"They came to
Jericho."
There is much to glean
from an understanding of Jericho, as well as the timing of Jesus and his
followers passing through the city.
* Jericho was located
about 15 miles northeast of Jerusalem. [i]
* "Jericho was a
popular resort city rebuilt by Herod the Great in the Judean desert, not far
from the Jordan River crossing." [ii]
* Many of the priests and
Levites (numbering over 20,000 of each), serving at the Temple in Jerusalem,
resided in Jericho. [iii]
Did You
Know…?
"Every priest was a
Levite, but not every Levite was a priest. In the beginning, God set apart the
first born in priestly service. After Moses came down from the mountain, found
Israel in sin and said: 'Who is on the Lord's side?,' there was a change. The
tribe of Levi from then on served as priests or were involved in helping the
priests or serving in the tabernacle. After Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD,
the Jews lost their ability to distinguish the tribes and the Jewish Priesthood
as it had been known up to that time ended." [iv]
With over 40,000 priests
and Levites serving at the Temple, typically not all would be on duty at the
same time. They served in rotation over 26 courses. But… at Passover, all of
these priests and Levites were on temple duty. All were needed. [v] Many however would not
have started for Jerusalem as of yet, although pilgrims would be already
passing through the city.
Tying into the previous
post To Serve Versus To Be Served, "It
was the law that every male Jew over 12 years of age who lived within 15 miles
of Jerusalem must attend the Passover." [vi] And numerous people
well-beyond 15 miles would make the journey -- from Asia Minor, from Egypt,
from Africa, from Italy, from Greece, from Mesopotamia. It was long and arduous
travel.
What about those who
couldn't fulfill the law? "Those who were unable to go were in the habit
of lining the streets of towns and villages through which groups of Passover
pilgrims must pass to bid them godspeed on their way. So then the streets of
Jericho would be lined with people, and there would be more than usual, for
there would be many eager and curious to catch a glimpse of this audacious
young Galilaean who had pitted himself against the assembled might of
orthodoxy." [vii]
The streets were lined
with those unable to travel, with Passover pilgrims already on the road or
preparing to be on the road, with priests and Levites readying for their
journey to Jerusalem, and Jesus with his followers. Can you imagine the sheer number
of people in this mix? It had to be chaotic and thrilling, simultaneously.
Alongside the road was a
blind beggar -- Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus ("bar" means "son
of"). As Jesus passes by, a shout comes from this man who "had to
rely on the kindness of strangers" [viii] and friends, believed to
be cursed by God (John 9:2).
"Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" The cry continues even as
others around the blind man try to shush him.
Bartimaeus' cry to Jesus evokes
a passage from Psalms of Solomon -- a group of 18 psalms not part of any
scriptural canon. The coming king will be the son of David. "See, O Lord,
and raise up for them their king, the son of David at the time which you
choose, O God, to rule over Israel your servant." [ix]
Also, what stands out in
the shout heard by Jesus is it "contains the first public and unrebuked
recognition of Jesus as the royal Messiah." [x] This is a big deal. And
it's another reason why the people were sternly warning the beggar to keep
quiet -- fearing retaliation by the authorities in the streets.
From there, it seems
simple enough. Jesus calls the man over to him, then asks what the blind beggar
wants. "Rabbi, let me see again." Jesus says, "Go; your faith
has made you well."
End of story, right?
Well,…
Remember the first healing
of a blind man (MARK 8:22-26)?
That man who was once blind could now see, and he went home. This
particular story of blindness was the front bookend to the central section of
MARK where three passion predictions were shared by Jesus, each more descriptive
in their progression.
Immediately following the
first healing of a blind man, Peter said to Jesus, "You are the Messiah
(verse 29)." The disciples understood but… they didn't understand. This
final story of blindness is the back bookend, which again symbolizes the
blindness of the disciples.
Those who set their sights
on power can't see clearly to enter God's kingdom. Those who have faith and
trust in the Good News will have their eyes opened so they can truly see.
Yet it's not just seeing,
is it? Jesus said to the man of restored sight, "Go." That meant this
man could go home. That meant this man could find work and would no longer have
to beg for crumbs. This meant the world to this man; he could go and do
anything he wanted.
"Go."
So what does this man do? Lifted
out of darkness, he walks into the Light. His faith meets action. He follows Jesus
as a disciple.
From being a blind beggar
to being a disciple. From asking to receiving to being grateful to following.
Where in our own lives are
we blind? Are we blind in faith? With good eyes, do we clearly see? Do we walk
in darkness, even if it's occasional? Who can lift us out of that darkness?
We must have faith to ask
(which can be an obstacle for folks). When we receive, we must follow-through
(which takes discipline and that can be an obstacle). And to be made whole, we
must have gratitude (which can be yet another obstacle). But will we allow
these obstacles to stand in our way to follow Christ? To have more fulfilling,
deeper relationships? To be connected -- with one another and with God? To live
fully into the Good News?
Where will we choose to
"Go"?
NEXT
Setting the scene; a King
enters Jerusalem
[i]
MacArthur Study Bible -- p. 1484
[ii]
Living Application Bible -- p. 1757
[iii]
The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 260
[iv]
Wiki.answers.com
[v]
The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 260
[vi]
The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 260
[vii]
The Gospel of Mark, Barclay -- p. 260
[viii]
"A Streetcar Named Desire" by Tennessee Williams
[ix]
Psalms of Solomon 17:21
[x]
HarperCollins Bible Commentary -- p. 914
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