Luke 18: 35 43 Giving Sight To A Blind Man At Jericho

Target year level: Year Four

Scripture text

Luke 18:35-43

³⁵ As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶ When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. ³⁷ They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” ³⁸ Then he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” ³⁹ Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” ⁴⁰ Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, ⁴¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” He said, “Lord, let me see again.” ⁴² Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.” ⁴³ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

Introduction

The Gospel is the first of a two-part work, Luke-Acts. Luke-Acts is sometimes thought of as a novel in two parts: the Gospel gives an account of the life and mission of Jesus and the Acts of the Apostles tells the story of the rapid expansion of the early church. The two books were probably written in the latter decades of the first century.

Even though the works are anonymous, authorship is traditionally attributed to Luke. Today, many scholars accept that the author was an inhabitant of Antioch in Syria and a companion of Paul. Luke was writing for Greek speaking, Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians. Luke’s interpretation of events is influenced by his desire to show how Christianity is compatible with citizenship in the Roman Empire, that is, how one can believe in Jesus and, at the same time, be loyal to (if not worship) the emperor.

The author paints a portrait of Jesus who is the fulfilment of God’s promises to Israel. The promises are fulfilled in unexpected ways, in that they include everyone: Jews and gentiles, men and women, tax collectors and outcasts.

Luke draws Jesus as hospitable and caring for the poor and the marginalised. Mary and a number of women disciples play an important part in the gospel.

For further information, see the Teacher Background information, Who wrote the Gospels and when? and the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), Introduction to Luke.

World behind the text

Luke’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus’ public ministry culminating in Jerusalem. The Acts of the Apostles continues the narrative of the Jesus Movement as it moves beyond its predominantly Jewish terrain to the wider Gentile, religiously, linguistically and culturally diverse Greco-Roman World, culminating in the proclamation of the Gospel by Paul in Rome.

In relation to prominent themes and emphases in Luke 18:35-43, it is important to understand that in Luke’s Mediterranean world, people with disabilities, including those who were blind, would very likely also have been materially poor. In many cases they would also have carried a moral and social stigma because of the common belief that sickness and disability were punishments for sin. In a Jewish context, sickness, disability and other traumas were seen as a consequence of being unfaithful to the Covenant. Blind people would therefore have been among those social undesirables who were often marginalised and at times actively persecuted.

For further information see Blindness in the Ancient Near East.

World of the text

Major themes and emphases in Luke 18:35-43 that have a close connection with Jesus’ healing of a blind beggar near Jericho include:

care for the poor and the marginalised (cf. Luke quoting Isaiah 4:18, 7:22; Rich Man and Lazarus 16:19-31; The Rich Fool12:13-21 ; Marginalised Samaritans 9:51-56, 10:29-37)
an emphasis on Messianic joy in response to the wonder of salvation, a joy which bestows blessing on all, especially the poor and the marginalised (cf. Luke 4:18 proclamation in the Synagogue at Nazareth)
a focus on mercy, compassion and forgiveness (cf. stories of lost sheep, lost coin, lost son in Chapter 15; the sinful woman 7: 36-58; story of Zacchaeus 19:1-10 )
The emphasis on the parallel between Jesus’ ministry to his Jewish compatriots recounted in the Gospel of Luke and the ministry to the Gentilesrecounted in Acts gives force to Luke’s message that these major themes of his Gospel have particular application to Luke’s Gentile audience and to the Christian communities to which they belong. The Christian communities for whom Luke is writing are to care for the poor and marginalised, including blind people, as Jesus did. In doing so they are counter-cultural, fighting entrenched prejudice and discrimination as Jesus did.

World in front of the text

A comparison between Giving Sight to a Blind Man at Jericho (Luke 18:35-43 and Mark 10:46-52) indicates the Lucan emphasis when compared with Mark.

Scholars generally say that Mark was the first of the Gospels to be written. This being the case, Luke’s text has been largely copied from Mark. Mark names the blind man and indicates his family heritage while Luke does neither (see Gospel Parallels).

In Luke, the blind beggar is a type, a sort of metaphor for those in Jesus’ world and in Luke’s world who suffer poverty, marginalisation and discrimination. In Mark, the emphasis is on contrasting the faith of Bartimaeus and his new ability to see with the infidelity and wilful spiritual blindness of many of Jesus’ contemporaries, particularly the Jewish religious leadership. In spite of the differences in emphasis, both interpretations are relevant for contemporary Christians. Christian faith is clear-sighted, realistic, compassionate and hopeful and is expressed through action for justice. The poor and marginalised include those who suffer physical, social and material impairment as well as those who are physically, socially and materially well off but spiritually impaired and impoverished.