Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
John J. KilgallenOctober 24, 2009

     Mark has us at the end of Jesus' journey, fateful journey, to Jerusalem.  The last story Mark chooses to tell is a story about the cure of a blind man.  In itself, the cure is one more testimony to the immense power of Jesus, a power which Peter had earlier claimed could only be that of the Messiah.  It is also a story that emphasizes the value of faith - faith, the quality that unites one to Jesus in such fashion that his response to faith is healing.  It is also a story which has a rather unusual ending; the man cured not only saw, but he followed Jesus on the way.  This last phrase suggests that, together with faith, the man begins to live with Jesus, to 'follow him' on his dangerous way into Jerusalem. 

     This last-mentioned 'following him on his way', on the way of the cross to glory, is to be placed within the greater context of Mark's rendition of Jesus' public life.  We are in the second half of the Gospel now.  Notice that in the first part of the Gospel, we read of many miracles, and of wisdom, and of holiness, with great crowds following Jesus; there was no overt mention or prophecy of Jesus' death, though Mark has alerted us to the fact that some in Israel wanted Jesus dead.  In general, Mark has shown, up to Peter's statement that Jesus is Messiah, a consistent argument that grounds belief that Jesus is 'Messiah, Son of God' (Mark 1,1) and shows the joyfulness of Israel at his presence among them. 

     With the second half of the Gospel, most all of these traits disappear.  After Peter's confession there is no more great crowds to follow Jesus.  Rather, the atmosphere is saddened by the three-fold prophecy of crucifixion.  Jesus restricts himself to teaching only his own disciples, principally the Twelve.  Miracles are now at a minimum.  Indeed, what should have been for a Jew a joyous journey to the great Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread in holy Jerusalem is one filled with trepidation.  

     Within this climate of the second half of the Gospel, we are to place our cure of a blind man.  This context suggests that we are to interpret this cure not simply as a manifestation of power, but as a symbol of the need for faith to overcome the expectations of difficulties in the life which follows Christ.  "To see" is what everyone needs in order to better handle the challenges of being a follower of Jesus.  We can never see fully how the all-loving God, our Father as Jesus insists He is, can let one who believes in Him suffer.  Where is God's love in my suffering?  The Christian, by definition, knows that God is only good; it follows that when suffering, I must find some other explanation of God's role in my suffering than saying He has abandoned me.  Jesus finally had to trust his Father; he never wanted to die, but then he never doubted that behind his Father's will was only love for him.  Such is the conviction of the Christian who has faith in the divine Jesus and willingly follows him 'on his way'.

John Kilgallen, SJ

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

The 12 women whose feet were washed by Pope Francis included women from Italy, Bulgaria, Nigeria, Ukraine, Russia, Peru, Venezuela and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"We, the members of the Society of Jesus, continue to be lifted up in prayer, in lament, in protest at the death and destruction that continue to reign in Gaza and other territories in Israel/Palestine, spilling over into the surrounding countries of the Middle East."
The Society of JesusMarch 28, 2024
A child wounded in an I.D.F. bombardment is brought to Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, on March 25. (AP Photo/Ismael abu dayyah)
While some children have been evacuated from conflict, more than 1.1 million children in Gaza and 3.7 million in Haiti have been left behind to face the rampaging adult world around them.
Kevin ClarkeMarch 28, 2024
Easter will not be postponed this year. It will not wait until the war is over. It is precisely now, in our darkest hour, that resurrection finds us.
Stephanie SaldañaMarch 28, 2024