He could see (Lk 18:43-18:43)

“Immediately,

The blind beggar

Regained his sight.

He followed Jesus,

Glorifying God.

All the people,

When they saw it,

Praised God.”

 

καὶ παραχρῆμα ἀνέβλεψεν, καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν. καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἰδὼν ἔδωκεν αἶνον τῷ Θεῷ.

 

Luke said that immediately (καὶ παραχρῆμα), the blind beggar regained his sight (ἀνέβλεψεν).  He followed Jesus (καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ), glorifying God (δοξάζων τὸν Θεόν).  All the people (καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς), when they saw it (ἰδὼν), gave praise to God (ἔδωκεν αἶνον τῷ Θεῷ).  Mark, chapter 10:52, and Matthew, chapter 20:34, had something similar, but without anything about praise or glory.  Mark said that immediately (καὶ εὐθὺς), Bartimaeus regained his sight (ἀνέβλεψεν) and followed Jesus on his way (καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ), as Bartimaeus became a disciple of Jesus.  There was no physical contact in this healing of the blind man in Luke and Mark.  The two blind men in Matthew also became disciples of Jesus.  However, Matthew did not mention their faith explicitly as in Mark and Luke.  Do you wear corrective lenses to improve your eyesight?

The dialogue with the blind beggar (Lk 18:40-18:41)

“When he came near,

Jesus asked him.

‘What do you want me

To do for you?’

He said.

‘Lord!

Let me see again!’”

 

ἐγγίσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτόν

Τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν Κύριε, ἵνα ἀναβλέψω.

 

Luke indicated that when the blind beggar came near to Jesus (ἐγγίσαντος δὲ αὐτοῦ), he asked him (ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτόν) what he wanted Jesus to do for him (Τί σοι θέλεις ποιήσω).  The blind beggar replied (ὁ δὲ εἶπεν), calling Jesus the Lord (Κύριε), that he wanted to see again (ἵνα ἀναβλέψω).  Both Mark, chapter 10:51, and Matthew, chapter 20:32-33, are similar.  Mark indicated that Jesus responded to Bartimaeus (καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς).  He wanted to know what he wished that Jesus could do for him (εἶπεν Τί θέλεις ποιήσω).  The blind Bartimaeus replied to Jesus (ὁ δὲ τυφλὸς εἶπεν αὐτῷ) by addressing him as Rabbi or master teacher (Ῥαββουνεί).  He wanted to see again, to regain his sight (ἵνα ἀναβλέψω).  This did not seem that unusual.  Matthew said that Jesus called (ἐφώνησεν αὐτοὺς) the two blind men.  He wanted to know what they wanted him to do for them (καὶ εἶπεν Τί θέλετε ποιήσω ὑμῖν).  They then called Jesus Lord (λέγουσιν αὐτῷ Κύριε).  They wanted their eyes opened (ἵνα ἀνοιγῶσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν) so that they could see.  In all three synoptics, the blind man or men wanted to see again, a simple request.  Do you want to see better?

Your faith has made you well (Mk 10:52-10:52)

“Jesus said to him.

‘Go!

Your faith

Has made you well!’

Immediately,

He regained

His sight.

He followed Jesus

On the way.”

 

καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ὕπαγε, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε. καὶ εὐθὺς ἀνέβλεψεν, καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ.

 

Both Matthew, chapter 20:34, and Luke, chapter 18:42-43, are similar, but Mark did not mention compassion or pity.  Neither did he touch his eyes.  Instead, Mark indicated that Jesus told him to go (καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ὕπαγε) because his faith had healed him (ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε).  Immediately (καὶ εὐθὺς), he regained his sight (ἀνέβλεψεν) and followed Jesus on his way (καὶ ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ), as Bartimaeus became a disciple of Jesus.  There was no physical contact in this healing of the blind man.

The man could see (Mk 8:24-8:24)

“The blind man

Looked up.

He said.

‘I see people.

However,

They look

Like walking trees.’”

 

καὶ ἀναβλέψας ἔλεγεν Βλέπω τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι ὡς δένδρα ὁρῶ περιπατοῦντας.

 

This story of the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida was unique to Mark.  This was a little different healing that did not take place immediately.  Instead there seemed to be a two-step process.  At first, the blind man looked up or recovered his sight (καὶ ἀναβλέψας).  He then said (ἔλεγεν) that he could see people (Βλέπω τοὺς ἀνθρώπους).  However, they looked like trees that were walking or walking trees (ὅτι ὡς δένδρα ὁρῶ περιπατοῦντας), not humans.

Shiloh (Jer 7:12-7:15)

“‘Go now to my place

That was in Shiloh.

There I made

My name dwell at first.

See what I did to it,

Due to the wickedness

Of my people Israel.

Now,

Because you have done

All these things

Watch out!’

Says Yahweh.

‘When I spoke to you persistently,

You did not listen.

When I called you,

You did not answer.

Therefore I will do

To the house

That is called by my name,

In which you trust,

What I did to Shiloh.

This is the place

That I gave to you

As well as your ancestors.

I will do

Just what I did to Shiloh.

I will cast you out of my sight.

I will do

Just as I cast out all your kinsmen,

All the offspring of Ephraim.’”

Shiloh had been an ancient Canaanite shrine and then an Israelite shrine until it was destroyed by the Philistines around 1050 BCE. Shiloh was in the Ephraim territory, north of Bethel and Jericho, about 20 miles north of Jerusalem. It had been an Israelite shrine where the Ark of the Covenant was until Jerusalem was built by King David and King Solomon. Here Yahweh reminds Jeremiah that his name had lived at Shiloh. However, due to the wickedness of those people, he changed his living place to Jerusalem. Like them, these people in Jerusalem were not listening when Yahweh called. They did not answer him. Thus he was going to do to Jerusalem what he had done to Shiloh. He was going to cast them all out of his sight, as he had done to Ephraim and all its descendants.