The Fault of the Spiritually Blind

Good morning and welcome to the Countryside Vineyard Church.

If you’re new here today either online or in person, we welcome you.

My name is Joe Fager and I’m one of the Pastors here.

We are currently working our way through the Gospel of Mark.

We are in Chapter 8 this week so please turn there now. If you don’t have a Bible with you, no problem there are some scattered throughout the sanctuary here for you to use, and if you don’t own a Bible, please take one of these as our gift to you.

If you were here last week you may remember that Bill worked through verses 1-9 which tell the story of the feeding of the 4000. Bill focused on Jesus’ compassion for these people because they had been with him for three days and had nothing left to eat.

What does that tell us about them?

They were hungry for Jesus. They were spiritually hungry. They wanted his words and his works in their lives so much that they stayed with him for three days.

That sets up a powerful contrast with the people we are going to meet this morning.

Our passage is Mark 8:10–13, but I want to begin with verse 10 and take a moment to set up the main point.

Mark 8:10 says:

“And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.”

That may sound like a simple travel detail, but it is important.

Dalmanutha was somewhere near Magdala on the western, heavily Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee.

For the last several weeks, Jesus has been traveling through Tyre, Sidon, and the Decapolis. Mark makes everything move quickly, but Jesus may have been away from Galilee for weeks, perhaps even longer.

During that time, Jesus has been on the “wrong side of the tracks,” keeping company with all the “wrong people”—at least according to the religious leaders.

But look at what happened among those supposed outsiders.

A demon fled from a little girl. Deaf ears were opened. People were astonished by Jesus. Thousands stayed with him for three days, listening to his words. Then Jesus spread a table in the wilderness and fed four thousand men, along with their wives and children with seven loaves and a few fish.

The “wrong people,” in all the “wrong places,” were receiving what Jesus offered.

Now Jesus gets into the boat and returns to the “right side” of the lake.

And what does he find there?

The “right people” come out to argue with him.

Matthew tells us that both the Pharisees and Sadducees confronted him. These were groups that disagreed about almost everything. Yet they found something that could bring them together: their opposition to Jesus.

The outsiders were hungry for Jesus. The religious leaders wanted to test him.

The outsiders received what Jesus offered. The religious leaders demanded that he prove himself.

The people who should have been able to see Jesus most clearly were the most blind to the man standing in front of them.

That brings us to the main truth of this passage:

Spiritual blindness is not primarily an intellectual problem. It is the stubbornness of a heart that does not want Jesus to be Lord.

This morning Mark is going to expose the central fault of spiritual blindness: It rejects the light God has already given. Then he shows us two tragic results. Spiritual blindness grieves the heart of Jesus, and when we persist in it, we are eventually left with the choice we have demanded.

Mark 8:10–13 ESV

And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

Let’s pray.

Look with me again at verse 11. Here Mark exposes the central fault of spiritual blindness:

1. Spiritual Blindness Rejects the Light It Already Has

“The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.”

They demanded proof of his authority

The Greek word translated “sign” is sēmeion. It is more than a display of power. It is a sign that points beyond itself and proves that God has authorized someone.

“From heaven” probably means “from God.” In Mark 11:30, Jesus asks whether John’s baptism was “from heaven or from man.” He means, “Did John’s authority come from God or from people?”

The Pharisees were saying:

“If God really sent you, prove it. Give us the kind of sign God gave Moses, Samuel, Elijah, and the prophets.”

They had biblical reasons to connect signs with God’s servants:

Moses received signs so Israel would believe God had appeared to him (Exodus 4:1–9). Samuel called down thunder and rain (1 Samuel 12:16–18). Elijah called down fire from heaven (1 Kings 18:36–39). Isaiah gave Hezekiah the sign of the shadow moving backward (Isaiah 38:7–8).

The request itself was not automatically wrong. God had given signs before. The problem was their motive: they were testing Jesus.

This was not an honest question. They had already begun planning his death in Mark 3:6. When they could not deny his power over demons, they claimed his power came from Satan.

They were not following the evidence wherever it led.

They were trying to place Jesus on trial.

What evidence did they already have?

These were learned men. They had:

Moses, who promised a prophet Israel must hear.

The Psalms and Prophets, which described God’s coming King, Servant, Shepherd, and Son of Man.

John the Baptist, who fulfilled the role of the wilderness messenger and pointed to Jesus.

Jesus’ words, spoken with unmatched authority.

Jesus’ works—lepers cleansed, demons driven out, deaf ears opened, paralyzed bodies restored, storms calmed, and the dead raised.

They did not lack evidence. They refused to accept the kind of evidence God had chosen to give.

We have even more evidence

The Pharisees had more immediate evidence because Jesus stood in front of them. But we have far more completed and cumulative evidence.

They stood before the cross. We stand on the other side of the cross and empty tomb.

