April 28th, 2024

A Seeing Lesson
 
Mark 8:22-25 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 
 
SEEING Jesus clearly is a process, isn’t it? Let’s understand Jesus’ healing a blind man as a parable to teach the essence of our faith journey with Jesus.    
   First, it is a powerful truth to understand that Jesus was willing to receive the blind man. We can see the blind man as everyman, each person born in Adam’s sin. His dark eyes represent our dark vision toward God. We can’t see our Lord because we live in darkness. But then God does something quite remarkable. He comes to us. As he chose the man to heal, he chooses us out of the crowd. Our awakening from our blindness begins with God’s hand upon us to say, “Come with me.”
   He took the man to a quiet place outside the village. As Jesus’ disciples were unable to answer his questions, this man needed to see more clearly to correctly answer, “Do you see anything?” Then the healing is complete with Jesus’ second touch. The man saw everything clearly. Do you think the disciples might have seen themselves as the blind man, gradually gaining a clear vision of Jesus?
   With mercy and grace Jesus quiets our hearts and renews our minds. When we listen to his commands we begin to see the possibilities of a new life in Jesus’ care. We do not see him completely, so he continues to work on our spiritual vision. The apostle Paul explains this in Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. The Father has formed us to his purpose. The Spirit will give us the vision to fulfill our destiny in Christ.   
   When reading and hearing God’s Word, do you know God is clearing your blindness, so that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. (Ephesians 1:18-19a)
   Jesus wanted his disciples to see the eternal hope of salvation. He wanted them to know he had chosen them to be faithful to his power and to see his authority and dominion over all things.
   He wants you to see that now. Be present with Jesus and continue the journey toward perfect vision in the age to come.