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In this chapter, we have, I. Christ's dispute with the Pharisees concerning divorce (Mar 10:1-12). II. The kind entertainment he gave to the little children that were brought to him to be blessed (Mar 10:13-16). III. His trial of the rich man that enquired what he must do to get to heaven (Mar 10:17-22). IV. His discourse with his disciples, upon that occasion, concerning the peril of riches (Mar 10:23-27), and the advantage of being impoverished for his sake (Mar 10:28-31). V. The repeated notice he gave his disciples of his sufferings and death approaching (Mar 10:32-34). VI. The counsel he gave to James and John, to think of suffering with him, rather than of reigning with him (v. 15-45). VII. The cure of Bartimeus, a poor blind man (Mar 10:46-52). All which passages of story we had the substance of before, Mt. 19 and 20.

This passage of story agrees with that, Mat 20:29, etc. Only that there were told of two blind men; here, and Luk 18:35, only of one: but if there were two, there was one. This one is named here, being a blind beggar that was much talked of; he was called Bartimeus, that is, the son of Timeus; which, some think, signifies the son of a blind man; he was the blind son of a blind father, which made the case worse, and the cure more wonderful, and the more proper to typify the spiritual cures wrought by the grace of Christ, on those that not only are born blind, but are born of those that are blind. I. This blind man sat begging; as they do with us. Note, Those who by the providence of God are disabled to get a livelihood by their own labour, and have not any other way of subsisting, are the most proper objects of charity; and particular care ought to be taken of them. II. He cried out to the Lord Jesus for mercy; Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. Misery is the object of mercy, his own miserable case he recommends to the compassion of the Son of David, of whom it was foretold, that, when he should come to save us, the eyes of the blind should be opened, Isa 35:5. In coming to Christ for help and healing, we should have an eye to him as the promised Messiah, the Trustee of mercy and grace. III. Christ encouraged him to hope that he should find mercy; for he stood still, and commanded him to be called. We must never reckon it a hindrance to us in our way, to stand still, when it is to do a good work. Those about him, who had discouraged him at first, perhaps were now the persons that signified to him the gracious call of Christ; "Be of good comfort, rise, he calls thee; and if he calls thee, he will cure thee." Note, The gracious invitations Christ gives us to come to him, are great encouragements to our hope, that we shall speed well if we come to him, and shall have what we come for. Let the guilty, the empty, the tempted, the hungry, the naked, be of good comfort, for he calls them to be pardoned, to be supplied, to be succoured, to be filled, to be clothed, to have all that done for them, which their case calls for. IV. The poor man, hereupon, made the best of his way to Christ; He cast away his loose upper garment, and came to Jesus (Mar 10:50); he cast away every thing that might be in danger of throwing him down, or might in any way hinder him in coming to Christ, or retard his motion. Those who would come to Jesus, must cast away the garment of their own sufficiency, must strip themselves of all conceit of that, and must free themselves from every weight, and the sin that, like long garments, doth most easily beset them, Heb 12:1. V. The particular favour he begged, was, that his eyes might be opened; that so he might be able to work for his living, and might be no longer burthensome to others. It is a very desirable thing to be in a capacity of earning our own bread; and where God has given men their limbs and senses, it is a shame for men by their foolishness and slothfulness to make themselves, in effect, blind and lame. VI. This favour he received; his eyes were opened (Mar 10:52); and two things Mark here adds, which intimate, 1. How Christ made it a double favour to him, by putting the honour of it upon his faith; "Thy faith hath made thee whole; faith in Christ as the Son of David, and in his pity and power; not thy importunity, but thy faith, setting Christ on work, or rather Christ setting thy faith on work." Those supplies are most comfortable, that are fetched in by our faith. 2. How he made it a double favour to himself; When he had received his sight, he followed Jesus by the way. By this he made it appear that he was thoroughly cured, that he no more needed one to lead him, but could go himself; and by this he evidenced the grateful sense he had of Christ's kindness to him, that, when he had his sight, he made this use of it. It is not enough to come to Christ for spiritual healing, but, when we are healed, we must continue to follow him; that we may do honour to him, and receive instruction from him. Those that have spiritual eye-sight, see that beauty in Christ, that will effectually draw them to run after him.

