Blind Faith? (Mark 10:46-52) - Andy Shaw

BLIND FAITH? “YOUR FAITH HAS HEALED YOU” IN THE HEALING MINISTRY OF JESUS: THE STORY OF BLIND BARTIMAEUS (MARK 10:46-52).

Introduction

One of the key features of the ‘kingdom of God’ inaugurated by Jesus of Nazareth is the visible sign of victory over the forces of darkness in the form of physical healing. The gospel of Mark has 11 such healing stories, two of which include the enigmatic saying of Jesus: ‘Your faith has healed you’¹.

At face value, the story of Blind Bartimaeus is a simple healing story demonstrating Jesus’ compassion for the poor and oppressed. Closer inspection reveals a pericope loaded with historical, pastoral and theological significance leading many scholars to view it as a post-Easter invention articulating tenets of Early Church dogma. Bultmann² saw its ‘novelistic’ quality leading to this conclusion and modern authors such as Joel Marcus read into it an early baptismal rite played out in dramatic fashion³. 

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