DO YOU SEE ANYTHING?
Mark 8:22-26
Key Verse 23b
When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
Introduction
The author of this book, Mark was once a kind of spiritually blind man although he was grown up in a believing family. But Jesus helped him to see who Jesus is in person more and more. In this book of Mark, there is a repetition of lesson. Especially in the previous lesson, Jesus gently rebuked His disciples by saying “Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? (17b-18)” In the past we are spiritual blind and deaf like Jesus’ disciples. But thanks to Jesus’ tender love and never ending shepherd heart, we are able to see what we now see. May the Lord help us to have absolute faith in the Lord our God who will make our spiritual and physical children open their ears and eyes. Praise Jesus!
Read verse 22-23. What happened when Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida? (22) What did Jesus do and say to the blind man? (23) What does this reveal about Jesus?
1-1, Read verse 22-23.
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
1-2, What happened when Jesus and his disciples came to Bethsaida? (22)
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
At the previous passage, the religious leaders asked him for a sign from heaven to convince them that he was the Chosen Messiah.
However, the signs were all around them, if they only had faith. And that is exactly what Jesus wanted them to have rather than look for more miracles.
After that, Jesus continued his journey to Bethsaida by boat. Philip, Andrew and Peter all came from Bethsaida.
But Jesus pointed out in Matthew 11:21, “Woe to you, Bethsaida!” If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
So it seems to us that Bethsaida was a town full of proud people unwilling to repent when the Son of God had spoken to them the words of life.
Three disciples had come from that town! It could have been the birthplace of many disciples. But their pride got in the way.
Wherever Jesus came, the crowd gathered around Jesus. But here only some people came to Jesus. It could be another clue that the people in the town were indifferent about Jesus.
Mark tells us that there were “some people” who had humbled their hearts and accepted the Savior’s life giving words, “Repent and believe the good news.”
There were still “some people” who had the courage to go against the cultural tide and resist peer pressure and the faith to stand on Jesus’ side against the world.
There were still some people who had compassion for one blind and helpless man. We may want to have the same compassionate hearts for campus souls.
1-3, What did Jesus do and say to the blind man? (23)
23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.
1-4, What does this reveal about Jesus?
Surely Jesus was encouraged by these few people’s faith. And when Jesus saw their faith, he was also determined to bless this faith and help this blind man regain his sight. Their faith had won the Messiah’s heart.
Jesus took him by the hand. Jesus led him outside the village. Why did Jesus lead him outside the village? It was because the work of God requires an environment of faith.
The Bible tells us clearly that unless there is an environment of faith, there would be no work of God.
Matt. 13:58 says, “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” Thus Jesus takes this man by the hand, and leads him outside the town.
When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
Jesus could have cured the man just with His one word. It is hard to imagine why Jesus spit on the man’s eyes. When we think about how sensitive a man is when it comes to his eyes.
Then, how difficult it was for him when someone would spit in his two blind eyes. But Jesus did! Others who had faith had brought him to Jesus. But he himself probably had no faith of his own personal faith.
Matthew 9:29 reads, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” Jesus would not heal him unless he had faith to be healed. Jesus would not heal him unless he was willing to be healed.
Jesus would not heal him unless he decided to show some faith in Jesus. Jesus would not heal him until he was ready to get involved by choosing to have his own desire to be healed.
It was Jesus’ wisdom to spit on the man. Jesus saw that it was necessary for him to spit on the man’s eyes, for his own good for his own faith. Sometimes it becomes necessary to nudge someone to faith to wake up from spiritual slumber!
Read verse 24. What did the blind man say to Jesus? What does this incomplete healing suggest? In what way is this similar to what happened to Jesus' disciples?
2-1, Read verse 24.
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
2-2, What did the blind man say to Jesus?
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
Interestingly, he was not completely healed. He could see but not too clearly. He could see only shadows of men like trees. But it was not because Jesus failed to do so. Rather it has a further spiritual meaning from the Lord, Jesus Christ.
2-3, What does this incomplete healing suggest?
This is the only "gradual" or "progressive" healing described in the ministry of Jesus. It is Jesus’ intention to show His another example of the variety of healing methods He used.
But why did Jesus choose this method at this time? Probably as an illustration to His disciples, showing them then that their spiritual blindness, shown in the previous passage - will be healed, but only gradually.
As a matter of truth, this is how most of God's work happens in us. We receive it little by little. We like to tell ourselves and others that we make huge spiritual leaps at one moment, but most real Christian growth happens little by little.