And he arose from thence,.... From Galilee, and particularly from Capernaum: and cometh into the coasts of Judea; into those places, which bordered on that part of the land of Israel, called Judea, as distinct from Galilee: by, or rather "to" the further side of Jordan; which he crossed at the bridge of Chammath: the particular place he came to was Bethabara; see Joh 10:40, where John formerly preached, and baptized: and the people resorted unto him again; great multitudes followed him out of Galilee, and more doubtless flocked to him from the adjacent parts, when they heard of his coming again to them. And, as he was wont, he taught them again: it had been his custom before, and so it was wherever he went, to preach the word of God, and teach men what was profitable to them, and useful for the good of their immortal souls; and so he did now, and here: and not only so, but healed many of them of their bodily disorders, as Matthew relates, Mat 19:2.

And Jesus stood still,.... Hearing his voice, and knowing what charges and reproofs were given him to be silent: and commanded him to be called and led and brought unto him: this order was given; either to his disciples, or to some of the multitude, probably the latter: and they call the blind man, saying unto him, be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee; or "because he calleth thee", as the Arabic version renders it; suggesting, that some hopes might be conceived from thence, that something would be done in his favour. The Persic version renders it, "our master calleth thee", so that that interpreter thought, that the disciples were the persons that were ordered to call, and did call the blind man: the word "rise", is left out in the Persic and; Ethiopic versions. It may be observed from hence, that such whom Christ effectually calls by his grace, of which this instance is emblematical, have reason to be of good comfort; or that the effectual calling is a ground of comfort: called ones may take comfort from it, and be assured that they are loved by God; since it is a fruit, effect, and evidence, of God's everlasting love to them; and that they are the chosen of God, for, whom he did predestinate, he calls; and that they are Christ's, and are redeemed by him, seeing he has called them by name: and they may expect all good things from him; seeing they are called according to grace, given them in him before the world began; and are called to the participation of the blessings of grace; and it is affirmed that all things work together for their good: wherefore they may live in the faith of eternal glory and happiness; since they that are called, are justified, and shall be glorified.

The name of the city agrees with the approaching Passion of our Lord; for it is said, And they came to Jericho. Jericho means moon or anathema; but the failing of the flesh of Christ is the preparation of the heavenly Jerusalem. It goes on: And as he went out of Jericho with his disciples, and a great number of people, blind Bartimæus, the son of Timæus, sat by the wayside begging.

Mark has recorded both the name of Bartimaeus and of his father, a circumstance which scarcely occurs in all the many cases of healing which had been performed by the Lord.… Consequently there can be little doubt that this Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, had fallen from some position of great prosperity, and was now regarded as an object of the most notorious and the most remarkable wretchedness, because, in addition to being blind, he had also to sit begging.

(de Con. Evan. ii. 65) It is for this reason that Mark wished to relate his case alone, because his receiving his sight had gained for the miracle a fame, illustrious in proportion to the extent of the knowledge of his affliction. But although Luke relates a miracle done entirely in the same way, nevertheless we must understand that a similar miracle was wrought on another blind man, and a similar method of the same miracle. It goes on: And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon me.

But the miracles of our Lord and Savior are to be received, dearest brothers, in such a way that we both believe them to have truly occurred, and yet understand that through their significance they indicate something to us. For His works both show one thing through their power and speak another through their mystery. For the blind man is the human race, which, expelled from the joys of paradise in its first parent, ignorant of the brightness of the light above, suffers the darkness of its condemnation; but yet is illuminated through the presence of its Redeemer, so that it now sees the joys of the inner light through desire, and sets the steps of good work upon the way of life. It must be noted that when Jesus is said to draw near to Jericho, the blind man is illuminated. For Jericho is interpreted as "moon," and the moon in sacred speech stands for the weakness of the flesh, because as it wanes through its monthly phases, it signifies the weakness of our mortality. Therefore, while our Creator draws near to Jericho, the blind man returns to light, because when the divinity took on the weakness of our flesh, the human race received back the light it had lost.

