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Scripture Reading: Mark 10:32-52
In this message we shall continue to consider 10:32-52, the last section in the Gospel of Mark concerned with the move of the Slave-Savior’s gospel service. Here we have three matters: the Lord’s going up to Jerusalem and the unveiling of His death and resurrection the third time (10:32-34), His teaching concerning the way to the throne in the kingdom of God (vv. 35-45), and His coming to Jericho and healing blind Bartimaeus (vv. 46-52).
In 10:35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to the Lord Jesus and said to Him, “Teacher, we desire that whatever we ask You, You will do for us.” When He asked them what they wanted Him to do for them, they said, “Grant to us that we may sit, one on Your right, and one on Your left, in Your glory” (vv. 36-37).
These two brothers had been following the Lord from the very beginning. They were the next ones after Peter and Andrew to be called by Him. But, although they had followed the Lord for more than three years, they were still in their blindness and needed a further healing, a particular healing of their seeing organ. John and James were not able to see Christ and His death and resurrection. The Lord had spoken to them three times concerning His death, but because they were blind they were not able to understand what He was saying.
In 10:46 we are told that the Lord and His disciples came to Jericho, a place of curse. It was according to God’s sovereignty that they came to Jericho.
Mark 10:32 says, “Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.” The Lord was walking boldly in front of the disciples, and they were amazed and even frightened. While on the way, the Lord told them that He was going to Jerusalem in order to carry out an all-inclusive death, a death that would terminate the disciples and bring them into resurrection. As we have pointed out, because the disciples were blind, they could not understand the Lord’s word concerning His death, even after He had revealed it the third time.
Before they arrived at Jerusalem, a city of peace, they came to Jericho, a city of curse. It is very significant that near Jericho they met a blind man: “As He was going out from Jericho, and His disciples and a large crowd, the son of Timaeus, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, sat by the road” (10:46). This blind man, like the one in 8:22, signifies one who has lost his inner sight, one spiritually blind (Acts 26:18; 2 Pet. 1:9).
We may say that blindness is the worst kind of curse. When someone is blind, he is cursed. Furthermore, blindness is a matter of darkness, and darkness is the issue of sin and death. Therefore, blindness indicates darkness, which is a composition of sin and death. Where there is blindness, there is darkness, and where there is darkness, there is sin and death.
Even though the Lord’s disciples had been following Him for more than three years, in chapter ten they were still blind. This means that, being in blindness, they were under darkness, and sin and death were present. Hence, they needed a clear vision of what the Lord Jesus would do in Jerusalem, a vision that He would enter into death in order to terminate the accursed situation. His death would eliminate blindness, darkness, sin, and death, and it would bring people into resurrection. Therefore, it was of God’s sovereignty that the Lord and His disciples came to Jericho, into a place where there was a blind man.
The case of Bartimaeus, the blind beggar, indicates that all the disciples were blind. Their ambition for position was a sign of their blindness. Their ambition was also an indication that they were still under the curse. It is truly significant that immediately after John and James made their request to sit at the Lord’s right and left in His glory, they all came to Jericho, a city of curse.
When James and John asked to sit at the Lord’s right and left, He said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup which I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” (v. 38). We have seen that both the cup and the baptism refer to the death of the Slave-Savior (John 18:11; Luke 12:50). The cup signifies that His death was the God-given portion for Him to take for the sinners whom He would redeem for God. Baptism signifies that His death was the God-ordained way for Him to pass through for the accomplishment of redemption.
In 10:40 the Lord went on to say to John and James, “To sit on My right or on My left is not Mine to give, but for those for whom it has been prepared.” Here the Lord seems to be saying, “You ask to sit at My right and left. But I have no position to give you such a place, for I Myself am a slave. You should ask My Master concerning this. Don’t come to Me with such a request. As a slave I cannot do anything about it.”
In His answer to John and James the Lord Jesus exposed their ambition and independence. At the same time, His answer implied that He was altogether dependent on the Father as His Master. Because He was not independent of the Father, He did not have the standing to give a position to anyone. Being a slave, He knew that only the Father could assign a position to anyone. Moreover, the Lord’s wise answer implied that the disciples were in darkness, that they did not know what they were asking. By making such a request, they went beyond their limit; they went too far.
We have seen that in verse 38 the Lord asked James and John if they were able to drink the cup that He would drink and be baptized with the baptism with which He would be baptized. When they told Him that they were able, He went on to say, “The cup which I drink you shall drink; and the baptism with which I am baptized, you shall be baptized” (v. 39). Here the Lord seems to be saying, “Do you know what the cup indicates? It indicates death. Baptism also signifies death. Do you know what your portion is? Your portion is not a position — your portion is death. You want a position, but a position is not what you need. You need to realize that a portion, not a position, has been prepared for you, and this portion is My death. I must die, and you must die with Me. This death is also a baptism, a process through which I must pass. You will go through this process with Me. I do not have a position for you, for it is not My right to give you this. Your need is to take your portion and to pass through this process, both of which refer to death.”
What is your portion in the church life today? Is your portion a certain position? Is it your portion to be an elder or a leader in a service group? We all need to realize that our portion in the church life is death. We need to drink the cup of crucifixion, of termination. Our portion in the church life is not position; our portion is termination. Do you want to be an elder? If so, you need to be terminated. Do you want to be a leader in a service group? If so, you need to be terminated. Our portion in the church life is termination, not position.
In the church we have death not only as a portion for us to drink, but also as a process through which we must pass. As those who are in the church life, we are in the baptism of the Lord’s death. We are passing through the lengthy process of death.
