Mark 10:51 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the blind man said to him, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight.”

NIV: What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked him. The blind man said, 'Rabbi, I want to see.'

NASB: And replying to him, Jesus said, 'What do you want Me to do for you?' And the man who was blind said to Him, 'Rabboni, I want to regain my sight!'

CSB: Then Jesus answered him, "What do you want me to do for you? ""Rabboni," the blind man said to him, "I want to see."

NLT: What do you want me to do for you?' Jesus asked. 'My Rabbi, ' the blind man said, 'I want to see!'

KJV: And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

NKJV: So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”

This is the same question Jesus asked James and John when they wanted prominent positions in His kingdom (Mark 10:35–37). Asking God for things isn't wrong; Jesus says, "Ask, and it will be given to you…" (Matthew 7:7). But Jesus' half-brother James, the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, warns, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (James 4:3). When we pray and ask God to fill our desires, we need to give Him permission to dig deeper into the request. We may have pure motives, like Bartimaeus who acknowledges his full dependence on Jesus. Or we may be trying to use Jesus for our own benefit. Either way, our conversation with God helps us grow spiritually.

"Rabboni," as given in the Greek and some English translations, is a form of the word rabbi with a stronger sense of lord and master. The only other time it is used in the Bible is when Mary Magdalene meets Jesus after the resurrection (John 20:16). Scholars argue over whether Bartimaeus is being especially polite, so Jesus will heal him, or if he truly understands that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of David (Mark 10:47–48).

Jesus likes to directly and personally interact with the people He heals, but Bartimaeus' faith and enthusiasm shorten the encounter. Unlike the deaf man in Decapolis (Mark 7:31–37) and the blind man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22–26), Jesus doesn't have to pull Bartimaeus aside to protect him from the crowd or let him know what is happening. Bartimaeus is ready, and Jesus heals him (Mark 10:52).

Mark 10:46–52 describes Jesus traveling through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem and the cross. He is stopped by a blind man who wishes to be healed. The first account of Jesus healing a blind man comes directly after Jesus accuses the disciples of spiritual blindness (Mark 8:14–26). This, the last of Jesus' healing miracles in Mark, directly follows James and John's spiritually blind request for positions of power in Jesus' kingdom. Luke 18:35–43 records a similar event, possibly the same one; Matthew 20:29–34 mentions that Bartimaeus has a friend who is also healed.

In this passage, Jesus again confronts the Pharisees by clarifying God's views on marriage and divorce. He reminds the disciples not to dismiss the spiritual perspective of children. This chapter also records Jesus' encounter with the rich young ruler, who becomes an object lesson in why wealth makes it hard for people to rely on God. After this, Jesus deftly sets aside an arrogant request from James and John, and again predicts His impending death. Just prior to the triumphal entry of chapter 11, Jesus is sought out by Bartimaeus, whom He heals of blindness.

In between chapters 9 and 10, Jesus resumes His public teaching as He travels to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Luke 9:57—18:14; John 7—10). We meet Him here across the Jordan in Perea and follow as He makes His way west again to Jericho. This chapter surrounds a third prophecy of Jesus' death (Mark 10:32–34) with lessons on His value for those others often dismiss: women (Mark 10:1–12), the powerless (Mark 10:13–16), those who value God more than the world (Mark 10:17–31), servant-hearted leaders (Mark 10:35–45), and those with bold faith (Mark 10:46–52). Next is the triumphal entry and the beginning of Passion Week.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.