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148. At The Pool Of Bethsaida


Mark 8:22-26
Key Verse: Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
Mark 8:25B

This event occurs at about the midpoint of Mark's gospel. This is interesting not only because it appears to be a healing with two stages, but it also serves to be a physical event with spiritual lessons for the disciples. In other words, this man's story also serves to represent what was taking place in the Disciple's hearts on a spiritual level concerning their understanding of Jesus.

The questions in this event are many. Why did Jesus use saliva? Why didn't He just use words or the laying on of hands? Why did Jesus have to ask, "Do you see anything?" (Mark 8:23) Didn't Jesus already know? Why did this healing need two attempts by Jesus? What is unique about this man's blindness that made it more challenging for Jesus to cure?

I'm going to be honest here and admit that I don't know the answers. I don't think that anyone can state definitively why this healing is the way that it is. Obviously, there is intimacy and relationship here on the part of Jesus. He has a dialogue with the man and, use of saliva would seem to be a very intimate act on the part of Jesus. We discussed this earlier in Mark 7:30-37, with the healing of the deaf mute. The man was healed successfully and, like so many others, he was instructed to go home and not spread the news about his healing.

Commentators seem to see significance in the spiritual aspects of this event more than the physical. This healing occurs between two conversations that Jesus has with His disciples. The conversation that took place before this event, which we discussed yesterday, detailed how the disciples were still confused about the things that Jesus was telling them. The man's statement, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." (Mark 8:24), may also serve as a way to describe the disciples thinking about Jesus. They knew He was good. They knew He was different. They knew that He had miraculous powers, but Messiah? It is like so many people are today who attend church, who are close to the things of God, but to actually make Jesus Lord and king of their lives? Their vision isn't that clear yet.

Then, the next story, which we will discuss tomorrow, will demonstrate that Peter at least, has clarity. When we surrender to Christ, we too experience the clarity that this man had when he saw clearly, the way life truly is. As with this man, however, it doesn't always happen all at once. To some of us, God reveals Himself in stages. Who knows why? Obviously, God is meeting our need. He is taking His time and being gentle and patient with us. We are not less of a person or less of a Christian if that is the case. God has made us this way and He is taking His time to bring us into a close relationship that we can most fully appreciate. Whether it takes one step or ten, the end result is the same, we can see. That is what matters.

Hymn: "Open Our Eyes, Lord"

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