Sight to the blind, hearing to the unlistening (Mark 10:46-52)
The crowd's proximity to Jesus does not make them attentive to his priorities.
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Bartimaeus has a prime location along the road to Jerusalem, just outside Jericho. It is the perfect spot for a blind beggar to appeal to the generosity of those who are beginning their journey up through the hills to the temple. With their mind on spiritual things, they just might be feeling less attached to their material possessions and more inclined to direct a few coins his way. Still today, the roads and steps around sites of worship often become a gathering place for the poor and for those broken in body or in spirit, who hope that religious sentiment might awaken altruism among others.