We have:

The Old Testament promises. The complete life and works of Jesus. His crucifixion and resurrection. The testimony of the apostles and other eyewitnesses. The preservation of that early testimony. The spread of the gospel across nations and centuries. Countless lives changed by the living Christ.

The evidence has increased, but the human heart has not changed.

Just a few weeks ago we talked about this: Jesus said that wickedness comes out of the human heart. (7:21)

In John 7:17 talking about his own authority, he says if you truly want to do God’s will, then he will confirm that what I teach is from Him.

In Ephesians 4:18 Paul says about unbelievers, “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.”

The deepest question is often not:

“Is Christianity true?”

It is:

“If Christianity is true, will I have to give up control of my life?”

Atheist Thomas Nagel wrote the following words...

“I want atheism to be true and am made uneasy by the fact that some of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know are religious believers. It isn’t just that I don’t believe in God and, naturally, hope that I’m right in my belief. It’s that I hope there is no God! I don’t want there to be a God; I don’t want the universe to be like that”

The irony of self-rule

We resist Jesus because we fear losing our freedom. But without Jesus, we were never truly free.

“Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.… If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” —John 8:34, 36

Surrendering to Jesus is not trading freedom for slavery. It is being rescued from slavery to sin, self, and Satan.

The Pharisees treated Jesus like a problem to defeat. But Jesus did not respond with anger. Their blindness wounded him deeply.

2. Spiritual Blindness Grieves the Heart of Jesus

Mark 8:12a

“And he sighed deeply in his spirit.”

Mark does not merely say that Jesus sighed. The word describes a deep groan rising from within him.

There is grief here, and probably indignation as well. Jesus is not impressed by their argument. He is grieved by what their unbelief is doing to them.

This is not the frustration of a performer whose audience refuses to applaud. It is the grief of the Savior watching people reject life.

The language may also remind us of the wilderness generation. God had delivered Israel from Egypt, divided the sea, and given them bread from heaven. Yet they continued to test him.

Psalm 95 says:

“For forty years I loathed that generation and said, ‘They are a people who go astray in their heart.’”

Hebrews 3:10 renders it:

“I was provoked with that generation.”

Now Jesus asks:

“Why does this generation seek a sign?”

The Pharisees are repeating the wilderness generation’s sin. God had given evidence after evidence, yet they kept demanding that God prove himself again.

Important Distinction

Jesus is not grieved by honest questions. He was patient with confused disciples, struggling people, and desperate parents.

What grieves him is dishonest unbelief—the person who keeps moving the finish line because he does not want to surrender.

Obstinate unbelief does not merely break one of God’s rules. It grieves the heart of the God who came to save us.

Transition

Jesus will answer honest questions, but he will not submit to a dishonest test.

So were does that leave the person who persists in obstinate unbelief?

3. Spiritual Blindness Is Left With Its Choice

Mark 8:12b–13

“‘Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.’ And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.”

No sign on their terms

Jesus was not saying that God had provided no evidence. Jesus’ entire ministry was filled with evidence.

He was saying:

“I will not perform the sign you demand, on your terms, so that you can continue placing God on trial.”

They wanted a sign of their own choosing:

Something spectacular. Something undeniable. Something they could control and evaluate. Something that allowed them to remain in the judge’s seat.

But God does not answer to us. We answer to him.

Matthew says that the sign of Jonah would eventually be given—the death and resurrection of Jesus. But even that sign would not force belief. After the tomb was found empty, some of the leaders paid the guards to spread another explanation (Matthew 28:11–15).

The problem was never that God could not provide enough evidence.

The problem was that they could always invent another reason to reject it.

Jesus left them

The words are frightening:

Verse 13 “And He left them.”

Jesus did not keep arguing. He did not chase after them with another offer. He got back into the boat and departed to the other side.

This does not mean that none of those men could ever repent. It does, however, give us a frightening picture of where persistent rejection can lead.

To everyone who comes to Jesus, he gives promise after promise:

“Whoever comes to me I will never cast out.”

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

“No one will snatch them out of my hand.”

If you come to Jesus, he will receive you. He will forgive you, keep you, protect you, and be your Good Shepherd. He will never abandon a heart that truly wants him.

But the Bible also warns us about continuing to resist the work of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 1 describes it with these frightening words:

“God gave them over.”

There can come a point when God allows you to have what you have kept demanding. You have insisted on ruling your own life. You have insisted that you do not want God. Eventually, God may leave you with the choice you have continued to make.

One day, every person will stand before God and give an account for their life.

Those who belong to Jesus will not have to depend upon their own record. Jesus has already taken their sin and judgment upon himself. The Bible calls Jesus our Advocate and our Mediator. Those words simply mean that Jesus is the one who stands for us before God. He is the only one who can say:

“I have already answered for this sin. I paid for it. This person belongs to me.”

