Double Take

Open the Blind Eyes

Read Psalm 146 from the Bible

Psalm 146:8 ESV

8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

Matthew 6:22 ESV

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light,

Proverbs 29:18–19 ESV

18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law. 19 By mere words a servant is not disciplined, for though he understands, he will not respond.

2 Kings 6:8–23 (ESV)

An entire battle was won simply through the change of perception.

How do you think the servant felt when Elisha told his servant “Do not fear?”

How do you think the servant felt when his eyes were opened to see the horses and chariots of fire?

How confident was the Syrian army when they could see? When they couldn’t?

It’s a very humbling thing!

How humble would we be if we realized how blind we can be?

I don’t know about you, but I get nervous when I’m sure I’m right, especially when it makes me critical of others. (of course if you know me, I tend to be more critical of myself).

The difficult thing about our blindnesses is that we can’t see them.

We feel the Spirit - but we don’t see Him.

Mark 8:22–26 ESV

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.”

Some observations:

Jesus appears to be travelling outside of Herod Antipas’ jurisdiction (Caesarea Philippi to Tyre and Sidon, down to the Decapolis, briefly in Herod’s territory in Magdala and faces opposition so back across the lake to Bethsaida in the Northeast.

He appears to be trying to keep miracles private:

Tried to be unnoticed in Sidon, pulled deaf man aside, ministered in the wilderness (even though it was a great crowd), and now bringing this blind man outside of the village.

This healing on the heels of His teaching to the disciples about leaven seems to be symbolic of their lack of understanding.

Not only does this seem to represent their previous lack of understanding, but this comes just prior to their lack of understanding about Jesus’ foretelling of His death, burial, and Resurrection (which we’ll be talking about next week).

You can’t see what someone else sees if you’re not standing in their shoes.

You can’t catch someone else’s vision if you’re trying to fit it within your own.

Bethsaida:

“House of Provision” (or hunting/fishing)

Home of Phillip, Andrew, and Peter

Site where Peter’s mother-in-law and many many others were healed.

One of 3 cities Jesus curses for their lack of belief after so many miracles being performed in them.

This is the first mention in the Gospel of Mark of a blind man being healed.

In Mark 7:32 and here in Mark 8:22 some people to brought to Jesus someone to heal.

There is no reference of compassion or concern for these individuals from the crowd.

In fact Jesus leads these individuals away from the crowds to heal them:

in one case (deaf man) warns not to speak (ironic because he had just been healed of being mute!)

and in the other, the healed man was told not to go back to the village.

It is quite possible these men were brought for Jesus to heal so that the people may see a great show -”do it again!”

It is the natural scientific test. If it is observable multiple times it must be true

It is the work of curiosity.

It is so easy to do. Do it again!

When I was about 5, my dad was home from work one weekday. We invented a game where I would grab a toy from the bedroom/toyroom and bring it to him. He was on the couch in the living room. He would squeeze the toy real hard and the open his hands and they were empty! The thing was… he told me to go look for the same toy in the toyroom again and it would already be there!!! He had me mystified, amazed, and completely entertained!

We do it when we study the Bible or experience the moving of the Holy Spirit.

God moved on THAT worship song, so THAT’S the song! Sing it again.

Jesus didn’t come to entertain!

Why did He spit?

Jesus uses spit in 3 miracles - Mark 7:33, Mark 8:23, and John 9:6.

While spit - especially in the face - was an act of disgracing - it was used during that time in magic, medicine, and religious cures....

Possibilities of using spit here:

Discipline:

The man needed to face disgrace before receiving grace. You can’t get around it. The prime example of this is when Miriam and Aaron opposed Moses.

Numbers 12:13–15 ESV

13 And Moses cried to the Lord, “O God, please heal her—please.” 14 But the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut outside the camp seven days, and after that she may be brought in again.” 15 So Miriam was shut outside the camp seven days, and the people did not set out on the march till Miriam was brought in again.

This also lends to Jesus’ instructions not to return to the village.

Greek roots: smoke, puffed up, proud.

Such disgrace must be faced, but is well worth it to receive such great grace!

Hebrews 12:5–11 ESV

5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. 6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

While forgiveness is instant, consequences remain - natural and spiritual. God loves you enough to discipline you.

Why Spit?

Perhaps it was to build his faith:

The man was brought to Jesus. There is no verbal interaction recorded until after Jesus touches the mans eyes and spits on them. The man may have expected some type of balm and/or physical interaction and his faith even required the gradual healing to receive the complete healing.

Interestingly enough, it is quite likely the man suffered from Trachoma - a disease that is carried by ocular and nasal discharge. Jesus’ spit being used to heal him was a powerful statement in regard to His very being. Also, the first act of healing could have been the healing of the eyelids, and the second, the healing of the corneas and lenses.

In any case, he walked away completely healed.

Whatever the reasons we surmise - he had a need.

Jesus healed him.

One interaction with Jesus removed his mental, spiritual, and physical blindness!

Jesus used many methods and interactions to heal people.

Healing is not in the methods - it’s in Jesus.

It is the working of the Holy Spirit.

We must be obedient to the Holy Spirit.

If He used the same methods and people every time, we would rely on the methods or people and not on Him.

Human nature is to copy or repeat - to automate responses.

Scientific method demands that we repeat processes to observe and achieve outcomes.

We like systems to solve our problems so we can “set it and forget it.”

Does that work very well in relationships?

Do we just use the same words and pre-formulated responses with our spouses and family members?

Once again, blindness isn’t just physical.

The disciples had just admitted their own blindness to understanding Jesus about the leaven.

Directly after this He explains that He will die, be buried, and then raise up from the dead - but the disciples remain blind to the truth until after the resurrection, when the Holy Spirit reminded them of what Jesus said and opened their eyes to its understanding.

1 Corinthians 13:9–13 ESV

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. 13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.