For the 21st Sunday after Pentecost, the three readings are Jeremiah 31:7-9; Hebrews 7:23-28 and Mark 10:46-52. Chosen to interpret and apply is Mark 10:52, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go your way, your faith has made you well.’ And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.”
“Your faith has made you well”??? Would it not be better to say, “Jesus has made you well”? This is also a problem for some Christians when asking the question as to whether they would go to heaven now if they were to die today. Some will answer, “Yes, because I believe.” But does that not sound like the correct answer in light of Jesus’ own conclusion that the faith of blind Bartimaeus cured him of blindness?
That it is his faith that healed him is clear from the rest of the verse that “he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.” The verb “received” is a passive while the verb “followed” is an active verb. While it is true that when he could see Bartimaeus made a decision to follow Jesus, it is also true that receiving his sight was not because of something he had done but rather was a a gift which he received passively. But then, how can Jesus refer to his faith as that which healed him?
Faith can either be understood as a decision on our part or a gift from God on His part. It’s similar to your name given to you at birth. While you had no involvement in naming you when you were born, that name can be used at the death of your parents to provide you with an inheritance. It would not be incorrect to say to a child that his name is what will provide him with the inheritance even though it is a gift from parents who have died.
In fact, try this. Everytime you read the word “faith” in the Bible, substitute it with “Jesus.” For example, Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith (Jesus), and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” Yes, the faith given to blind Bartimaeus through the Holy Spirit grasped on to the promises of Jesus of being the promised Messiah. For, according to the Old Testament, one of the signs He had finally arrived was that the blind would see. Indeed, no one is saved by the Law in either cooperating or contributing to one’s salvation. Instead, salvation freely comes from the Lord Jesus Christ Who died so that we will never really die and Who lives so that we live eternally.
Name:Tom Baker