10. The Irony of Sight
Today’s Reading: Mark 10:32-11:11
This section has three scenes, and each shows requests made of Jesus. Of the three requests, only one truly reveals an understanding of who Jesus is.
Request #1 (Mark 10:32–45)
The first request comes directly after Jesus tells his disciples about his coming suffering, death, and resurrection in Jerusalem. This is the third and final time Jesus prophesies about what is to come. Immediately after this statement, James and John pull Jesus aside to ask him a question. Notice how they ask and what they ask:
“Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask” … They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory” (Mark 10:35, 37).
Mark calls them the “sons of Zebedee,” reminding the reader that James and John were among the first disciples called to follow Jesus at the beginning of the book. Perhaps because James and John were among the first Jesus called to ministry, they feel entitled to enter into “glory” with him. Remember also that just a chapter earlier, they had seen Jesus transfigured in a glorified state (Mark 9:2–4).
The key word in their question is “glory,” which in Greek is doxa. The Hebrew concept of glory is captured in the word kabod, which carries the idea of weight. All glory—all weight—goes to God because only God can carry it. James and John's request comes from an image of Jesus shaped by his powerful miracles and authoritative ministry. They are so blinded by the potential for glory that they miss what Jesus has just said about his coming suffering—the cost of this glory. Jesus’ ultimate glorification will be on the cross. What Jesus will carry is the weight of the world. James and John ask to sit at his right and left. But later in Mark, it will be two criminals who occupy those places as Jesus is crucified.
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” (Mark 10:38). The cup Jesus refers to will appear again in Mark 14:36, when he prays in Gethsemane for the cup of suffering to pass from him. The baptism Jesus mentions creates an image of being fully immersed in death and raised again. The Apostle Paul later explains the same metaphor in Romans 6:3–7.
Not fully understanding, James and John say they can accept the same weight. Sometimes when we are called, we don’t realize what we are saying yes to.
“Jesus said to them, ‘You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared’” (Mark 10:39–40).
Jesus knows that, as disciples, they will be sent out to carry the weight of spreading the Gospel. His glory will live inside them through his Holy Spirit. They will participate in his suffering as they experience resistance while spreading this news. But fame and status are not what they are being called to. Perhaps Jesus was thinking about those two criminals who would eventually die beside him as he addressed his starry-eyed disciples. Jesus continues by teaching them that real greatness is found in serving others. True glory looks like carrying weight.
James and John were among those closest to Jesus. But in this moment, they approach him with entitlement and expectation.
Request #2 (Mark 11:1–11)
This story is commonly known as Palm Sunday, the day Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. Jesus is coming to Jerusalem for the Passover festival, which will become his final week. Passover was a huge festival, with the city’s population swelling as Jewish pilgrims traveled from all over. It commemorated God’s deliverance of his people from slavery in Egypt.
As pilgrims drew closer to Jerusalem, they would sing the Psalms of Ascent. Imagine the tension in that scene. Crowds are singing songs of praise that recount God’s deliverance while walking into a city occupied and controlled by Rome. They are singing songs of deliverance, but they are not yet delivered. They have been freed from one enemy but are ruled by another.
Enter Jesus. Some of the people have heard about him. News of his miracles, teachings, and power has spread. So when Jesus enters the city riding on a donkey, the pilgrims change their song:
“Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Mark 11:9–10).
“Hosanna” means “Save us!” Other Gospel accounts mention that the branches being waved were palms, which could signal victory. The entire scene is filled with expectation. This suggests that many in the crowd were looking to Jesus for deliverance from Rome. Often, when all we feel is fear and frustration, we don’t know what to ask for. What must it have been like for these pilgrims to travel to a celebration of freedom while not actually being free?
There is power in our perception. Mark’s Jesus has more to say in preparation for this entrance than during it. Jesus receives their praise even when the people don’t fully understand his purpose. They ask him to save them. He has come to save them. But he has come to deliver them from something greater than Rome, and he will do it in a way they never imagined.
Request #3 (Mark 10:46–52)
Sandwiched between these two scenes is the story of a blind man called Bartimaeus. Mark is funny with the Greek here, explaining that he is the “son of Timaeus” because in Hebrew that is literally what Bartimaeus means. Bartimaeus is described as just another blind beggar sitting beside the road. His actual name is not given. According to common assumptions of the time, his blindness could also have been viewed as punishment for sin. All identifiers for this man are tied to his past.
“When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’” (Mark 10:47).
Bartimaeus cannot see Jesus. But he senses Jesus, and that causes him to erupt in praise. Other people try to silence Bartimaeus, but this only makes him shout louder. Perhaps Bartimaeus’ blindness is, strangely enough, a benefit in this moment. He doesn’t have the distraction of seeing what everyone else thinks about his behavior. All he knows is what he senses in Jesus and the desperation of his situation. Again, we see Mark’s theme of persevering faith.
Interestingly, the first disciples are among the last to recognize Jesus. But the last person who can physically see Jesus is one of the first to really get it. Everyone else can see! The crowds who welcome him into Jerusalem can see. The disciples can see. Even the religious leaders can see Jesus and what he does. But good ol’ blind Bart is the one who recognizes Jesus for who he is.
Bartimaeus shouts, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” He calls Jesus by a title associated with the promised Messiah. Bartimaeus got there without seeing Jesus. He got there by sensing his presence.
James and John approach Jesus with entitlement. The crowd approaches Jesus with expectation. Bartimaeus approaches Jesus with recognition. It’s one thing to see Jesus and even experience the overflow of his mercy and grace. It’s an entirely different thing to sense Jesus.
Reflection Questions
James and John approached Jesus with entitlement, while Bartimaeus approached him with desperation and faith. How do you tend to approach Jesus when asking for something?
The crowds asked Jesus to save them, but they already had an idea of what that salvation should look like. Where might your expectations be limiting how you recognize what God is doing?
Bartimaeus couldn’t see Jesus, but he recognized who Jesus was. What does it look like to trust God’s presence even when you can’t clearly see what he is doing?
