Markus 10:46

THE BARREN FIG TREE CURSED WITH LESSONS FROM IT--SECOND CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE, ON THE SECOND AND THIRD DAYS OF THE WEEK. ( = Mat 21:12-22; Luk 19:45-48). (Mark 11:11-26) And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon--surveyed. all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out into Bethany with the twelve--Thus briefly does our Evangelist dispose of this His first day in Jerusalem, after the triumphal entry. Nor do the Third and Fourth Gospels give us more light. But from Matthew (Mat 21:10-11, Mat 21:14-16) we learn some additional and precious particulars, for which see on Luk 19:45-48. It was not now safe for the Lord to sleep in the city, nor, from the day of His Triumphal Entry, did He pass one night in it, save the last fatal one. The Barren Fig Tree Cursed (Mar 11:12-14).

This passage of story agrees with that, Mat 20:29, etc. Only that there were told of two blind men; here, and Luk 18:35, only of one: but if there were two, there was one. This one is named here, being a blind beggar that was much talked of; he was called Bartimeus, that is, the son of Timeus; which, some think, signifies the son of a blind man; he was the blind son of a blind father, which made the case worse, and the cure more wonderful, and the more proper to typify the spiritual cures wrought by the grace of Christ, on those that not only are born blind, but are born of those that are blind. I. This blind man sat begging; as they do with us. Note, Those who by the providence of God are disabled to get a livelihood by their own labour, and have not any other way of subsisting, are the most proper objects of charity; and particular care ought to be taken of them. II. He cried out to the Lord Jesus for mercy; Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David. Misery is the object of mercy, his own miserable case he recommends to the compassion of the Son of David, of whom it was foretold, that, when he should come to save us, the eyes of the blind should be opened, Isa 35:5. In coming to Christ for help and healing, we should have an eye to him as the promised Messiah, the Trustee of mercy and grace. III. Christ encouraged him to hope that he should find mercy; for he stood still, and commanded him to be called. We must never reckon it a hindrance to us in our way, to stand still, when it is to do a good work. Those about him, who had discouraged him at first, perhaps were now the persons that signified to him the gracious call of Christ; "Be of good comfort, rise, he calls thee; and if he calls thee, he will cure thee." Note, The gracious invitations Christ gives us to come…

10:46-52 The healing of blind Bartimaeus is the last healing miracle recorded in Mark. This event and the healing of the blind man in 8:22-26 form bookends around this section (see Mark Book Introduction, “Literary Features”). It is also a bridge to Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as Israel’s Messiah in 11:1-11. Bartimaeus’s confession (Jesus, Son of David) prepares the reader for the confession of the people upon Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem (11:10). 10:46 they reached Jericho: The journey Jesus began in 10:1 was nearing its conclusion. Jericho was the last major city in the Jordan River Valley before Jerusalem. It may be the oldest continually occupied city in the world. In Jesus’ day, it was no longer located on the much smaller site of Old Testament times (Tell es-Sultan) but had been moved and greatly enlarged. The road from Jericho up to Jerusalem was steep, with a difference in elevation of about 3,000 feet (about 1,000 meters). • The large crowd following Jesus might have been fellow pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem for Passover, but they certainly show Jesus’ great popularity and charisma. • A blind beggar . . . was sitting beside the road: This was a good location for collecting alms from religious pilgrims going to Jerusalem.