The account of the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida is unique to Mark’s gospel (Mark 8:22-26) . . . and it is unique among the miracles of Jesus in that it involved a two phased healing process. And you have to ask yourself, “Why did Jesus choose to restore this man’s sight in stages?” Had Jesus wanted to, He could have simply touched the man’s eyes and “poof!” instant 20/20 vision. But Jesus didn’t do that . . . He led the blind man out of town . . . rubbed the man’s eyes with spit (too loosen the eyelids maybe?) . . . and then asked the man if he saw anything. The man looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” Then Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes again and, when the man looked up, “he was restored and saw everyone clearly.” This guy would have had to sing the hymn a little differently . . . I once was blind . . . and then I wasn’t so blind . . . but now I see! How come?

I don’t really know . . . other than Jesus can heal how He wants to . . . I’m not going to “put Him in a box” and say that He only works in these mysterious ways but not in those mysterious ways. But I do wonder if it doesn’t have something to do with setting up the next few verses in Mark’s gospel (8:27-30). There Jesus is on the road with just His disciples . . . He has taken them out of town as well. And He asks them a question, “Who do men say that I am?” And the disciples respond that some say Jesus is John the Baptist, some say He’s Elijah, and others say Jesus is one of the prophets. And then Jesus asks them a second question, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter nails the answer, “You are the Christ.” But you know that they didn’t fully understand what being “the Christ” really meant.

So, is there something in the parable that speaks of a little understanding growing into greater understanding? Many of the people had their eyes opened to some degree by the miracles and preaching of Jesus. While they didn’t fully understand who He was, they knew He was something more than just an ordinary man . . . while there eyes were more open than before, they just saw “men like trees, walking.” They saw someone who looked to be more than just a man, but they didn’t see that He was Messiah. And even those nearest Him, whose eyes had been opened a bit more, recognized Him as the Christ, but they didn’t understand that “the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again” (8:31). Though their blindness was “more removed” than many, they too weren’t seeing with “perfect vision.”

And as I think about . . . it kind of puts me in my place . . . humbles me somewhat. By God’s grace, my eyes too, have been touched by the Savior. And what started out with some foggy recognition of spiritual realities eventually turned to recognition of Christ as Redeemer and Lord. Over the years, I think I’ve gained some measure of understanding of the ways of the kingdom and calling of the King’s people. There are things that once were hidden and now I see.

But as I chew on this parable, I’m feeling like I need to be careful about thinking I’ve got more figured out than I really do. I need to be aware that, while Jesus has, over the years, given me some insight through His Word, there is much still to be learned . . . still a lot that’s fuzzy . . . but through faith, and by His grace, will become clearer as I continue to seek the mind of Christ. Just the other day I read Paul’s words, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known” (1Cor. 13:12) . . . I need to be reminded that, regardless of how clearly I think I might see, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2Cor. 5:7).

Father, thank You for the degree to which You have given me “eyes to see” . . . thank You for that which has been brought into focus . . . thank You that I can see clearly now . . . sort of. Continue to open my eyes . . . through Your Spirit and by Your grace help me to see Your Son in all His majesty and beauty . . . I look forward to that day when faith will give way to sight and I will have “perfect vision” and behold Him face to face. Until that day, keep working on my sight . . . for Your glory . . . amen.