The middle story, Mark 8:22-26, the blind man episode, is an illustration of the process that the disciples are experiencing. It is not so much a story about Jesus’ healing as it is about a man’s seeing. He only sees partially at first, as do the disciples. Then he sees clearly, as do the disciples. So the blind man episode is really an interruption in the flow of a section about the disciples’ understanding of Jesus. It provides a real-life illustration of what was occurring in the lives of the disciples.
Notes
Transcript
Can you see me now?
Taken by itself, this is a strange passage.
Why does Jesus only heal the man partially at first?
Is he unable to heal the blind person completely all at once? Why
Why does Jesus ask the man if he can see anything? Doesn’t he know?
Is he uncertain about his healing ability?
At first the man can see nothing; then he can see partially, but not clearly.
Finally, Jesus enables him to see clearly.
Is there a point to this?
Let’s look at the surrounding passages and look for some connections.