Also in a different angle of view, the blind man was like a representative of those who see the love of God vaguely but cannot stand on the absolute love of God.
He may not have fully engage his faith, still not trusting the power of God to heal him completely. He still needed to grow in faith.
He needed to fully acknowledge that even though his situation was hopeless, where there is Jesus there is no hopelessness.
He needed to believe that where there is Jesus there is hope and there is life. There are many like this man who see only shadows of the Christian life and blessing. Some can only see shadows of God’s purpose and hope for them.
2-4, In what way is this similar to what happened to Jesus' disciples?
Again this stage can be compared to that of Jesus’ disciples in light of their spiritual growth in and through Jesus Christ.
They were slowly but steadfastly growing in their personal faith until they were able to clearly see who Jesus is and confess that you are the Christ!
We all would like to grow as a giant servant of God only one day. But in reality we are required to grow and to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ step by step. That is why disciple training is very efficient enough to grow in His image.
How can we grow in His image? It is through paying attention to what Jesus says. Mark 4:9-13 and 24, 25 reads. Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” 10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 24“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
Read verse 25-26. What did Jesus do a second time? (25a) What happened to the man? (25b) What does this event reveal about Jesus’ effort to heal? Why do you think Jesus asked him not to go into the village?
3-1, Read verse 25-26.
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into[a] the village.”
3-2, What did Jesus do a second time? (25a)
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes.
Jesus did not give up on this man of incomplete faith. Jesus realized that he had been growing in faith until he could see, even if it were only partial sight.
Jesus was determined to help him until the shadows in his heart and mind disappeared and he could see clearly.
The fact that he could partially begin to see, had blessed him enough to fully engage his faith.
Now the blind man must have developed his own desire to see clearly because he tasted God’s love and God’s supernatural power when he humbled himself.
3-3, What happened to the man? (25b)
Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
When Jesus touched him again, his eyes were opened and he could see clearly. It was the most beautiful day of his life.
He could see the face of him who healed him. He could also see the wonderful sacrifice of those “few people” who loved him and brought him to Jesus even though he may have not been willing to go to Jesus on his own.
Often times as shepherds and Bible teachers, we are misunderstood by them. But thank God who helped us to taste heavenly joy when they were healed.
3-4, What does this event reveal about Jesus’ effort to heal?
Praise Jesus who shows His compassion and patience until we may see clearly who He is. We can give all credits to His willingness and effort to help each of us.
There are so many blind men in this world. There are the totally blind and there are those who cannot see someone’s love for them.
There are those whose eyes have been opened but their eyes remain hazy and unclear. It is shadowed by pride and complacency and indifference and by the temptations that prevent them from engaging their faith, and draw them deeper into the dark shadows of this world.
But there is nothing more beautiful than God’s absolute love who lifts our eyes from darkness and brings us the light of God’s truth.
There is a glorious thing in the touch of Jesus. We must be touched by Jesus day by day until what is vague becomes clear and we can see the living God working in and through us leading us by the hand to the kingdom of God.
3-5, Why do you think Jesus asked him not to go into the village?
26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into[a] the village.”
Jesus did not tell the man not to tell anyone of his healing, but simply told the man not to return to the village.
It was a place of unbelief. It was a ground for rebellion against God and his Messiah. It was the place where one blind man could find no hope in his suffering.
It was a place where a blind man could neither have faith nor grow in faith. It was a place that had no room for the word of God.
A place where men insulted the work of God and undermined God’s blessings. After healing him, Jesus wanted to send him away from the village so that his faith might not be hindered nor his faith disturbed by these unbelieving people.
It was a tender time in his life where faith had just been born in his heart. How precious is Jesus to concern himself with this man.
Jesus wanted him to go somewhere else where his faith might grow into mighty faith and produce the fruit of repentance and of life among others.
We must learn from Jesus how to have faith and to engage our faith so that we may grow out of the shadows of spiritual life into clear sight and vision.
Conclusion
Praise Jesus who shows His compassion and patience in healing spiritually blind people. May the Lord help us to participate in His redemptive work like some people in this passage who brought the blind man to Jesus by faith. God is living and active in showing His supernatural power in a proportion to our personal faith. May the Lord help us to increase our personal faith so that we may see His great transaction every day. No matter what happens daily, we may not be distracted by the problems but to come to Jesus by faith.
One word: Do you see clearly?
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