"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." (Mark 10:51)
The answer of Bartimaeus could be an expression of his strong desire to escape from his inconvenient life caused by his sight impediment. He eagerly wanted to be free from social contempt and even risked his own existence. In his desperate state of life, to him there is no question of right or wrong to have such intense desire to be free from his burden of blindness. The fact is that Bartimaeus was captured by a certain absolute power. He wanted to come out from the world of darkness to the world of light. There is no greater intensity of desire for one to come out of the world of such total darkness.
The Zen priests in Buddhism set a certain question for meditation. Most of Zen priests basically take a peaceful rest in summer and winter. The learned and virtuous priests hold on to a question for meditation for lifetime. To hold a question for meditation does not mean that they should immediately get a certain answer. It is an endless process of quest for an answer to the question. It is an experience led by the absolute power. Though Christian belief is different from that of the Buddhism, the manner in which a blind man anxiously waits for the world with light bears similarity to the endless quest for an answer to a question in the life of a Buddhist priest.
However, such study is not easy. Truly speaking, it is hard for an ordinary person to feel a necessity of such study. People’s ignorance about the life can be a reason. What is more, people do not know the world of light. It is similar to Plato’s parable of cave. Those who were staying in the cave never accept the reality of the world outside despite repeated explanations about the outer world.
Do we want to see? If such inner desire gushes out from us, we do not give much concern to other things. It is just like children who excessively indulge in games become indifferent to the necessity of study. We are the people who want to see the light of God.
Showing posts with label Mark 10:51. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark 10:51. Show all posts
20090918
I want to see(2)
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." (Mark 10:51)
Imagine the psychological status of Bartimaeus who says “I want to see.” Did he know the meaning of ‘seeing’ something? Occasionally certain social leaders demonstrate the pathetic status of a blind man by walking with the help of a stick and with their eyes covered so as to learn the difficulties of a blind man. Such event has a meaning in drawing the attention of the society thereby arousing the concern for the physically handicapped people.
The people with impediment in sight experience things by the sense of feeling, hearing and smelling. There is no light in their world. They cannot experience and enjoy the sight of color and its form of the world that is made through a combination of light. They might be aware of it indirectly but they do not know it practically. A real realization is possible only through practical experience.
Jesus once told to the Pharisees and the Scribes saying, “I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father." (John 8:38) The thing the Pharisees heard was the Law of Moses. They heard many sounds that nobody in this world would compete with them but they could not see the source of the sound. They thought and tried to visualize with whatever they heard but they did not directly see the world of truth. Jesus told he had seen the Father’s presence. The word ‘seen’ signifies his identification with God.
How about us today? If we merely hear about Christianity as a piece of information, we are still far from real faith. If not then we are the people who are identified with faith. Others may find it difficult to identify which part we belong to and we can live secretly by hiding ourselves. However, we are aware of our own reality.
Imagine the psychological status of Bartimaeus who says “I want to see.” Did he know the meaning of ‘seeing’ something? Occasionally certain social leaders demonstrate the pathetic status of a blind man by walking with the help of a stick and with their eyes covered so as to learn the difficulties of a blind man. Such event has a meaning in drawing the attention of the society thereby arousing the concern for the physically handicapped people.
The people with impediment in sight experience things by the sense of feeling, hearing and smelling. There is no light in their world. They cannot experience and enjoy the sight of color and its form of the world that is made through a combination of light. They might be aware of it indirectly but they do not know it practically. A real realization is possible only through practical experience.
Jesus once told to the Pharisees and the Scribes saying, “I am telling you what I have seen in the Father's presence, and you do what you have heard from your father." (John 8:38) The thing the Pharisees heard was the Law of Moses. They heard many sounds that nobody in this world would compete with them but they could not see the source of the sound. They thought and tried to visualize with whatever they heard but they did not directly see the world of truth. Jesus told he had seen the Father’s presence. The word ‘seen’ signifies his identification with God.
How about us today? If we merely hear about Christianity as a piece of information, we are still far from real faith. If not then we are the people who are identified with faith. Others may find it difficult to identify which part we belong to and we can live secretly by hiding ourselves. However, we are aware of our own reality.
I want to see (1)
"What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see." (Mark 10:51)
Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him in this manner not because he did not know the answer. This question of Jesus reveals his absolute authority as the king. Jesus is the one who can solve problems and grant the demand of his people.
If we read it in the Korean version, there is a possibility to misunderstand his question. It is used like an intimate speech of a king. His simple question would be “What do you want me?” The absolute power of the kingdom of God was expressed in this intimate speech as Jesus’ action is completely based on the kingdom of God. Despite this, it would be different from the nuance of Korean free speech.
Bartimaeus, the Blind man answered, “Rabbi, I want to see.” It was quite natural to answer in that way. Seeing is the salvation for him. He gave the right answer to the right person, Jesus, the Savior.
Though the answer of Bartimaeus seemed natural, it was a peculiar in one sense. It was not easy to say “I want to see” for a blind man who had lived in total darkness without sight for a lifetime would certainly understand that seeing for him is impossible. His pathetic and helpless situation is similar to that of a bonded slave who could not even think of his freedom.
We keep our own style of living. The change of a world view is impossible. Each world view that has hardened in different way has a difficulty to communicate with each other. Do we surely want to see? Is there anything such seriousness in our life? What do we want to see? Can we see it?
Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him in this manner not because he did not know the answer. This question of Jesus reveals his absolute authority as the king. Jesus is the one who can solve problems and grant the demand of his people.
If we read it in the Korean version, there is a possibility to misunderstand his question. It is used like an intimate speech of a king. His simple question would be “What do you want me?” The absolute power of the kingdom of God was expressed in this intimate speech as Jesus’ action is completely based on the kingdom of God. Despite this, it would be different from the nuance of Korean free speech.
Bartimaeus, the Blind man answered, “Rabbi, I want to see.” It was quite natural to answer in that way. Seeing is the salvation for him. He gave the right answer to the right person, Jesus, the Savior.
Though the answer of Bartimaeus seemed natural, it was a peculiar in one sense. It was not easy to say “I want to see” for a blind man who had lived in total darkness without sight for a lifetime would certainly understand that seeing for him is impossible. His pathetic and helpless situation is similar to that of a bonded slave who could not even think of his freedom.
We keep our own style of living. The change of a world view is impossible. Each world view that has hardened in different way has a difficulty to communicate with each other. Do we surely want to see? Is there anything such seriousness in our life? What do we want to see? Can we see it?
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