04_Biblica_1_A_Ossandon_Layout 1 05/11/12 12:18 Pagina 382 382 JUAN CARLOS OSSANDÓN II. Context of Mark 10,46-52 The Gospel of Mark turns around Jesus’ identity and mission, progressively revealed to the other characters, especially the group of the disciples. At the end of the first part of Mark (1,14-8,26), the situation of the disciples with respect to Jesus is described symbolically through the story of the two-stage healing of the blind man of Bethsaida (8,22-26), in which Jesus’ power faces up to human limits and overcomes them. Thus the first part of the Gospel ends with a denunciation and a hope. 1. The Plot in Mark 8,27-10,52 and the Function of the Bartimaeus Episode The progressive manifestation of Jesus and the corresponding process of his comprehension reach a decisive point in Peter’s con- fession in Caesarea Philippi, an episode (8,27‒9,1) that opens a new phase in the narrative 16. Up to Peter’s confession, Jesus had refused all the proclamations of his identity, forbidding it to be spoken of. But in 8,27 he takes the initiative and asks from his disciples a more precise description than that of the people, who see him as a prophet. Peter hits the mark, calling him the Messiah. Jesus asks them not to speak about it, but he does not refuse the content of Peter’s answer 17. 16 Dupont, who calls Mark 8,27-9,13 the “center of the Gospel”, demon- strates how Peter’s confession cannot be separated from Jesus’ words in 8,31- 33, which are strongly connected with 8,34-9,1 and with Jesus’ transfiguration; see J. DUPONT, “L’aveugle de Jéricho recouvre la vue et suit Jésus”, Études sur les évangiles synoptiques (ed. J. DUPONT) (BETL 70; Leuven-Louvain 1985) I, 350-367, here 353-354. On the meaning of Peter’s confession, see also P. MASCILONGO, “Ma voi, chi dite che io sia?”. Analisi narrativa dell’identità di Gesù e del cammino dei discepoli nel Vangelo secondo Marco, alla luce della “Confessione di Pietro” (Mc 8,27-30) (AnBib 192; Roma 2011). 17 When Jesus does not accept a confession, he manifests his refusal ex- plicitly. Later, Jesus will describe himself indirectly as the Messiah (9,41), and in front of the high-priest he will accept the title without ambiguities (14,61-62). Cf. R.C. TANNEHILL, “The Gospel of Mark as Narrative Christo- logy”, Semeia 16 (1979) 57-95, 72; J.-N. ALETTI, “La construction du per- sonnage Jésus dans les récits évangéliques. Le cas de Marc”, Analyse narrative et Bible. Deuxième Colloque international du RRENAB (eds. C. FOCANT ‒ A. WÉNIN) (BETL 191; Leuven 2005) 19-42, 26.