The Gospel of Mark 8:22-26

 

Brian Hirvela

7/27/24

“And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and pleaded with Him to touch him. And taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He was asking him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and was saying, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Jesus and His disciples arrived at Bethsaida and some of the people in the area brought to Him a blind man pleading for Jesus to touch him. They were earnest in their compassion for the blind man and had heard that Jesus had healed the blind.

Jesus brought the blind man out of the village to perform the healing in private. Commentators reason that this is due to the many miracles and signs performed in Bethsaida that have led to a hardening of hearts towards Jesus and His works, the draw of large crowds, and the purposeful action of keeping His works low key.

John Calvin states, “Whatever might be the reason, it is certain that no miracle was performed by him to remain perpetually buried, but that he intended to have it concealed along with many others, until, after having expiated by his death the sins of the world, he should ascend to the glory of the Father.”

Taking the blind man, Jesus used a sign by spitting on the man’s eyes and then touching him by laying His hand on the man’s eyes. Jesus’s sign is done at His prerogative. God is not boxed in by one style of healing method. For we know that if Jesus wanted, He could speak, and the man would be healed from his blindness.

But here, He uses a progressive method for He asks the man “What do you see?” and opening his eyes the man could only make out dimly what appeared to him and trees walking. He knew they were men because trees do not walk. If you wear glasses and take them off people would appear blurry, and some may have such poor sight that people would look like dark blobs.

Please note that the man lifted his head when he responded to Jesus. His posture is one of humility and weakness. He did not come in power and strength because he was blind, he needed help from others to lead him to Jesus. This is the state of the sinner, for sinners are blind and cannot find their way to righteousness.

It is those who can see that lead the sinner to Jesus through the scriptures. And through the scriptures, a sinner sees the word as a “mirror dimly” but not clearly until they see Jesus and His righteousness. We are confused by what we see and hear, and understanding comes with time, studying, and growing in the knowledge of The Father and Christ Jesus.

Jesus placed His hand on the eyes of the man again and looked intently fully restoring the man’s sight and the man began to see everything clearly. And Jesus sent him home saying “Do not even enter the village.” Here we see a true event of a blind man led by those who love him to Jesus to heal him, Jesus healed the man’s eyes fully restoring his sight, and sent him home.

This is the process of Salvation. A person is brought to Jesus by the Father, upon whom, with all humility and weakness that person falls on their knees. Jesus lays His hand upon that person and opens their eyes to the truth by the baptism of the Spirit. A person then is healed and no longer blind by the sins of this age. Their eyes are opened fully and can comprehend the fullness of wisdom and knowledge found in Jesus. That person doesn’t return to the way he came but runs toward the way of Jesus.

This age is full of wickedness and lies. You will only find death if you remain blinded by “the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life”

“God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth;7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:5-10)

Jesus came to save sinners. Sinners suppress the truth and hide in their darkness because they love darkness. They are unbelieving, vile, foolish, rebellious, haters of God who have adopted the ideologies of this world and the doctrines of men. They have become slaves to their sexual desires, perverting the flesh and mind, and rebelling against the created order of God. They are doomed to condemnation and will be judged by Jesus and sent to Hell where they will burn for eternity in the lake of fire.

However, God so loved His creation, mankind, that He sent His Son Jesus, who can forgive you of your sins and redeem you because He has the authority and power. Jesus brings eternal life to all who repent and believe. For Jesus bore all our sins; He bore all the sins of all who believe in Him. Jesus was born and lived a perfect life of obedience to God as a man. Jesus was condemned to be executed and die in the sinner's place. He suffered the totality of God's wrath upon Himself on the Cross, which every sinner deserves, so that those who believe in Jesus may have peace with God.

Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death, and lives, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He is in your midst with us offering you salvation, repent, and believe Jesus.