But if you reject Jesus, you are rejecting the only person who can stand for you. You will face God depending upon your own record, with no one to answer for your sin.

Put very simply:

Either Jesus answers for your sin, or you will answer for it yourself.

God will not judge anyone unfairly. He knows exactly how much light each person received. He knows every time the truth was placed before you—through creation, through your conscience, through Scripture, through another person, or through hearing the gospel.

Jesus taught that greater light brings greater responsibility. The question will not be whether God judged you unfairly. The question will be:

What did you do with the light God gave you?

Persistent rejection has consequences. God does not refuse anyone who comes to him in repentance, but neither does he force anyone to love him. Eventually, judgment confirms the choice a person has insisted upon.

No one will face judgment because Jesus rejected a willing heart.

People will face judgment because they rejected Jesus—the only one who could save them.

Conclusion

As the worship team comes up and those serving communion come forward, let me explain how we receive communion here at Countryside.

We practice open communion. That means you do not have to be a member of this church to participate. Communion is open to anyone who has placed their faith in Jesus Christ.

If you are not yet a follower of Jesus, you are unsure what you believe, or you simply do not feel comfortable taking communion this morning, you can politely decline or allow the elements to pass. No one will judge you, question you, or try to talk you into anything. This is completely voluntary.

Please hold on to the bread and the cup when you receive them, and we will take them together in a few moments.

As the elements are being distributed, I want to speak first to anyone who has never said yes to Jesus—or who once followed Jesus but has walked away from him.

I have said a lot of words this morning, but far more important than anything I have said is what God may be saying to you.

You may have felt a warming in your chest or a tug somewhere deep inside. You may have had that strange feeling that I was speaking directly to you. Or you may not feel anything dramatic at all. You may simply have a quiet awareness that you need to respond.

Not every feeling comes from God. But when the Holy Spirit points you toward Jesus, brings your sin into the light, and calls you to surrender, do not harden your heart.

Maybe you have been hurt by church people. Maybe your parents claimed to follow Jesus, but the way they lived made you say, “If that is Christianity, I don’t want it.”

Those wounds are real, and I am not asking you to pretend they never happened. But please do not allow the failures of people who misrepresented Jesus to keep you from Jesus himself.

There are many reasons people give for rejecting Jesus. But beneath all our questions and wounds, there eventually comes a choice: Will I continue ruling my own life, or will I surrender my life to Jesus?

Coming to Jesus is simple, but it is not casual. It means turning from your sin, placing your trust in what Jesus did for you, and receiving him as the Lord of your life.

You do not need perfect words. A prayer does not save you; Jesus saves you. But you can speak honestly to him right where you are:

“Jesus, I am done running. I do not understand everything, but I am willing to trust you. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. Please forgive me. I surrender my life to you. Be my Savior and my Lord. Fill me with your Spirit and teach me to follow you.”

If that is the sincere response of your heart this morning, then receive communion with us as a confession of your new or renewed faith in Jesus. After the service, please tell one of our pastors or someone you trust what happened. We want to pray with you and help you begin walking with Jesus. You were never meant to do this alone.

Now I want to speak to the born-again, Spirit-filled Christian.

Perhaps you have someone in your life whom you desperately want to know Jesus. You have prayed for them. You have shared the gospel with them. Yet they continue to resist.

Do not stop praying for them. Do not stop loving them. When the Holy Spirit gives you an opportunity to speak, do not be afraid to speak.

But do not turn that person into a project. You cannot argue anyone into the kingdom of God, and you cannot force a heart to surrender. Listen to the Holy Spirit. Speak when he tells you to speak, remain quiet when he tells you to wait, and continue showing them the love of Jesus.

Follow the example of Jesus in this passage. Grieve for them before God. Bring their name to him. Ask him to soften their heart and open their eyes.

Jesus is pursuing them too. Work with him, but do not try to replace him.

Jesus left the Pharisees standing on the shore that day, but that does not necessarily mean the door of repentance was permanently closed to every one of them. They were still alive, and Scripture tells us that some Pharisees later became followers of Jesus.

So we should never give up on someone who still has breath in their lungs. But neither should any of us presume that we will always have another opportunity. If the Holy Spirit is speaking to you today, today is the day to respond.

The Pharisees demanded that Jesus give them a sign on their terms. Jesus refused to perform for them. But God did give the world a sign—the greatest sign he could possibly give.

He gave us his Son.

Jesus allowed his body to be broken and his blood to be poured out for us. Then, on the third day, he walked out of the tomb.

The bread and the cup do not save us. Jesus saves us. These elements point us back to what he did, and they proclaim that our hope is not in our goodness, our intelligence, or our religious record. Our hope is in Jesus Christ alone.

1 Corinthians 11:23–25 NKJV

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Let’s pray…