Mark 8: 22 – 26
22 They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Can you see anything?” 24 And the man looked up and said, “I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Then he sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.”
What the passage says
V. 22-25 The people ask Jesus to heal a blind man. Jesus takes the man to the outskirts of the village and puts saliva on the man’s eys. However the man is partially healed
V. 25-26 Then Jesus places his hands on the man, and the man can see again.
What does the passage say to me/us?
The miracle we read in this passage is rare for many reasons. First Jesus takes the person away from the public. Jesus uses a materialistic form to heal, and it does not heal completely.
We need to focus on the spiritual implication of these three differences.
First, Jesus draws the person away from the crowd, because he wants to make sure that the people do not fix their eyes on the signs. He says, “Why does this generation ask for a sign?”
The use of saliva was a way for Christ was his way to relate to the contemporary belief and method of healing. We see that this praxis did not completely heal the person.
Then Jesus lays his hand on the person and completes the healing.
In this healing story, we need to focus on the ‘touch of our Lord.’ The people ‘beg Jesus to touch the man.’ Jesus personally holds the blind man’s hand and leads him out of the village. He then uses his touch to heal him. Meaning that the touch of our Lord was the reason of healing.
We have many people who suffer from sickness, difficulties in life. We should pray for healing and deliverance. However, we also need to pray for the touch of our Lord in their lives. When the Lord touches them, there should be a spiritual healing. It may or may not lead to physical healing or deliverance, but it should be complete.
Prayer
Lord, touch people who need your touch. Strengthen them in spirit and beyond.
In Christ name we pray, AMEN
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One Comment
Larry Dickenson
Interesting that this blind man was in the village, but it was not the location of his home, since in verse 26 Jesus tells him to go straight home and bypass the village. It makes me wonder why the man was in the village? Also why Jesus did not want him to go back home through the village? Perhaps the villagers begged Jesus to heal the man so he would leave their village. Maybe the man needed to be healed to be reconciled with his family. Regardless, in the midst of a situation where healing was needed, Jesus intervened with his touch. And we see again, even in a less than perfect situation, Jesus is able to break through and bring new life from an old situation!
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