The Bible is a story and filled with heroes and Bartimaeus is one of mine. He is blind. He is a beggar. He is an outcast. Probably thought to be under a curse (see John 9:2-3 ). He is unnamed: Mark calls him “Batrimaeus,” in Luke the name is implied (by translator section heading), but Matthew leaves him unnamed. So what is special about Bartimaeus? Nothing really- - except he is a blind man who hears that Jesus was near, and saw Jesus for who he was (prior to being healed).