And Jesus saith to him: Go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he saw and followed him in the way.
ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτω υπαγε η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε και ευθεως ανεβλεψεν και ηκολουθει τω ιησου εν τη οδω
13 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 26 commentaries
Or He asks, lest men should think that what He granted the man was not what he wanted. For it was His practice to make the good disposition of those who were to be cured known to all men, and then to apply the remedy, in order to stir up others to emulation, and to shew that he who was to be cured was worthy to obtain the grace. It goes on: The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
The mind of the blind man is grateful, for when he was made whole, he did not leave Jesus, but followed Him.
Further, it says that he followed the Lord in the way, that is, in this life, because after it all are excluded who follow Him not here, by working His commandments.
It is for this reason that Mark wished to relate his case alone, because his receiving his sight had gained for the miracle a fame, illustrious in proportion to the extent of the knowledge of his affliction. But although Luke relates a miracle done entirely in the same way, nevertheless we must understand that a similar miracle was wrought on another blind man, and a similar method of the same miracle. It goes on: And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon me.
The name of the city agrees with the approaching Passion of our Lord; for it is said, And they came to Jericho. Jericho means moon or anathema; but the failing of the flesh of Christ is the preparation of the heavenly Jerusalem. It goes on: And as he went out of Jericho with his disciples, and a great number of people, blind Bartimæus, the son of Timæus, sat by the wayside begging.
Or, this is the way of which He said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. This is the narrow way, which leads to the heights of Jerusalem, and Bethany, to the mount of Olives, which is the mount of light and consolation.
Again, the Jewish people comes leaping, stripped of the old man, as a hart leaping on the mountains, that is, laying aside sloth, it meditates on Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles on high, and raises itself to heights of holiness. How consistent also is the order of salvation. First we heard by the Prophets, then we cry aloud by faith, next we are called by Apostles, we rise up by penitence, we are stripped of our old garment by baptism, and of our choice we are questioned. Again, the blind man when asked requires, that he may see the will of the Lord.
But the blindness in part, brought upon the Jews, will in the end be enlightened when He sends unto them the Prophet Elias. (Rom. 11:25)
The people of the Jews also, because it kept the Scriptures and did not fulfil them, begs and starves by the wayside; but he cries out, Son of David, have mercy upon me, because the Jewish people is enlightened by the merits of the Prophets. Many rebuke him that he may hold his peace, that is, sins and devils restrain the cry of the poor; and he cried the more, because when the battle waxes great, hands are to be lifted up with crying to the Rock of help, that is, Jesus of Nazareth.
But Jesus, considering his ready will, rewards him with the fulfilment of his desire.
The Lord's commandments bring illumination, providing clarity to the soul (Ps. 18:9). Embrace Christ anew; reclaim your illumination to understand both God and humanity through Him. "The words are delightful, enlightening us, more desirable than gold and precious gems, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb" (cf. Ps. 18:10-11). How can we not yearn for that which has brought clarity to our minds obscured by darkness and has purified our soul's vision? Sing praises and share the stories of your Father God! Your narratives will redeem me, your melody will direct my path. Until now, I have roamed in search of the Divine, yet now, as You, O Lord, are my light, I discover God and receive the Father through You; becoming Your co-heir, for You are unashamed to call me brother.
Thus, let us cast aside the forgetfulness of truth! Let us dispel ignorance and darkness, the barriers that blind us, and let us behold the true God, first singing to Him with the words, "Hail, Light!" For us, who were ensnared in darkness and trapped in the shadow of death, a light has burst forth from heaven—brighter than the sun, more delightful than earthly existence (cf. Is. 9:2; Mt. 4:16).
As if he said, Those who were foremost in believing rebuked him when he cried, Thou Son of David, that he might hold his peace, and cease to call Him by a contemptible name, when he ought to say, Son of God, have pity upon me. He however did not cease; wherefore it goes on: But he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy upon me; and the Lord heard his cry; wherefore there follows: And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. But observe, that the blind man, of whom Luke speaks, is inferior to this one; for neither did Jesus call him, nor order him to be called, but He commanded him to be brought to Him, as though unable to come by himself; but this blind man by the command of our Lord is called to Him.
Wherefore it goes on: And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee; but he casting away his garment, comes to Him. It goes on: And he casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus. Perchance, the garment of the blind man means the veil of blindness and poverty, with which he was surrounded, which he cast away and came to Jesus; and the Lord questions him, as he is approaching. Wherefore there follows: And Jesus answered and said unto him, What will thou that I should do unto thee.
Again, it is more worthy to say Rabboni, or, as it is in other places, Master, than to say Son of David; wherefore He gives him health, not on his saying, Son of David, but when he said Rabboni. Wherefore there follows: And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him in the way.
