Who is Bartimaeus in the Bible?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The account of Bartimaeus occurs as Jesus approaches Jericho (Luke 18:35), near the end of His ministry. There, two blind men (Matthew 20:30) cry out. Mark and Luke focus on Bartimaeus alone (Mark 10:46), but Matthew clarifies that what happened to one happened to both. Perhaps Bartimaeus was more vocal, which is why he became the representative of the two. Bartimaeus (and the other) were blind. Hearing that Jesus was near, he cried out for mercy (Mark 10:47). As the crowd rebuked him, he got louder (Luke 18:39) until Jesus stopped and requested the man be brought to Him (Mark 10:49). Hearing this, the man jumped up and came forward (Mark 10:50), asking Jesus to be able to see (Mark 10:51). Jesus gave him his sight, saying his faith had made him “well.” The Greek word translated as “well” is sozo, meaning “save,” “restore,” or “heal,” and is more commonly used for salvation (e.g., Romans 10:9). Given the man followed Jesus after (Luke 18:43), combined with other similar passages where Jesus used healing as an outward sign of salvation (cf. Mark 2:5–12), this account’s significance, in addition to showing Jesus’ healing power, is salvation through faith, in particular persistent faith.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Bartimaeus is not found in the Old Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Bartimaeus account is found in the three synoptic Gospels: Matthew 20:29–34, Mark 10:46–52, and Luke 18:35–43. Only the Mark account names the man. The Luke account just says, “a blind man” (Luke 18:35). Matthew, for his part, refers to “two blind men … by the roadside” (Matthew 20:30). Based on that account, there were two blind men. This means that what happened to Bartimaeus also, to some degree, happened to the other man. Mark and Luke don’t specify why they only mention Bartimaeus, but it’s not uncommon for a Gospel account to refer to only one individual as representative of them all (e.g., Mark 5:1–2 versus Matthew 8:28), or because one speaks more (e.g., Matthew 28:2–5 versus Luke 24:4). That’s probably the case here.
• Another difference among the three accounts is that Matthew records Jesus as leaving Jericho (Matthew 20:29), Mark records Jesus as entering and leaving Jericho (Mark 10:46), and Luke records only Jesus entering Jericho (Luke 18:35). Perhaps the best solution is that there are two Jerichos (old and new). It is believed that the location of Herod’s winter place was about a mile south of the original city. If that solution is correct, then after they pass through and leave the old one, they approach the new one and meet the men. Regardless, the point of all three accounts is that the men were near Jericho, along Jesus’ path toward Jerusalem and the cross.
• As Jesus traveled, Bartimaeus became aware of him and began to cry out (Mark 10:47). The crowd was agitated by the shouting and told him to be quiet (Luke 18:39a); however, their noise made the man even louder (Luke 18:39b). He called Jesus “Son of David,” indicating he had at least a basic theological awareness of Jesus’ significance as the Messiah.
• His persistence led to Jesus stopping and telling them to bring the man to Him (Mark 10:49a). It’s unknown who, but some went to the man and said, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you (Mark 10:49b). In his excitement, Bartimaeus dropped his cloak, one of his few possessions, and went quickly to Jesus (Mark 10:50).
• Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51a). The man was obviously blind, so Jesus may have been seeing if he was looking for a handout or wanted him to verbalize his faith clearly. Bartimaeus replied, “Rabbi, let me recover my sight” (Mark 10:51b).
• Jesus then healed him. The actual healing “process” is unstated, with all three accounts implying no act of healing, unlike other times when Jesus healed the blind (e.g., John 9:6–7). Instead, they refer to him as being immediately healed (Luke 18:43).
• Rather than detailing the miracle, the accounts record Jesus as saying, “Go your way; your faith has made you well” (Mark 10:52). The simplicity of the healing focuses readers' attention on Jesus’ words. The English word “well” is derived from the Greek word sozo, which more often means “salvation” (e.g., Romans 10:9), though it can also mean “restore” or “heal.”
• Jesus was likely referring primarily to how the man’s faith saved him. This is evidenced by the fact that the man did not go, as instructed, but “followed him on the way” (Mark 10:52c). Additionally, Jesus sometimes healed as a visible sign of salvation (e.g., Mark 2:5–12). Finally, this event follows a previous event in which the rich young ruler declined salvation because he had much (Luke 18:23), after which the disciples ultimately asked, “Then who can be saved?” (Luke 18:26). The blind man demonstrated the answer: one is saved by faith.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

It has been wrongly said that faith is blind. However, true faith is belief in who Jesus is and trust that He is who He says He is. Though he was actually blind, Bartimaeus’ faith was grounded in his knowledge that Jesus was the Son of David, the promised Messiah. When told that Jesus was near, he didn’t waste his one opportunity to cry out for mercy. It was because of his faith that he continued calling out even when being told to be quiet. He refused to miss his chance.

We are also born blind. Not many of us are born physically blind, but we are all spiritually blind (2 Corinthians 4:3–4). Being spiritually blind means that we don’t see God and spiritual truths rightly. However, Jesus is merciful. If we cry out in our sin and ask for His mercy, He will stop and sozo (save) us (John 6:37).

Like Bartimaeus, we must not miss our chance. If the opportunity arises and we keep silent, we may later discover it was our last opportunity. Right now, if you are reading this and not yet saved, we encourage you to acknowledge your sinfulness (Romans 3:23) and that you are blind and unable to save yourself. Cry out to Jesus before He passes you by—He will save you!

UNDERSTAND

• Bartimaeus, a blind man, called out to Jesus, refusing to be silenced by the crowd and demonstrating persistent faith in Jesus' ability to heal.
• Jesus' use of sozo for "made well," a word more commonly meaning "save," indicates that he was saved by his faith, consistent with other accounts in which Jesus used healing as the outward sign of an inward reality.
• Bartimaeus' following of Jesus after receiving sight confirms the saving nature of the encounter, and his story stands in direct contrast to that of the rich young ruler, who had just declined salvation because he loved his possessions more than Christ.

REFLECT

• How does Bartimaeus' refusal to be silenced challenge your faith?
• In what ways does the contrast between Bartimaeus and the rich young ruler expose what actually stands between you and the wholehearted pursuit of Christ?
• How does the fact that Bartimaeus followed Jesus immediately after being saved challenge your understanding of the life-changing effect that genuine faith naturally has on a person?

ENGAGE

• How does Jesus’ question, “What do you want me to do for you?”—asked of a man whose need was obvious—reveal how Jesus invites people to personally express their faith and dependence on Him?
• What does the placement of the Bartimaeus account immediately after the rich young ruler's rejection of salvation reveal about God's intentionality in how the Bible was written?
• How does Bartimaeus’ decision to follow Jesus after receiving his sight demonstrate what genuine faith should look like?