And they come to Jericho. And as he was going out of Jericho with his disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, a blind man, was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, etc. Matthew, in this place, says two blind men were sitting by the roadside and crying out to the Lord, who were illuminated. But Luke says that as he approached Jericho, a blind man was illuminated by him in a similar order. No wise person should assert that the Evangelists write contrary to each other, but rather that one writes more fully what the other omits. Indeed, Matthew reports that the Lord illuminated two blind men, while Mark chose to mention one being illuminated, yet does not deny the presence of the other, which should be understood as one of them being particularly notable. This is also sufficiently clear by the fact that Mark mentioned both his name and his father’s name, which rarely happens with those healed by the Lord, and only because Jesus also expressed by name Jairus, the synagogue leader, whose daughter Jesus raised. It shows further by this that the synagogue leader was notable in that place. Undoubtedly, therefore, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, having fallen from some great fortune, was of very well-known and famous misery, who not only was blind but also sat begging. Hence, Mark wanted to mention only him, as his illumination brought such fame to the miracle as his notable calamity. Therefore, the blind whom the Lord illuminated by calling out to him are people ignorant of the true light (which is Christ), but, given to recognize and confess their blindness and to seek the light of truth. Jericho, which is said to be interpreted as "moon," signifies the defect of our mutability and mortality. This is clarified especially by that parable in the Gospel where a man going down from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among robbers, and, wounded and stripped by them, was brought back to health through the compassion of the Samaritan, signaling that humankind, falling from the vision of supreme peace into the deadly desire of this world, is brought back through the Savior to the life which it had lost by erring. Therefore, the Lord approaching Jericho restored vision to the blind, because coming in the flesh and approaching passion, he brought many to the faith and confession of divine knowledge. For it was not in the early times of his incarnation, but a few years before he suffered, that is, after he began to be thirty years old, he exhibited to the world the ministry of the word by which it was illuminated. Yet, departing from Jericho, he illuminated the blind because, rising from the dead and ascending to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles and dispersed them to illuminate all the nations of the world. Moreover, approaching Jericho, he illuminated one, and departing from Jericho, he illuminated two. This typifies that before his passion, he preached to only one people, the Jews, but after his resurrection and ascension, he more openly revealed through the apostles both to Jews and Gentiles the mysteries of his eternal divinity and the humanity he assumed. And Mark writes that he illuminated one, looking specifically to the salvation of the Gentiles, who were utterly deprived of the light of truth. Thus, as notable as was the blindness of their infidelity, so notable became the grace of the Savior illuminating them. And rightly, Mark, who was writing the Gospel among the Gentiles, says one was illuminated, matching the figure of those he was teaching to faith and salvation. Matthew, however, who wrote his Gospel for believers from the Hebrews, which was also to come to the knowledge of the Gentiles, rightly says two were illuminated, to teach that the same grace of faith pertains to both peoples. This is also maintained in the ensuing reading of the donkey on which the Lord deigned to sit. Matthew, who evangelized to the faithful from the Jews, reports both a donkey and its colt brought to the Lord. The other three Evangelists, however, who wrote for the Church gathered from the nations, mention only the donkey brought to the Lord, entirely silent about the mother. They simply figure the faith of the Gentiles; while Matthew also indicates by the order of his narrative that the faithful Gentile people were born from the faithful synagogue. Therefore, as the Lord and his disciples, and a large crowd, were departing from Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging; because with the Lord ascending to heaven, many faithful following, and indeed all the elect from the beginning of the world entering with him into the gate of the heavenly kingdom, immediately the Gentile people, long blind in unbelief, having heard of the coming of the Savior, began to have the hope of their salvation and illumination. It is said appropriately that he was sitting by the way begging. For one begs sitting by the way who, not yet entering the path of truth or knowing it, strives with diligent intention and desire for salvation to reach it, and persistently investigates what true religious worship is. This is especially shown in the story of the centurion Cornelius, who, by frequent prayers, prayed to the God he worshiped to deign to illuminate him. What does it mean to hear in passing, but to restore light while standing, if not that by his humanity he pitied, and by the power of his divinity he dispelled the darkness from us? For he who was born and suffered for us, who rose and ascended into heaven, as it were passed; because this action was temporal. But standing, he illuminated the blind because the eternity of the Word does not pass as that dispensation did, but remains renewing all things. To stand of God is to arrange all things in unchangeable thought. Therefore, he who heard the voice of the petitioner in passing, restored light standing. For although he endured temporal things for us, he nevertheless gave us light from that which does not know the change of mutability. But he who worshiped God, prayed frequently to deign to illuminate him.

(ubi sup.) Matthew says, that there were two blind men sitting by the wayside, who cried to the Lord, and received their sight; but Luke relates that one blind man was enlightened by Him, with a like order of circumstances, as He was going into Jericho; where no one, at least no wise man, will suppose that the Evangelists wrote things contrary to one another, but that one wrote more fully, what another has left out. We must therefore understand that one of them was the more important, which appears from this circumstance, that Mark has related his name and the name of his father.