Matthew says, that there were two blind men sitting by the wayside, who cried to the Lord, and received their sight; but Luke relates that one blind man was enlightened by Him, with a like order of circumstances, as He was going into Jericho; where no one, at least no wise man, will suppose that the Evangelists wrote things contrary to one another, but that one wrote more fully, what another has left out. We must therefore understand that one of them was the more important, which appears from this circumstance, that Mark has related his name and the name of his father.
In a mystical sense, however, Jericho, which means the moon, points out the waning of our fleeting race. The Lord restored sight to the blind man, when drawing near to Jericho, because coming in the flesh and drawing near to His Passion, He brought many to the faith; for it was not in the first years of His Incarnation, but in the few years before He suffered, that He shewed the mystery of the Word to the world.
Now in that on approaching Jericho, He restored sight to one man, and on quitting it to two, He intimated, that before His Passion He preached only to one nation, the Jews, but after His resurrection and ascension, through His Apostles He opened the mysteries both of His Divinity and His Humanity to Jews and Gentiles. Mark indeed, in writing that one received his sight, refers to the saving of the Gentiles, that the figure might agree with the salvation of those, whom he instructed in the faith; but Matthew, who wrote his Gospel to the faithful among the Jews, because it was also to reach the knowledge of the Gentiles, fitly says that two received their sight, that He might teach us that the grace of faith belonged to each people.
Therefore, as the Lord was departing with His disciples and a great multitude from Jericho, the blind man was sitting, begging by the way-side; that is, when the Lord ascended into heaven, and many of the faithful followed Him, yea when all the elect from the beginning of the world entered together with Him the gate of heaven,u, presently the Gentile people began to have hope of its own illumination; for it now sits begging by the wayside, because it has not entered upon and reached the path of truth.
Again, the people of the Gentiles, having heard of the fame of the name of Christ, sought to be made a partaker of Him, but many spoke against Him, first the Jews, then also the Gentiles, lest the world which was to be enlightened should call upon Christ. The fury of those who attacked Him, however, could not deprive of salvation those who were fore-ordained to life.
And He heard the blind man’s cry as He was passing, but stood when He restored his sight, because by His Humanity He pitied him, who by the power of His Divinity has driven away the darkness from our mind; for in that Jesus was born and suffered for our sakes, He as it were passed by, because this action is temporal; but when God is said to stand, it means, that, Himself without change, He sets in order all changeable things. But the Lord calls the blind man, who cries to Him, when He sends the word of faith to the people of the Gentiles by preachers; and they call on the blind man to be of good cheer and to rise, and bid him come to the Lord, when by preaching to the simple, they bid them have hope of salvation, and rise from the sloth of vice, and gird themselves for a life of virtue. Again, he throws away his garment and leaps, who, throwing aside the bands of the world, with unencumbered pace hastens to the Giver of eternal light.
Could He who was able to restore sight be ignorant of what the blind man wanted? His reason then for asking is that prayer may be made to Him; He puts the question, to stir up the blind man’s heart to pray.
For the blind man looks down upon every gift except light, because, whatever a blind man may possess, without light he cannot see what he possesses.
Therefore let us also imitate him, let us not seek for riches, earthly goods, or honours from the Lord, but for that Light, which we alone with the Angels can see, the way to which is faith; wherefore also Christ answers to the blind man, Thy faith hath saved thee. But he sees and follows who works what his understanding tells him is good; for he follows Jesus, who understands and executes what is good, who imitates Him, who had no wish to prosper in this world, and bore reproach and derision. And because we have fallen from inward joy, by delight in the things of the body, He shews us what bitter feelings the return thither will cost us.
As the Lord journeyed through Jericho with His disciples, accompanied by a throng of people, the city loomed about six hours away from Jerusalem. As they neared the city, a cry rang out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" This plea came from a blind beggar named Bartimaeus. He called upon Jesus using the exalted title of Son of David, acknowledging Him as the Messiah. The crowd, interpreting the significance of the Messiah in their own limited understanding, attempted to silence the beggar, believing his request to be bothersome. Nevertheless, the blind man persisted, calling out, "Son of David, have mercy on me." Ultimately, Jesus halted, instructed that the man be brought to Him, and upon asking what he required, restored his sight.
The narratives provided by the evangelists regarding this occurrence present two distinctions. Firstly, while Matthew mentions two blind men who received healing, both Mark and Luke refer to just one. Secondly, Matthew and Mark indicate that the miracle happened as Jesus was leaving the city, whereas Luke asserts it took place upon entering. It is evident that there were indeed two men who were healed; however, in the early church tradition, the name of one, Bartimaeus (as noted by Mark), has been particularly highlighted. This has led to the association of the legend surrounding the event with Bartimaeus alone in certain apostolic accounts.
