Devotional:

“And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”” — Mark 8:22-26

Jesus used these miracles and other stories and parables in the Bible to teach and speak to everyone differently. Even when it seemed like He spoke in generalities, He knew the hearts of every person standing in the crowd around Him. That made it personal and unique to those who had ears to hear. It is no different when we read these accounts thousands of years later. Jesus knows and speaks to us individually, showing us what we need.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” — Hebrews 4:12

God’s Word speaks to us differently because we are different. For example, have you ever been in church, fervently taking notes and heard a sermon point that went in one ear and out the other? Not because you weren’t listening, but because God knew your heart and circumstances that day. Maybe that wasn’t the big thing He had for you to hear, but the lady three rows behind you listened to the same sermon point and God used that to change her life forever. God spoke to her at that moment because He knew that’s what she needed. When we seek Jesus through His Word, He opens this exciting and new revelation of who He is, almost like peeling back layers and layers of God’s blessings that we may have been missing because we weren’t taking the time to dig deeper and ask Him to speak to us.

This miracle is similar to the story of the deaf and mute man. Both men were brought to Jesus by a group of people and Jesus led both men away from the crowds. Jesus used His spit to heal both men and the two men were told not to show or tell anyone. But there is also one very different thing we haven’t seen in other miracles; Jesus did it in two steps.

In verse 22, Mark writes that “some people” brought this man to Jesus. He says nothing about who they were or why they were bringing him. We know from previous miracles that he was probably an outcast and considered unclean, but something made it worth the risk. There are a couple of possibilities about their intentions; they were either selfless or selfish. They cared for this man deeply and wanted to see his sight restored because they loved him or they wanted to be entertained by Jesus and went looking for someone to provide that entertainment. I’d like to believe the first one because it makes for a much easier devotional, but if we read John six, we know that after feeding the 5,000, the crowds were selfishly following Jesus everywhere for no other reason than to see the show and possibly get another free meal.

Maybe watching Jesus’s miracles was like us and our Netflix shows. Or perhaps they had faith that Jesus would make this man clean and whole again, which erased any fear of what might happen if they touched him. It doesn’t say whether they were bringing him selfishly or for the sake of the blind man. Either way, they brought him to Jesus and that man would not have been healed without the help of “some people.”

I don’t want us to ignore the “some people” in this story. In at least 14 of Jesus’s miracles, the people brought the sick, lame and helpless to Him. And in three of those 14 accounts, Jesus healed many people who were brought to Him, even entire villages in need of healing. So, stop and think of the hundreds, maybe even thousands of people who were healed because others made a way for them. Jesus rarely went looking for miracles, most came to Him or were brought to Him. Only a few were initiated by Him.

After being brought to Jesus, Jesus took this man by the hand and led him outside the village. We don’t know why He did this. If the people’s intentions were selfish, Jesus might have taken this man away to deny them their show, but we don’t know that. These are only the crazy things I think about as I read these stories.

But we can conclude that Jesus’s character was revealed to this man and the people around them. Jesus took this man by the hand and showed compassion and freedom. This man had been isolated and chained to the stigma that he was cursed and defiled. Jesus frees him from this stigma by taking his hand and showing everyone that his disability did not defile him.

Then Jesus confuses all of us with His two-step healing process. Other than the mystery of John eight, when Jesus drew something in the dirt to save the adulteress woman from being stoned, this is probably the second most asked question Jesus has to answer in heaven; “What happened the first time you spit on the man’s eyes?”

Let’s be clear because we hear lots of explanations and conclusions about this, this was not a mistake, this was not an accident and it was not a failed attempt. Jesus was perfect. He lived a perfect life without sin or fault. Jesus did not make mistakes. He raised people from their graves…way harder. So, to say that His first attempt failed would be completely inaccurate and would be saying He was imperfect.

Jesus, as I’ve said before, had a purpose and plan for everything He did and this miracle was no different. From beginning to end, it was without fault, but we don’t know why. This is where God speaks to us differently. What I get from this can be completely different from what you get. That is what makes the Word of God so tangible and relevant.

I look at this as an intentional teaching moment. First, Jesus uses His spit to open the man’s eyes. Saliva was believed to have healing properties and the moisture from the saliva could have been used to open this man’s eyelids which may have been matted shut for a long time. And we can conclude that because of how he replied when Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” we know this man was most likely not born blind because he could recognize people walking and they resembled trees. So, after this first step, he can see, but it is blurry and unclear. Then, Jesus lays His hands on him again, and it says, “his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” After reading this, my mind immediately went to a familiar and powerful quote from Paul in 1 Corinthians.

“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” —  1 Corinthians 13:12

We can study, interpret and make conclusions about all the miracles of Jesus until our last breath, but this is certain, we can only see a glimpse of God’s glory while we are still on this earth and we can only see a small fraction of the big picture of what God has for us. How incredible it will be when we finally experience the fullness of God face-to-face. Until then, we aren’t finished learning, growing, planting seeds, bearing fruit and trusting in the truth of our Lord and Savior.

Are you bringing people to Jesus? Or do you wait for someone else to do it or pray they can somehow get themselves there? Those blind and unable to see the truth cannot come to Jesus without our love, kindness and guidance.  

He has called you to be the “some people” to someone in your life. Who is it?

Have you ignored the opportunities right in front of you to help guide someone to the feet of Jesus? 

It sounds like a huge responsibility, I know, but really, it starts with a simple step of obedience. One phone call, one invitation to church, one offer to pray for them or one invitation to coffee.

The two-step process for us is this: the first step is obedience; the second step is all Jesus. He is the miracle-worker and we are His hands and feet.

May you walk in obedience today and bring someone hurting to the feet of Jesus, so He can change their lives forever. Amen