Bartimaeus, the Blind Man

A philosopher from the philosophic tradition of Timaeus has exhausted all his savings. He sits outside his home near the street leading to the Academy where he spent his life teaching and philosophizing on the Cosmos and the meaning of life.  The once renowned Teacher, has little if any income and no money to travel. He’s begging and longing for the chance to see the Light with his very own eyes before he dies.

You may not think of Bartimaeus as a philosopher, a teacher and theologian because Biblical tradition describes him as a man who was born blind. However, Biblical tradition also says that the word bar means son of.  So, any person schooled in the philosophy of Plato and famous for the platonic tradition of symphilosophein, philosophizing together, would very likely be a son or a follower of Plato and his Socratic dialogue named Timaeus.

As the story goes in John’s Gospel Jesus claims to be “The light of the world,” and promises that “Whoever follows this Light will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life“ (John 8:12).

As I mentioned, Biblical tradition describes Bartimaeus as being blind from birth (Mark 10:46; John 9: 1-41).  Bartimaeus can only see darkly and only with the aid of a mirror. He wants to sit down and have a conversation with Jesus “face to face” because he wants to set aside his childish way of seeing. He wants to see fully and be fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12-13).

Seeing fully is one thing. Allowing others to know oneself fully is another.

When Jesus overhears, the disciples asking, “Who sinned, this man or his parents and caused his blindness,” Jesus decides to do something to set the record straight.  Jesus spits on the ground and mixes this saliva water into conversations about the soil. This makes mud, smut. Using this smut, Jesus flings it in Bartimaeus’ face and rubs it into his eyes.

Imagine Bartimaues’ thoughts, how he felt with this smut clinging to his face.  Having flung this smutty material at a poor man living at the mercy of his reputation, Jesus then tells Bartimaeus to go wash in the Pool of Siloam. The Gospel of John says the word Siloam means Sent.

According to Wikipedia, The Pool of Siloam is a rock cut pool on the southern slope of the Old City of Jerusalem, the City of David.

Yet, let us assume Jesus is telling Bartimaeus to go wash in the pool of water that has welled up from the Rock that has sent Jesus to Bartimaeus.

You will recall that the Sunday before last, the Hebrew Testament reading came from Exodus 17: 1-7. This was the story of how Moses struck the Rock and brought forth a pool of water on Mount Horeb.  Granted this pool was not named Siloam, nor was it located in the Old City of Jerusalem. But it should give you the idea that the Rock lifts up and sustains God. For God stands on this Rock and trusts this Rock to provide the children of Israel with their salvation, potable safe drinking water, to quench their thirst and water their crops and livestock (Exodus 17:6; Psalm 95:1).

The week before, the reading was about Nicodemus. Nicodemus was the Teacher of Israel and a council member who visited with Jesus under the cloak of darkness. Thus, the Sunday before last’s reading should not have been a surprise. One should not have been surprised to hear a story from the Hebrew Testament that recounts how Moses struck the Rock on Mount Horeb. Nor should one have been surprised to hear how the Gospel story recounts how a teacher of Israel came out in broad daylight to speak with a woman at a well. He told the Woman that the water he would give her would become in her a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Moreover, he says, I speaking with you am He, the Messiah they call Christ.  Believing he speaking with her was the Messiah called Christ, the Woman left her Kanata (pronounced Canada) behind, believing this Teacher would give her this water.

Now with this week’s Lenten reading we encounter a blind man. Let us assume he is Bartimaeus, the blind man from the synoptic Gospels. Let us also assume he is a teacher schooled in Greek philosophy and Hebrew prophecy waiting for the Light of Jesus to come and open his eyes and those of the prophet who Sent Jesus.

Onlookers see the Light spitting and flinging mud into the Teacher’s eyes made by the water that has sprung forth from the Light’s very own mouth. One may be a little confused because last week’s story may have left you thinking the male teacher was the one and only one called Jesus.

this past Sunday’s Gospel lesson says the man is blind. Sin has not caused his blindness. Yet sin is in the world and the teachers of the Law know he and everyone has sinned according to the Law of Moses. For one thing, this healing takes place on the Sabbath and according to the Sabbath Law, everyone must rest and abstain from any type of work on the Sabbath (John 9:14).

So, assume the blind man is the Teacher who went to see Jesus under the cover of darkness.  For the Teacher who went to see Jesus at night, knows people need to be born again and is willing to let the Light of the World open the World’s eyes starting with him.  Many teachers would not be so willing or so humble. They would be tempted to stay blind and in the dark with their cloaks on. Having mud on one’s face is humbling. It would matter little to teachers who have given up on the messianic prophecy that the mud Jesus made and their subsequent washing are necessary for them to be born again.

When the Teacher’s neighbours find out what the Light has done, they ask the Teacher. “Where is this man? And then he says, “I don’t know.”

Why does he say, “I don’t know?” Is he lying? Or is he making an allusion to the Son of Man who has nowhere to rest?

Could this Teacher be the man that Jesus was talking about back in John 3:1-17.  Is the man with mud on his face the one who fell or came from heaven? Is the muddied man the one who needs to be lifted up in the same way Moses lifted up the copper-headed snake in the desert? Are you confused about who Jesus is?

Confused about who Jesus is and why Jesus healed the Teacher by flinging mud at him, the Pharisees judge and throw the Teacher out and say. “You were steeped in sin at birth, how dare you lecture us” (John 9:34).

Having heard that the Teacher has been thrown out, Jesus says to the Teacher. “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” Instead of answering directly, The Teacher like the Rabboni he is, responds to Jesus with a question. He asks. Who is he, …tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus then replies “he is the one speaking with you.”

To sit down with the Son of Man “face to face” one must humble oneself and let Jesus put the mud that opened Bartimaeus’ eyes on one’s own eyes and throw off one’s cloak.  One also needs to know the noble name of the prophetic rock who sends Jesus out and whose water not only removes the mud from Bartimaeus’ eyes, but brings the issue of redeeming this black rock to the disciple’s attention. Some want to keep this rock buried, thinking he is unclean and a false prophet. Others want to lift this rock up and sing his praises. For they believe God is depending on this black rock’s ability to generate clean energy to bring water and light to the nations.