Faith and Forgiveness
Notes
Transcript
A crowd at the door
A crowd at the door
The journey so far
From the Jordan, (Mark 1:9-11)
to the wilderness, (vv 12-13
to Galilee, (vv16-29)
to Capernaum, (vv21-35)
to a “deserted place”, (vv35-37)
to the villages , (39-45)
and back to Capernaum (Mk 2!)
This morning, however,
I will ask you if it is ok with you
if we changed our travel plans ...
and if you will join me
on some time travelling?
Imagine you are a tour group
we are in Israel, remember,
following in the steps of Jesus ...
But today, your tour leader says:
“Today we are going to skip ahead,
because there is something in the future
… that I want you to see ...
(Remember , we are on this tour to see: who this Jesus really is, as it will become apparent as we follow in Jesus footsteps)
So, pick-up up your day packs (there will be water on the bus) and ...
if you will please, turn to Mark 8:22-30
22 They came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.
23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people—they look like trees walking.”
25 Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.
26 Then he sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”
27 Jesus went out with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
28 They answered him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”
29 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.”
30 And he strictly warned them to tell no one about him.
Who do people say that I am?
Who do people say that I am?
At this point, friends, I might ask our bus driver to stop ...
and ask:
“And you, friends? Who do you say Jesus, is?”
Imagine the scene: Jesus has just healed this blind man, and now he asks: “Who do you say I am?
The timing is no coincidence!
Hacving just healed this blind man, Jesus is effectively saying to the disciples:
- “Can you see?” -
Up to now, the disciples have been looking and looking,
but still not seeing
and listening and listening ,
but not hearing
(we will come across this hard saying of Jesu in due course!)
Oh, they have seen Jesus is a man of Miracles ...
(but they do not know what it means!)
And now, He has done another miracle ...
Read the story closely enough, and we soon see that Mark is telling us this story to tell a story within a story:
namely - Even though Jesus’ disciples have seen Him do many miracles
and even as He has started teaching them, “The Way,” they are still in many ways as blind as the man from Bethsaida!
22 They came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.
Bethsaida
(Sufficient to say at this point, that this geographical place indicates as a point of transition
between Jesus Ministry in Galilee … and His journey that will now start in all seriousness, towards Jerusalem.
“They” are the friends of the blind man. “They” have started to see … but like the Disciples,
this man is about to “see” - all the better ...
23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”
What follows is a study in a building climax; the steps to seeing, as it were, if you are blind.
And it is all about anticipation
23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”
Step One: Jesus “took the blind man by the hand”
You can picture the scene.
Blindness was quite common in those days - No modern medicines, scientific research …
*(Fred Hollows) - Picture, a blind man, opaque film over his eyes, flies swarming, stumbling, falling
But … Jesus “takes him by the hand”
Here a symbolic unfolding of salvation is about to take place - JESUS … takes one by the hand.
(You can imagine the thoughts of the blind man
It was his friends who had come begging that Jesus would have mercy on the man.
He may have all but given up hope of anyone saving him from his suffering ...
Would this Jesus, now quite famous (he had already saved so many, people’s ruined lives), see him?
Jesus did. Jesus “saw” Him. Jesus “sees” you!
“Jesus took him by the hand”!
And Jesus wants no glory, or publicity (like so many modern-day faith healers …)
“Jesus brought him out of the village”.
And now Jesus does something that we might frown on … he spits on the mans eyes
(Not so strange in a world where there are no lasers, no surgeries)
“and laid his hands on him.”
Jesus needs to “lay His hands” on us, friends, if we are to see clearly!
And this “seeing” that is about to take place for this man from Bethsaida,
can perhaps best be explained by examining the logical, symbolic unfolding of what was happening there:
The man is blind, perhaps resigned to the fact;
but he has some hope, when he becomes hopeful in Jesus;
He senses Jesus take him by the hand (leading him past obstacles, around barriers,
away from the maddening crowd /// … (are you starting to see?)
and Jesus asks: “Do you see anything”
((The man, sees, only dimly, at this stage …))
The man … looked up
24 He looked up and said, “I see people—they look like trees walking.”
The man is starting to see, but he sees … vaguely ...
*(When last did you have an eye test, friend?) - What is your vision like? Your vision … of Jesus?
Have you seen Jesus, clearly, yet?
25 Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.
“Oh Lord!” Now I see!” I can see everything clearly, cries the man!
Tears of joy, no doubt!
Tears of joy from eyes once useless, but now I see!
“I once was lost, but now I’m found; was blind by now I see ...”
Can You see, yet?
What did the man see?
He saw … “everything, clearly!
He saw … JESUS!
But, Jesus disciples, friends …
His own disciples
(The church, we might say …)
does not see clearly yet!
There is a pregnant break in the story, at this point.
The scene with the blind man, ends, with these words:
26 Then he sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”
Jesus is saying: Friend (we don’t know the blinds man’s name.
He is not the same blind man we find in Mark 10:46-52.)
Praise God, for the restoration of your sight!
Now, please don’t go confusing the fact that you can see, physically,
with the fact that today you have come to see where your eternal foundation, lies!
What has happened here today, is a miracle,
but a miracle, points people to the truth of who Jesus is!
He is the One - the only One - who can heal the blind, the deaf, the lame,
indeed, raise people to life!
HE, is GOD!
That is what you need to see … in all that He does, and says (the words of Life)!
And many don’t get it yet … Many, don’t SEE that, yet!
But soon … (point to the Cross) they will!
You see, brothers and sisters
at that point … even having witnessed all of his miracles thus far (the inner circle, the disciples
they don’t see clearly yet … still!
27 Jesus went out with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?”
There answer makes it clear that they remain confused ( … and who could blame them, at this point?)
28 They answered him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”
They are saying...
“We don’t know, Jesus!”
(We are getting all kinds of ideas of who you are, from all kinds of people, Jews and gentiles alike)
(“Everyone has an opinion of you, Jesus … who are we to differ from others?)
Jesus could say, then: “You are my disciples!” You have seen all I do and have heard my explanations
You were there when the heaven split and God called out: “I am His beloved Son!)
He could have said all of that
but instead, Jesus asks:
“But you … who do you say that I am!
Peter … (Simon Peter) almost gets it then ...
Almost … but not quite … yet ...
“You are the Messiah,” he says ...
But it would only be when he … looks up ...
having wandered into the dark the night before
seeing Jesus led away by the soldiers (o that horrible night!)
and then, the next day, looking UP!
that he will realise - who Jesus really is!
Like the blind man, perhaps?
When last did you have an eye test?
Let’s pray:-
Amen!