Sight to the Blind | Mark 8:22–26

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

They return now to the major fishing town on the west side of the Sea of Galilee, south of Capernaum, where Philip, Andrew, and Peter all called home.  As we read this, we’re not surprised to find Jesus healing the blind man brought to Him—Jesus came to proclaim the recovery of sight to the blind (Lk 4:18).  Even so, there’s a notable lack of His proclaiming.  This area is now under judgment, though this man receives grace from the Lord.

Jesus withholds further blessings for the region.  We’ll read no more about preaching in northern Israel.  After telling the Pharisees that they’ll have no more signs (vv. 10–13), Jesus moves south.  Even though Jesus stops to heal this man, He does so outside of the village, instructing the man not to return into the village.  There’s to be no further missionary activity here, no more testimonials of the Lord’s grace.  Bethsaida is among the cities that Jesus pronounces woes against (Mt. 11:21–24), and darkness returns as the light departs.

Jesus extends further grace to this man.  The blind man’s friends bring him and beg Jesus on his behalf.  Jesus might have the village under judgment, but He takes the man by the hand to lead him.  He touches the man’s eyes.  He asks the man what he sees, and continues healing him when the man expresses a lack of focus.  He touches the man’s eyes and restores him, “and he saw everything clearly” (v. 25). 

Bethsaida was like this man; touched by the Lord, seeing something for the first time, but not clearly.  The people there saw signs that would have brought wicked towns like Tyre and Sidon to repentance (Mt 11:21).  Yet, they refused to allow the Lord to completely heal their spiritual blindness, and He judges them by leaving them as they are.


Still, no matter what the Lord is doing in this world, this nation, this city, or this neighborhood, He still accepts those who come to Him for healing.  They will see and receive salvation from the Lord.

Popular posts from this blog

Controversy about Alistair Begg and Gay Weddings?

Image
Last week, Alistair Begg got himself into hot water.  His ministry, Truth for Life, posted a video which included his advice to a grandmother concerned for a grandchild trapped in the transgender lifestyle.  Moreover, this grandchild is getting married and has hopefully invited the grandmother to the wedding. Begg the grandmother two questions.   He asked her if she had expressed her disapproval of the lifestyle, and he asked if she had expressed disapproval about the wedding.   The grandmother said she had on both accounts.   His advice, therefore, stunned the grandmother: He told her to attend the wedding with a gift in hand! We can all sympathize with the drive to be as loving as possible, but let’s back up and consider a few points.   Christians look at Scripture and see biblical prohibitions against practically every expression on the current LGBTQ+ spectrum.   From both the Old Testament and the New, passages condemn such behaviors as deviations from normal creation.   Moreov
Read more

How Was the Trauma Training Today?

Image
Because we are including so many more foster children and children from broken homes into our fellowship, our church participated in a trauma training session today.  Our main purpose was to gain practical insights into how to handle situations where children who have experienced trouble act out their emotions.  To that end, we can be thankful for our time together.  However, there were many errant teachings included which we must reject.  ERRANT TEACHING ON THE BRAIN The presentation alleged that the brain is physically transformed through traumatic events, creating “holes” in it and in its ability to process information.   This is possible, but there is a lot of debate on this subject.   The subject is relatively new, based on the largely anecdotal research of Dutch psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, published in his book The Body Keeps the Score .   Secular psychologists and even some Christian counselors (who are not always biblical in their approach) have found value in this un
Read more

What should we think about the upcoming solar eclipse?

Image
As celestial phenomena unfold, many individuals rightly turn to Scripture, seeking insights into their significance.  Eclipses, comets, supernovas, and meteor showers spark fascination and questions as to whether these events carry divine messages.  However, discerning between natural occurrences and supernatural signs requires careful consideration among Christians, particularly in the context of hermeneutics (the science of interpreting the Bible) and eschatological (end-times) beliefs. The Balance of Natural Order and Divine Intervention I am a supernaturalist, meaning that I believe God made this world and can intervene in events in miraculous ways to accomplish His purposes.   God made the cosmos, and on the fourth day of creation, the Lord made the sun, moon, and stars, establishing these luminaries to be “for signs and for seasons and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14).   The word “signs” carries a special fascination for us, but we also see that God had a broader intent f
Read more