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;" Mark
8:22-23a
Once
again we find that special group of people showing up. The Scriptures tell us that "they", perhaps this man's friends or
family, brought him to Jesus. It is the
concept of being a "Stretcher Bearer." These people had enough faith and action to
know that if they could get him to Jesus he could be healed. The Scriptures say they "implored" (begged) Jesus to touch this
man. Theirs was a shared faith and
action.
Do we believe Jesus can still
heal and change the lives of people?
After
the request to touch the blind man, Jesus touches him with a touch of
encouragement. "He took the man by the hand and led him outside the town."
Why .... when Jesus usually healed on
the spot, ... would he take this man out of the town of Bethsaida? We might find a hint about his in Matthew 11:20-21. Then He began to denounce the cities in which most of His
miracles were done, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!
For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they
would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”
The
city of Bethsaida had become too calloused to be touched by Jesus. Even today there are men with calloused
hearts toward the true touch of Jesus. There
are churches with empty altars and no prayers for healing. God is moving and working among us to touch
us and yet we must be in a place that is receptive to His touch. How sad that someone might not be able to
find what they are looking for because we are too calloused to open our hearts
and expect Him to work in our midst. People
will encourage their friends to go where they know healing can occur. This man, thanks to friends, would be the
recipient of a touch of encouragement. As
Jesus took this man by the hand to lead him, I believe it was ....
- A Personal Touch ... Tender & Loving
At
some point in life our families, friends, and even strangers will need a personal
and compassionate touch from us. Jesus
shows us how. Jesus showed an INTEREST in the man. I'm sure this man was perhaps lonely and
discouraged, having to live in darkness.
And now, for this moment, all attention was being given to him.
The
world wants to know if we are interested in them personally. People really want to know that God loves them
and they are looking for that love through you and me. Jesus took the time to
touch! Chances are that there was an individual who stopped and listened to you
when you came to Christ.
- A Patient Touch ... No Hurry
Hope
was born as Jesus took the time for this man. God is so patient with us! We live in an "impatient
generation." We stand at the microwave
and scream “hurry up!" With people
we seem to have even less patience! But
Jesus was patient and brought a hopeful encouragement to this man. We must do the same. It takes time to heal people or help people.
So
we learn from this first touch of Jesus that compassion motivates us to reach
out to those who the world passes by.
Those who will help take time to stop and encourage those who have
needs. Think about it. The last help you
had given to you was surely by someone who stopped long enough to listen and
then encouraged you. Passing along that
compassion can be a blessing to someone in your life today.
Scripture to
Claim:
"I will lead the blind by a way they do
not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness
into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I
will do, And I will not leave them undone."
Isaiah 42:16