As for the second distinction, it can be reconciled by suggesting that the incident involved two distinct moments occurring at different times and locations. Initially, as the blind men called out to the Lord for healing upon His arrival in the city, they received no immediate response from Him as a test of their faith. Later, as He departed the city, they cried out once more, prompting the Lord to summon them and grant their healing.
In relating the account of the healing itself, the Evangelists complement one another beautifully. When the blind men sensed a large crowd moving past, they inquired, “What is this?” (Luke). Upon learning it was Jesus of Nazareth, they began to shout, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” The crowd attempted to silence them, likely because Jesus was teaching and the people were eager to hear Him. Nevertheless, the blind men persisted, calling out to the Lord for His mercy. In response, the Lord beckoned them over, and those nearby urged, "Do not be afraid, get up, He is calling you." This assurance that the Lord called them instilled confidence in the blind men, encouraging them to hurry to their Savior by casting off their outer garments for ease of movement (Mark). Once He understood their request, the Lord graciously touched their eyes (Matthew) and proclaimed, "Go, your faith has saved you" (Mark, Luke). Immediately, they regained their sight and followed Jesus, praising God.
Jesus instructed him to depart, declaring that his faith had brought him salvation. Instantly, he regained his sight and began to walk with Jesus along the path. When Jesus inquired, “What do you seek from me?” Bartimaeus replied, “That I may receive my sight” (Luke 18:41). Jesus responded, “Look, your faith has saved you” (Luke 18:42). It is likely that at that moment, another blind individual approached with the same plea. Overflowing with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched their eyes; immediately, they both received their sight and chose to follow Him (Matthew 20:34), glorifying God, and the crowd witnessed this miracle and began to praise God as well (Luke 18:43).
Christ heard their pleas and was deeply moved with compassion. He paused and summoned them to come closer. The crowd then changed their message, encouraging Bartimaeus, who had boldly cried out for mercy in his distress: “Do not be afraid, rise up, He is calling you.” Filled with joy, he quickly discarded his cloak, leaped to his feet, and approached Jesus. “What do you desire from me?” the Saviour inquired. “Rabbuni,” the man responded, using the most respectful title he could offer, “that I may regain my sight.” “Go your way,” said Christ, “your faith has made you whole.” He touched the eyes of the blind men, and instantly they received their sight and began to follow Him, glorifying God.
"Your faith has made you whole" is a phrase frequently expressed by the Lord in instances where the unwavering belief of the afflicted individual garnered the compassion of the Lord, resulting in their healing. Let it be known how profound the impact of faith can be and the immense strength it possesses to summon the miracle-working grace of the Lord to the believer. In the account, Mark does not indicate any physical action from the Savior accompanying the sight of the blind man, unlike other incidents; however, it is clearly demonstrated in Matthew’s account that the Lord did touch the eyes of the afflicted, leading him to see ‘immediately’ and follow Him.
As Jesus Christ departed from Jericho on His journey to Jerusalem, a large crowd accompanied Him. The number of those joining Him grew as pilgrims arrived in the city for the Passover celebration, coming not only from the surrounding areas but also from as far away as Galilee. Historically, the relationship between Jews and Samaritans had been marked by significant hostility (Luke 9:52; John 4:9). As a result, Galileans chose a longer but safer route to Jerusalem, avoiding the direct path through Samaria to prevent potential conflicts. After crossing the Jordan River, they united with other worshipers in Jericho. This vibrant city, known for its palm trees, served as a resting place for travelers before their final leg to Jerusalem.
Their journey progressed through the rugged wilderness of Jericho, where numerous caves and rugged terrain provided hiding spots for robbers who preyed on solitary travelers (Luke 10:30). The Lord departed Jericho marked by a miracle of compassion, just as He had entered. Two blind men, one of whom was Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. Upon hearing that Jesus of Nazareth was approaching, they shouted, "Son of David, Jesus, have mercy!" Despite efforts from the crowd to silence them, they called out even louder, "Son of David, have mercy!"
The Lord paused and commanded that they be brought to Him, recognizing their heartfelt cries as expressions of faith that warranted His mercy. They were called, saying, "Take heart, He is calling you." At this joyful news, Bartimaeus eagerly threw off his coat to hinder nothing in reaching his Healer swiftly. When the blind men came near, the Lord asked them, "What do you want me to do for you?" The all-knowing Savior wished for them to consciously accept the promise of healing. They responded, "Lord, Master, let our eyes be opened." The Lord, moved with compassion, touched their eyes and spoke the well-known words that completed His mighty work: "Go, your faith has healed you." Instantly, the blind men received their sight and, filled with gratitude for their miraculous Healer, followed Him along the path amidst the crowd, serving as a living testimony to His divine power.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 20 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS