“You may go,” Jesus said; “your faith has delivered you.” Immediately he recovered his sight, and began to follow Jesus along the road.
what you see you see
what you see will lead
to even more seeing
and seeing to hearing
and hearing to touchingseeing a first time
yet needs seeing a second
third fourth forty-second
lest we stop seeing
and fall back to blindnessfor the moment rejoice
you see at all
follow this path awhile
’til you see another path
calling out as you have
There is no recorded waving of the hand or spitting recorded before Jesus announces that the request for sight was completed before the request even left his lips.
As was said to the woman who interrupted another part of Jesus’ journey, “Your faith/trust has healed you.”
In both cases, the one healed of their particular form of brokenness is told to “Go”, to “Go in peace”.
We don’t know if the bleeding woman is now among the women following Jesus to Jerusalem where more blood will flow. There would be no reason to be surprised at this. What we now hear is that this insightful (“Son of G*D” caller) unsighted beggar has joined the journey up from Jericho to Jerusalem. Did he leave his cloak behind with his begging bowl when someone gave him the equivalent of Joseph’s amazing coat to celebrate the arrival of mercy in his life?
Even without the background of daily experience with Jesus, as did the disciples, this one has heard a call. Not to come and learn to fish for people, but to be a present witness of mercy’s effect—“I once was blind, but now I see!”
This is a baptismal scene, as much as that with Baptizer John at the Jordan that began this tale of good news by Mark. It brings us full-circle. The “Spirit” is driving this man to his own wilderness where, with beasts and angels, he will encounter everyday violence and surprising sustenance as he feasts on tomorrow while yet in today, tasting a rising with all those who have lain in the land of the dead.
From Jericho as entry-point to a “Promised Land” to Jericho as a curtain to Act 2, we have crossed wrinkled time in a tesseract moment. When the curtain opens next we will see where a journey of good news travels on its way to a next day. There will be the wonderful irony of fisherfolk themselves being caught … and then released.