Mark 10:32 – 45 Discipleship of the Son of Man (3)

The journey began in Bethsaida, in the Gentile north, and ends on the doorstep of Jerusalem. It has been bracketed by the two giving of sight stories: the two-step Gentile healing at the beginning and the immediate Jewish healing at its end. The story of the journey and its steep learning curve has been framed by the metaphor of regaining sight, As readers, we have got the point.

Luke will make the journey to Jerusalem the substantial part of the centre of his Gospel, 9:51 – 19:27, where Jesus is the teacher on the way. There, it is as though Jesus’ persona is changed as “his face .was set towards Jerusalem”. Here, in Mark, the awe of Jesus as the divine healer and Lord of the elemental spirits, is now the awe of the one who is going ahead of them. “… they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid”(10:32).


Mark 10:32 –34 Third Passion Prediction

This third prediction has more detail than the other two, e.g. spitting and flogging. Jesus will be “handed over” to the chief priests and the scribes who will judge him as deserving death (14:64) and in turn “hand him over” to the Gentiles (= Pilate 15:1) who will have him put to death. We know that this means crucifixion, but it is not made explicit here.

Mark 10:35 –40 Misunderstanding

The characters James and John now carry the baton of misunderstanding. Jesus asks substantially the same question he will put to Bartimaeus: “what do you want me to do for you?” As second readers we remember this and contrast their answer with Bartimaeus’ “let me see again!” They want something akin to a blank cheque (so Donahue 311) and when pushed ask for the seats of honour. They are asking the wrong question (wanting to ape their oppressors) and they are asking the wrong person (“Jesus is not in charge of such arrangements” (Malbon, 69))

Mark 10:41 – 45 Instruction on Discipleship

Jesus responds by picturing the new nature of greatness within his kingdom: the lord is the one who serves; the great one is the slave and servant of all. They are not to ape their oppressors; they are to model themselves on the Son of Man.

Mark 10:46 - 52 Final Giving of Sight Story: Following in the Way

This story is the right hand bookend; together with the first giving of sight story it frames the central Christology-discipleship section of Mark, its metaphor of sight regained informing the stumbling towards the life of discipleship.

We note similarities and contrasts between the two stories, some coming from the contrasting Gentiles and Jewish styles of healing (spitting, touching a word), some from the tentative, two-part gaining of sight that characterized discipleship back then and some from the more immediate nature of discipleship now. This is reinforced by the identical “what do you want me to do for you?” spoken to James and John (10:36) and to Bartimaeus (10:51).

We rise with Bartimaeus and follow Jesus on the way.