(ubi sup.) In a mystical sense, however, Jericho, which means the moon, points out the waning of our fleeting race. The Lord restored sight to the blind man, when drawing near to Jericho, because coming in the flesh and drawing near to His Passion, He brought many to the faith; for it was not in the first years of His Incarnation, but in the few years before He suffered, that He showed the mystery of the Word to the world.

(ubi sup.) Now in that on approaching Jericho, He restored sight to one man, and on quitting it to two, He intimated, that before His Passion He preached only to one nation, the Jews, but after His resurrection and ascension, through His Apostles He opened the mysteries both of His Divinity and His Humanity to Jews and Gentiles. Mark indeed, in writing that one received his sight, refers to the saving of the Gentiles, that the figure might agree with the salvation of those, whom he instructed in the faith; but Matthew, who wrote his Gospel to the faithful among the Jews, because it was also to reach the knowledge of the Gentiles, fitly says that two received their sight, that He might teach us that the grace of faith belonged to each people. Therefore, as the Lord was departing with His disciples and a great multitude from Jericho, the blind man was sitting, begging by the way-side; that is, when the Lord ascended into heaven, and many of the faithful followed Him, yea when all the elect from the beginning of the world entered together with Him the gate of heaven, presently the Gentile people began to have hope of its own illumination; for it now sits begging by the wayside, because it has not entered upon and reached the path of truth.

Matthew speaks of two blind men: and perhaps there were two who were healed; but probably one of them attracted more attention, the one whom Mark now mentions.

But Jesus, considering his ready will, rewards him with the fulfilment of his desire. But the blindness in part, brought upon the Jews, will in the end be enlightened when He sends unto them the Prophet Elias. (Rom. 11:25) The people of the Jews also, because it kept the Scriptures and did not fulfil them, begs and starves by the wayside; but he cries out, Son of David, have mercy upon me, because the Jewish people is enlightened by the merits of the Prophets. Many rebuke him that he may hold his peace, that is, sins and devils restrain the cry of the poor; and he cried the more, because when the battle waxes great, hands are to be lifted up with crying to the Rock of help, that is, Jesus of Nazareth. Again, the Jewish people comes leaping, stripped of the old man, as a hart leaping on the mountains, that is, laying aside sloth, it meditates on Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles on high, and raises itself to heights of holiness. How consistent also is the order of salvation. First we heard by the Prophets, then we cry aloud by faith, next we are called by Apostles, we rise up by penitence, we are stripped of our old garment by baptism, and of our choice we are questioned. Again, the blind man when asked requires, that he may see the will of the Lord. Or, this is the way of which He said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is the narrow way, which leads to the heights of Jerusalem, and Bethany, to the mount of Olives, which is the mount of light and consolation.

The Pharisees question our Lord concerning divorce, Mar 10:1-12. Little children are brought to him, Mar 10:13-16. The person who inquired how he might inherit eternal life, Mar 10:17-22. How difficult it is for a rich man to be saved, Mar 10:23-27. What they shall receive who have left all for Christ and his Gospel, Mar 10:28-31. He foretells his death, Mar 10:32-34. James and John desire places of pre-eminence in Christ's kingdom, Mar 10:35-41. Christ shows them the necessity of humility, Mar 10:42-46. Blind Bartimeus healed, Mar 10:46-52.

Blind Bartimeus - בר bar in Syriac signifies son. It appears that he was thus named because Timeus, Talmeus or Talmai, was the name of his father, and thus the son would be called Bar-talmeus, or Bartholomew. Some suppose υἱος Τιμαιου, the son of Timeus, to be an interpolation. Bartimeus the son of Timeus, ὁ τυφλος, The blind man. It was because he was the most remarkable that this evangelist mentions him by name, as a person probably well known in those parts.

THE BARREN FIG TREE CURSED WITH LESSONS FROM IT--SECOND CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE, ON THE SECOND AND THIRD DAYS OF THE WEEK. ( = Mat 21:12-22; Luk 19:45-48). (Mark 11:11-26) And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon--surveyed. all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out into Bethany with the twelve--Thus briefly does our Evangelist dispose of this His first day in Jerusalem, after the triumphal entry. Nor do the Third and Fourth Gospels give us more light. But from Matthew (Mat 21:10-11, Mat 21:14-16) we learn some additional and precious particulars, for which see on Luk 19:45-48. It was not now safe for the Lord to sleep in the city, nor, from the day of His Triumphal Entry, did He pass one night in it, save the last fatal one. The Barren Fig Tree Cursed (Mar 11:12-14).