Jesus, the Eye-Doctor ....

Imagine that you visit the eye doctor and, following the exam,  receive a new pair of eye glasses with the correct prescription. However, rather than wearing them, you simply carry them everywhere you go and, as a result, keep stumbling and running into the wall.  Because of the continued issues, you keep returning to the eye doctor who finally takes the glasses and places them on your face. Suddenly, after wearing the glasses properly, everything comes into focus and you can see with amazing clarity. Mark 8 is the spiritual equivalent of this. It is not about people who refuse to see, but people who cannot see until Jesus gives them sight. Today’s passage, Mark 8:1-26 presents three stories that, at first glance, feel as if they are not connected. However, when studied further, they present one unified theme. For this writing, we will focus on two key aspects: 1) Jesus’ disciples and how they did not clearly see who He was and 2) how Jesus used a blind man’s healing to illustrate this spiritual truth for both them and us today. 

In Mark 6:30-44, the feeding of the 5,000 symbolizes Jesus’ provision for the Jews. Likewise, the feeding of the 4,000 in Mark 8:1-10 shows Jesus’ provision for the Gentiles. While both stories demonstrate Jesus’ miracle-working provision for physical needs, there is actually a greater point. We know this because Jesus rebuked His disciples in verses 14 - 21. In summary, Jesus said the following to them: Why are you worried about not having bread? Do you not know who you are with? Do you not see? Have you not heard? Do you not understand who I am? Spiritually speaking, the disciples kept running into “the wall” even though the eye doctor was present. So, why were they like this? The answer is found in verse 17: It is because of their hard hearts. Now, for clarity, we must define hard hearts in this specific case. We are not referring to people (such as the pharisees) who intentionally and willfully opposed Jesus; rather, we are referring to those with undiscerning minds, deaf ears and blind eyes! This passage is specifically asking the following question: How do you make spiritually deaf ears hear, spiritually unengaged minds discern or spiritually blind eyes see? To find this answer, we need to look no further than verses 22-26. 

In these verses, Jesus encountered and healed a blind man in two stages. First, as scripture records in verse 23, Jesus spit and laid his hands on him. However, while this man's sight was partially restored, he did not see clearly (or comprehend what he saw) until Jesus also touched his eyes (verse 25). So, what was the purpose of healing this man in two stages? It certainly was not that God had lost any power and now needed to heal people incrementally. The best answer to this question is that the initial partial physical healing this man received mirrored the disciples' partial spiritual understanding they possessed at this time. Just as this man needed a second touch to fully and clearly see in a physical sense, the disciples would a need a second divine touch by their Lord to fully comprehend that Jesus was the crucified King who was buried and rose again! 

Now, you may be asking how these verses apply to us today. This answer is this: Just as the disciples needed Jesus to completely open their spiritual eyes to clearly see who He is, we, too, need Him to completely open our eyes to fully understand that Jesus is the crucified King who was buried and rose again three days later so that we may have eternal life. Friend, as Mark 8 teaches, we cannot see until Jesus Himself gives us sight. And, until that time arrives, as Ephesians 2:1 states, we are dead in our trespasses and sins. So, what should you do if you do not yet see and fully understand who Christ is? The answer is to pray that God fully reveals Himself to you. And, as you do so, God, in His kindness, will do just that!...

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