...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." Mark 8:23b-24
It is interesting that Jesus spit on the man's eyes
and then placed His hands on them. Now
Jesus did not need the spit to heal, but the man did. The man needed to feel that something was
being done to him. James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister is naked and
destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace,
be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are
needed for the body, what does it profit?
This man needed to be touched physically to be
healed from physical blindness...but also for emotional and spiritual healing. Our infirmities have the tendency to harden us
in order to withstand the judgment and critical eyes of others. Jesus was healing from the inside and
out.
This second touch enlightened the man’s senses. The man saw men not as
they are but as trees walking around. Literally the man could see, but not
clearly. We are too much like this
man. We see things but not always clearly. The tragedy would be to settle for the
potential and never realize the actual sight. "It's a terrible thing not to be able
to see. But it is even more terrible to be able to see but have not vision."
(Helen Keller)
When we come to Jesus to be touched, we begin to
see ourselves, others and circumstances clearer than ever before but the
enlightenment is gradual. Jesus' touch is enlightening but seeing men as trees is never good enough! Jesus touches the man for a third time.
The Third Touch
- Enablement
Then again He laid His hands on his
eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything
clearly. Mark 8:258:25
This blind man was touched
three times to enable healing. This
touch from Jesus enabled him to see his world, friends and family clearly! Not only was the man enabled to see, but he
was enabled to walk and live life without the constant need of help from
others.
Jesus then told the
man not to go home through Bethsaida. And He sent
him to his home, saying, "Do
not even enter the village." Mark 8:26 The man
probably was not from there but had been brought there by friends. Remember Jesus’ curse on that city? Jesus did not want him having to deal with
the unbelief and cynicism toward Him in that city. This man could have been in danger had he
returned.
Jesus'
touch will free us from the constant dependence on people or things
(vices). Enlightened eyes are the
beginning of being enabled to overcome addiction, depression, and sin. Today we need those eyes ... the better to
see clearly the things that threaten us. The world sees nothing wrong with the evils
that surround us, but we do! More than
ever we need the touch of enablement to discern properly what is happening on
our world.
Another lesson from this
passage is that ministry is disabled when we fail to see clearly what God can
do. The touch of enablement allows us to
see ... clearly ... consistently ... continually. Look for what
God is doing! The man came to Jesus with
the help of others. We may be guilty of
not being the kind of friends the blind man had who positioned him for Jesus to
help. As we consider the lives of those around
us who are blinded by sin or the lies of Satan, we may find opportunity to lead
them out of their Bethsaida to a place where God can reveal Himself to
them.
Scripture to
Claim:
Then the eyes of those who
see will not be blinded, And the ears of those who hear will listen. The mind
of the hasty will discern the truth, And the tongue of the stammerers will
hasten to speak clearly. Isaiah 32:3-4
