10:46–52 If we omit the story of the cursing of the fig tree (11:12–14, 20–25), which is not really a miracle story like the others in Mark, this incident in 10:46–52 is the last miracle story in Mark’s account. This makes it something of a climactic miracle story and therefore worth careful attention. It also forms the conclusion to the long section (8:27–10:52) in which Jesus teaches about his coming sufferings and about the path of discipleship, and Mark uses it as an important vehicle for telling us about Jesus.

It is also worth noting that the section that this incident concludes (8:27–10:52) is introduced by another account of Jesus healing a blind man (8:22–26). These two miracles of sight act like bookends to hold this material together. How appropriate also these miracles are as …