Mark 8:22-26 - Healing a Blind Man

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Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant Church

From J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”

House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text

Mark 8:22–26 NASB95

And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Prayer

Jesus’ Ministry Travels

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 ESV

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Introduction

Mark is one of the Gospels - it tells us how we can be reconciled to God and gain eternal life

Preceded by John the Baptist, Jesus came from Galilee

John got the people’s attention

Jesus began his ministry

Signs and wonders demonstrated His lessons

Jesus was alienating Israel’s religious and political leadership - they were plotting to kill Him

Knew He was going to the cross to finish His work - prepared His disciiples

This week: Jesus continues His ministry of healing, and gives us a lesson on how we grow in our faith in Christ

Mark 8:22–23 NASB95

And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?”

Another Unusual Way to Heal

Don’t know for sure why Jesus chose to heal the way He did in these verses

We know:

a blind man was healed

Jesus could have done it with a touch of His hand

Takes the blind man by the hand, leads him out of town, spits in his eyes, puts His hands on him

Then and only then, restores his sight

The Bible does not explain the meaning of all these actions - why Jesus did it this way.

Remember, the Lord is not tied to any one means to achieve His ends

Different techniques of motivation may be used, but it is the Spirit that brings people to Christ

He may use different healing techniques, but the same divine power causes the cure

In all things, God is sovereign - he is not answerable to anyone - He does things His way and the right way

In this case, we need to take special note: the Lord cured this man gradually, not instantly

Delivered him from blindness by degrees, not at once

Did it step by step

First he saw “men as trees walking”

Next he saw “every man clearly

This miracle is different from others - in those cases the cure was instant

The gradual cure is symbolic of spiritual things

There is deep meaning in every word and work of the Lord’s earthly ministry - there is a useful lesson here

The Holy Spirit converts people gradually

What was it like for you when you got saved? Did you understand everything in God’s Word?

We all are start off naturally blind and ignorant on spiritual issues that concern our souls

Due to our sin nature - it blinds us from the truth of God

Conversion is an illumination (like opening someone’s eyes) - a change from darkness to light, from blindness to seeing the kingdom of God

Justification is instant, but sanctification is gradual - what does this mean?

New Christians do not see things clearly at first

The teachings of the Gospel, practices, and ordinances/sacraments of the Gospel are dimly seen, imperfectly understood

They are like the man in this text, first seeing men as trees walking

New Christians become dazzled, as the bright light of God’s Word flows into them. They are unused to the new world that they have been introduced to

As the Holy Spirit works, and they gain understanding and experience, study God’s Word, that they begin to see things more clearly, and give proper place to all the teachings of the Bible

This is how all God’s children grow

Start by seeing men as trees walking

End seeing all clearly

We need to learn this lesson well - be humble and careful about trusting our own judgment

This gradual cure, illustrates the place of Christians in the world today, compared to the world to come

We see only partially, and know only partially in our present situation

Like those who travel by night

We don’t clearly see what is going on around us

This is the way God deals with His children - we see much that we cannot understand, or control, but He reveals it to us in a way we can understand

In short, we are like the man who saw “men as trees walking”

1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV

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.

Bringing it home

Let us look to the future and take comfort

A time is coming when we will all see clearly

The night is far spent, the day is at hand

Let’s be happy to wait, watch, work and pray

When the day of the Lord comes, on our resurrection day, our spiritual eyesight will be perfect

We will see as we have been seen, and know as we have been known

Questions

Prayers