At once he was able to see, and he followed Jesus, giving thanks to God. When the crowd saw it, they all praised God.”

With Mark and Luke’s gospels painting a picture of this miracle for us, did you notice how the crowd’s reaction changed and progressed?

At the start of our passage, as Bartimaeus is sitting along the side of the road, some of those passing by inform him that Jesus is on His way by. Bartimaeus knows this probably is his only chance to be healed, so he begins shouting to get Jesus’ attention.

The first reaction the crowd gives is unsympathetic rejection. They completely miss the possibility that Jesus could perform a miracle in their midst, and they would prefer if this blind person would be quiet rather than shouting over Jesus who may have been sharing one of His fascinating parables.

Too often, we are like the crowd. When we are with friends or focused on a task, unless the culture of our friends or the nature of our task is to help people, we are quick to discount, dismiss, and ultimately miss the opportunity to change a life. Had the crowd got its way, everyone present would have missed a miracle.

The second reaction the crowd gives is acceptance. This comes when they realize that Jesus has heard the shouts of the blind man. The crowd accepts the man only after Jesus stopped and gave focus to the situation at hand.

Again, we are like the crowd in this phase of our event. Too often, we only decide to pay attention to something or someone after a friend brings it up in conversation. Instead of actively looking for opportunities to include others, we wait for someone else to take the lead with inviting. Perhaps this is based on growing up in a society of peer pressure, but whatever the cause is, the result is that we become people who are more focused on simply being liked by others rather than people who are known.

The sad part of many people’s lives in this culture is that they don’t know who they are because they have lived to please others for so long.

The third reaction the crowd gives following the miracle is praise. This is why I brought Luke’s conclusion in, because after Bartimaeus was healed, he praised God, and the crowd praised God with him. At the conclusion of this event, the crowd realizes they were blessed by what happened and they ultimately realize that they were able be a small part of a life being changed.

We are like the crowd at the conclusion of this event because too often, we will drag our feet when trying something new only to learn that we actually enjoy it. Whether it is trying a new restaurant, playing a new game, or even finding someone to be a friend, the fear of the unknown can stop us in our tracks if we let it. Almost always, if we let the fear of the unknown stop us, we later realize this was a mistake and we ultimately miss out.

While the crowd was a crowd full of followers, Bartimaeus was a natural leader. Bartimaeus ignores the crowd when they tell Him to be quiet. The crowd’s scolding is seen in Bartimaeus’ mind as a challenge. When Jesus calls for Bartimaeus to come, Bartimaeus jumps up and runs to Jesus without any hesitation. In response to Jesus asking Bartimaeus what He can do for him, Bartimaeus replies instantly that he wants to see again. And at the conclusion of this event, after being healed, Bartimaeus leads the crowd in giving praise to God.

We can learn from both the crowd in this event as well as from Bartimaeus, the formerly blind man. Too often, it is the challenges that come into our lives that help refine us into being leaders instead of being followers. By overcoming trials, we learn that what culture says is normal is most likely bad for us in the long term. Our culture today lives for the moment, and very few people think about the long term results. This event helps remind us – or at least it reminds me – that trials can been seen as blessings, and that we won’t ever know what we are capable of unless we step out and push past our fear.

Bartimaeus pushed past his fear of rejection and he was healed because of it. I suspect that if a group of people did this in a real way, today, living over 2,000 years after this miracle, we might witness a revival that would transform the world through the power of the Holy Spirit in a similar way that the original 12 disciples did when they worked with the Holy Spirit to transform their world. At the very least, stepping out in faith to confront our fears with the Holy Spirit’s help and eternity as our goal is definitely worth a try!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally put God first in your life and purposefully choose to push past your fear of the unknown. Never let fear of the unknown stop you from stepping out in faith. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t plan, but it does mean that you don’t over plan or overanalyze your way out of a decision. With God, we are called to plan what we can and then step forward in faith.

Also, as I always challenge you by saying in one way or another, always pray and study the Bible for yourself, never taking my word or anyone else’s word at face value for what the Bible teaches. With eternity at stake, the Bible is worth looking into personally rather than accepting or rejecting it based upon someone else’s opinion.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!