The Son of David Meets a Blind Man
Year B: Proper 25
Except for what they had learned from listening to others recite, blind people in that time were illiterate in the law (Braille had not been invented yet, so they could not read). They were thus not respected as religious persons, although they were protected under the law of Moses. They were also socially powerless, and Jesus’ followers view this blind man’s loud pleas as an intrusion, the way they had viewed the children (10:13). The disciples may have viewed Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem as a royal procession, and it was foolhardy and impudent to interrupt a royal procession.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993. Print.
Year B, Proper 25, October 27, 2024
First Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-9
Psalm: Psalm 126
Second Reading: Hebrews 7:23-28
Gospel: Mark 10:46-52
The Son of David Meets a Blind Man
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Jericho. There, there was a blind man sitting by the roadside. When he heard that Jesus was passing by, he began to call out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Mark says there were many who “sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly.”
When we are drawn to Jesus, there should be no force that can stop us. By Jesus’s very presence, we are called into a relationship with him, and like the blind man we should “[throw] off [our] cloak[s], [spring] up and [come] to Jesus” (Mark 10:50).
The crowd tried, but they couldn’t stifle the blind man’s joy.
In fact, it had the opposite effect because he cried out even more loudly.
This is a common pattern in the lives of followers of Jesus, and it should be a a quality we can’t help but embrace as well. In Acts, for instance, Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord,” but his wrath didn’t stop the church from preaching the gospel; instead, those who fled his presence “went from place to place proclaiming the word” (Acts 8:4).
What do we do in the face of injustice? What do we do when the powers that be tell us to not do or say or speak out against something we know is wrong? Do we hang our heads and go away in defeat? Or do we proclaim all the more loudly “Jesus is Lord!”
Returning to the narrative here in Mark 10, there’s one more thing we need to point out before bringing this lesson to a close.
The blind man called Jesus the “Son of David.”
Why is this significant?
Well, first, it is significant because one wouldn't expect a blind man to be so well-versed in the law and prophets to be able to identify the Messiah as he did.
Craig Keener observed,
Except for what they had learned from listening to others recite, blind people in that time were illiterate in the law (Braille had not been invented yet, so they could not read). 1
Yet this man could recognize Jesus as the Messiah.
This is an importance lesson because in our culture everyone has access to the Scripture—even those who are blind can either read braille or listen to an audio Bible. So we tend to emphasize head knowledge when it comes to our relationship with Christ.
This blind man, though, knew Jesus. His peers felt he was making a disturbance, but, here’s the thing, if the Messiah is walking down the road, what can anyone do but shout?
The kingdom of God is available to all.
Second Reading: Perpetual Priesthood
Preachers come and preachers go. North Broad has had its fair share of ministers throughout its existence. We all know the pain of losing solid ministers, of dealing with less-than solid preachers, and trying to get used to the preaching style, personality, and quirks of a new minister.
I’ve experienced the same situation from the minister’s perspective: the interview and tryout process, learning the personality of the new congregation, and wading through ongoing, multi-generational conversations, disagreements, and even trauma.
Israel’s priesthood had a different role and purpose than preachers, especially within our fellowship, but as the religious leaders of their day, they had their own sets of things to deal with as the prophets are quick to tell us (Malachi 2).
One of the issues of the priesthood is that the priests, like preachers, were prevented by sickness or death from continuing in their ministry (Hebrews 7:23). The good ones, as good as they might be, would eventually die, which means there would be a new priest who may or may not adequately fill the shoes of the man before him.
Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on such a priesthood in our walk of faith because Jesus is our high priest, and he lives forever (Hebrews 7:24). We never have to worry about the character of the one going to God on our behalf. We never have to worry about whether or not the service will be performed correctly, if our requests will be made known, or if we will walk away from the altar clean, sanctified, and forgiven.
The Hebrews writer says, “For the law appoints as high priests humans, who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever” (Hebrews 7:28).
Thanks so much for keeping up with this blog. If you have any suggestions, recommendations, or critiques, you can always comment here or reach out through my website: https://danielr.net.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993. Print.