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Jesus Heals a Blind Man
22As Jesus and his disciples were going into Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch the man. 23Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village, where he spit into the man's eyes. He placed his hands on the blind man and asked him if he could see anything. 24The man looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking around.”
25Once again Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes, and this time the man stared. His eyes were healed, and he saw everything clearly. 26Jesus said to him, “You may return home now, but don't go into the village.”
Reflect
This is about learning to see.
The disciples are blind according to Mark as he leads his readers to the “hinge” upon which his whole Gospel is constructed in the following paragraphs. Just as the healing of the deaf mute in chapter seven completed a cycle of stories that started with the feeding of 5000 people and 12 basketfuls of pieces that remained, so this story of the healing of the blind man completes a cycle that began with the feeding of 4000 and seven basketfuls of remainders.
By why does it take two efforts to heal this man? Mark makes us as readers ask that very question. The multiple examples of the disciples’ unbelief give this unusual two-step healing new meaning. The arduous task of healing this man underscores that the spiritual awakening of the disciples will take time.
Respond
LORD Jesus, I am often blind to your work in my life. Forgive me. Show me those areas of my life where I am blind so that I do not see you clearly.
Glenn Smith
Dr. Glenn Smith is married to Sandra and together they have three daughters, Jenna, Julia and Christa and two granddaughters They are the pastors of a missional community network in their church in Montréal – a multi-site congregation in five locations. Glenn did his graduate studies at the Université d’Ottawa and his doctoral thesis at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago. He was the Executive Director of Christian Direction in Montreal 1983 – 2018. He is the Dean of the Faculty of Practical Theology at Presbyterian College at McGill University and the the Institut de théologie pour la francophonie, accredited by Université Laval. He also teaches in Haïti. Publications: co-author of Espoir pour la ville; Dieu dans la cité (Hope for the city, God in the city); Following Jesus: God invites us to transformative discipleship and author of City Air Makes You Free.