When some hear about the portion and process of death in the church life, they may say, “Brother Lee, we are frightened. Your word terrifies us.” However, I am not the one who first spoke about the cup and baptism of death. It was the Lord Jesus who said that we shall drink His cup and be baptized with His baptism. As we have seen, this word was given to John and James, the sons of thunder, who wanted to sit at the Lord’s right and left. The Lord seemed to be telling them, “You don’t know what you are asking. Instead of being on My right hand or on My left, you need to be in My tomb. Instead of being promoted to My right or left, you will be buried with Me. I must drink the cup, and this cup will become yours. I shall be baptized into the process of death, and you will be baptized into the same process. Without passing through this process, you will not be able to enter into My resurrection.”
We have seen that Christ is the unique replacement and that we shall be replaced by Him. But in order to be replaced by Christ, we need to pass through the process of His death. Also, in order to enter into the kingdom of God, we need to drink the cup of His death. Both the cup and the baptism refer to Christ’s death. Now we need to take the cup and pass through the process.
Among many Christians today, the teaching regarding the Lord’s death as the portion for us to drink and the process for us to pass through has been neglected. Instead, believers often regard chapter ten of the Gospel of Mark as a chapter of stories. But what we have here is not merely an account of some stories. Here the Lord reveals what the kingdom life is and what is the way into the kingdom.
The way into the kingdom is to take the portion of death and to walk through the process of death. This is to take Christ’s death as our death. Our testimony should be that every day we are drinking His death and walking through His death. Then we shall be able to say, “Now it is no longer I, but Christ. I am drinking His terminating death, and I am walking through His death as a process.” It is by taking this portion and by going through this process that we are in resurrection. In resurrection truly it is no longer I, but Christ.
All the disciples, represented by the two sons of thunder, needed the healing of their blindness. Near Jericho they met a blind beggar, Bartimaeus. Mark 10:47 says, “And hearing that it was Jesus the Nazarene, he began to cry out and to say, Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet. But he cried out even more, saying, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” (v. 48).
Then Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” In spite of the rebuking of many, the Slave-Savior charged them to call the pitiful blind beggar. This again expressed His humanity in His pity toward miserable people. Bartimaeus then threw away his garment, leaped up, and came to Jesus (v. 50).
The Lord Jesus then said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” (v. 51). What open love toward the needy one! This love expressed the Slave-Savior’s humanity to an unimaginable extent.
The blind man said to the Lord, “Rabboni, that I may recover my sight!” The Lord said to him, “Go, your faith has healed you” (v. 52). Immediately Bartimaeus recovered his sight and followed the Lord.
If we carefully read 10:35-52, we shall see that the two sons of thunder were one with the blind beggar. Our basis for saying this is that the Lord asked the same question both of James and John and of Bartimaeus: “What do you want Me to do for you?” (vv. 36, 51). In the Lord’s understanding, the two sons of thunder were the same as the poor beggar. However, there was a significant difference: James and John begged in a wrong way, but Bartimaeus begged in a right way. James and John asked to sit on the Lord’s right and left, but Bartimaeus asked to receive his sight.
We believe that, in spiritual significance, the healing of the blindness of Bartimaeus was also a healing of the blindness of James, John, and the other disciples. The Lord did not give them a position at His right and left, but He certainly was willing to heal their blindness. He knew that He had come to be the light of the world. Therefore, He was willing to give sight to the blind.
Mark 10:50, speaking of blind Bartimaeus, says, “And throwing away his garment, he leaped up and came to Jesus.” A person throwing away his garment signifies that this one does not care for position. A garment or uniform signifies position. For example, a uniform worn by a policeman or a nurse signifies position. When a policeman is off duty, he will lay aside his uniform. Bartimaeus did not care for any position. His only desire was to have sight. Therefore, when he heard that Jesus called him, he immediately cast aside his garment and went to the Lord to receive sight.
In principle, all of us in the church life need to throw away our “garments.” If you regard the eldership as a position, you need to throw away the garment of the eldership. Likewise, those who want to be leaders in the service groups should cast away the garment of leadership. We should throw away all the garments of position and care only to receive spiritual sight. Like Bartimaeus, we all need sight.
We may say that the Lord Jesus died so that those who believe in Him may receive their sight. By dying with Him we pass out of our blindness and into the Lord’s resurrection. Then in resurrection we receive our sight.
The healing at the end of chapter ten is the last miracle of healing recorded in the Gospel of Mark. The final miracle of healing was the healing of blindness. I am very grateful to the Lord that He has fully healed my blindness. Hallelujah, I have received my sight! I do not care for any “garment,” for any position.
After the healing of blindness in Mark 10, the Lord’s followers were ready to enter into His death. By entering with Him into death, they would also be able to enter into His resurrection.
We need to be impressed with the fact that the Lord Jesus was not the only one who would pass through death in order to be in resurrection and ascension. All of His followers would go with Him into death in order to enter into His resurrection and ascension. In chapter sixteen of Mark we have a glorious scene in which all the Lord’s followers enter into His ascension through His death and resurrection. By the end of chapter ten, the disciples were qualified and prepared to go through death and resurrection so that they could be with the Lord in His ascension.
In your spiritual experience have you come to the end of chapter ten? Have you received a final healing, the healing of your blindness? Praise the Lord that we can say that our blindness has been healed! Hallelujah, we have no more blindness, darkness, sin, and death! Now we are ready to go with the Slave-Savior into death, through His resurrection, and into His ascension.
