top of page

The Pastor's Blog

Gospel Symbols - Header.png

THE BLIND MAN AT BETHSAIDA



 

Only Mark recorded the story of the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida.

 

“They came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 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?’  He looked up and said, ‘I see people—they look like trees walking.’ Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly” (Mark 8:22–26).

 

Did Jesus fail on His first attempt? Why did the blind man’s healing come in two stages?

 

Here’s what I think… Peter and the other disciples had come to understand that Jesus was the Messiah, the King in the lineage of David. When Jesus asked, “ ‘who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Messiah’ ” (Mark 8:29). “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, NKJV). But sadly, in the next verses, when Jesus “began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days … Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him” (Mark 8:31–32). Peter understood… partially. He understood that Jesus was the King, but didn’t yet grasp that He was the Suffering Servant.

 

While Jesus walked the earth, Peter and his companions would see blurry images of God’s plan, but after the Savior’s death, burial, and resurrection, their eyes were opened, and they could see with twenty-twenty vision!

 

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).




Comments


© 2021

bottom of page