In Mark 8:11-26, Jesus heals a blind man, but not all at once. Why does Jesus heal this man in stages? In this episode, J. Mark explores how this miracle mirrors the journey of our spiritual sight. From blindness to partial blindness to perfect sight, this passage reflects the different responses people have to Jesus and the clear vision He desires to give us all.
Transcript
Thanks so much for being with us as we look into the Word of God, which opens our eyes and helps us see what really matters. Our title today is, “Can’t You See?” Jesus healed a blind man, but He didn’t heal him completely the first time. Did you ever wonder why Jesus did this miracle in two stages?
We are continuing our study in Mark, and today our passage is from chapter 8. It is a longer section of verses for good reasons. Pay attention to how the example of the Pharisees and disciples shows two levels of spiritual blindness. This is like the two stages of a blind man’s physical blindness. As you know, Jesus totally healed the blind man, exactly what he wanted to do for the disciples and the Pharisees. And this is what he wants to do for you and me.
Turn to Mark 8 and let’s follow along with J Mark as he shares this eye-opening message from the miracle of the blind man.
The text for our study today is Mark 8:11-26. The healing of the blind man occurs at the end of this account, but to me, it seems clear that the man’s healing is an object lesson for what is happening in the earlier part of the text. My teaching is titled “Can’t You See?”
Listen carefully as I read this portion of Scripture, Mark 8:11-26.
11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.
12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.
15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20 “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.”
21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.
23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.
26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
The various stages of Jesus’ healing of the blind man are not just physical but also spiritual, serving as a metaphor for our own spiritual growth.
The First STAGE of Spiritual Vision is,
Total Blindness
Having just returned from effective ministry among the Gentiles, Jesus is immediately confronted by the hostile religious leaders, the Pharisees. Their attitude was in stark contrast to the open-hearted welcome Jesus received from the Gentiles.
They were asking Jesus for a sign from Heaven. Mark says they were testing Him, and the KJV says, “They were tempting Him.” The difference between a test and a temptation lies in the tester’s motivations and expectations. Tempting seems to be the better word choice here.
The Rabbis assumed that some of Jesus’ miracles had natural explanations and accused Him of using the power of Beelzebub. So, they specifically asked for “a sign from heaven.” Most likely, they hoped He would try and fail, and they could discredit Him.
In response, Jesus groaned deeply in His spirit. The Lord’s spirit was stirred to its depths. It came, as we say, from the bottom of His heart. The depth of Jesus’ compassion is remarkable. His groaning reminds us of His weeping over Jerusalem in Luke 19:41-44.
After they requested a sign, Jesus said, “Why are you asking for a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” These men, despite their knowledge of the Scriptures, were spiritually blind. They revered the Temple and its sacrifices, tithed scrupulously on the smallest garden herbs, and even knew the prophecies about the coming Messiah. Yet they failed to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of these prophecies.
They refused to accept Scripture that didn’t fit their preconceptions. That practice is prevalent today. Many professing Christ followers try to conform God’s Word to their lifestyle. If God’s commands make them uncomfortable, they reject the teaching as outdated or culturally irrelevant or twist the meaning to suit their ends.
Second, the religious leaders responded to additional light with greater rejection. You can trace this progression through the Gospel accounts. Like the Pharaoh of Exodus, they hardened their hearts more with each revelation of divine power.
After this, Jesus left the Pharisees and sailed to the other side of the Sea. Jesus’ departure is sobering. He abandoned these men to their self-righteous delusion. Because they refused the light, they became totally blind. The saddest part of that blindness was that they did not know it!
All humans begin life in a state of total blindness to the things of God. Many, like the Pharisees, persist in that blindness because it serves their selfish goals. They may even adopt an outwardly religious appearance, but darkness still controls their hearts. Let’s ensure we don’t remain in this stage of spiritual blindness.
The Next STAGE of Spiritual Vision is,
Partial Blindness
Now, the focus shifts to Jesus’s disciples. When getting into the boat, they had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf, and that wouldn’t be enough for all 13 of them.
As they sail, Jesus admonishes them to “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” Jesus warns them about the bad influence of the Pharisees’ teaching; like yeast spreading through the dough, it affects the whole batch.
As the disciples talked, they concluded that Jesus’ warning was because they had forgotten to bring bread. I imagine Jesus listening to their discussion with dismay. They were missing the point entirely, so He asked them several questions. “Why are you discussing that we have no bread?” Like them, our primary concerns often center around our physical needs.
Then, Jesus appealed to their intellect: “Don’t you understand that I’m not talking about physical bread?” Next, he asks, “Is your heart still hardened?” In our earlier teaching from Mark chapter six, we read about the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus’ walking on the water. Jesus is wondering if anything has changed in their hearts.
He continues, “Do you have eyes that cannot see and ears that cannot hear?” They had witnessed many miracles and heard Him teach so often, yet it all seemed forgotten. “Don’t you remember my miraculous provision for the multitudes?” They had participated in distributing the bread and fish. Yet here they were, concerned about where they might find bread.
Jesus returns to the second question of verse 17: “How is it that you don’t understand?” After all this rebuke and explanation, the greatest of all teachers with the greatest of all classes struck a snag here. The disciples could see, but not clearly. Their focus on the physical obstructed their intellectual and spiritual sight.
We are so much like them. We are so preoccupied with the physical aspect of our existence that we lose sight of what really matters. We allow heavenly realities to be crowded out of our lives by focusing on the material.
Let’s learn from the disciples’ mistakes and ensure our vision is clear and unobstructed.
The Final STAGE of Spiritual Vision is,
Perfect Sight
Jesus concludes by giving the Twelve an object lesson they will never forget. As their boat lands at Bethsaida, a group of men brings a blind man to Jesus and begs Him to touch him.
Jesus takes the man by the hand and leads him out of the town, away from the crowd. Once Jesus and the blind man were alone, Jesus moistened the blind man’s eyes with saliva and laid His hands on him. Then He asked, “Do you see anything?” The man responded, “I see men, like trees, walking.” This is the only miracle that Jesus performed gradually, in stages. The formerly blind man saw men walking, but they were evidently quite blurred.
So, Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes again. This time, his sight was fully restored, and he could see everything clearly. His blindness and blurred vision were gone! His healing was complete, and he kept seeing everything clearly, whether near or far away. The grammar assures us that his healing was permanent.
Jesus sent Him home after the healing was complete. Try to imagine the joyful event that was. As we learned earlier in our study of Mark, he was forbidden to enter the village and create excitement, and Jesus also forbade him from spreading the news of his miraculous healing.
The blind man mirrors the progression of sight in this text. He went from entirely blind = Pharisees, to partial sight = disciples, to seeing everything clearly. His healing illustrates the clarity of sight Jesus wants to give everyone.
Are you still willfully blind to the truth like the Pharisees? Are you hiding behind a cloak of religion?
Is your vision distorted because of your focus on the temporary things of this life? Ask Jesus to clarify your sight so you can focus on what is eternal.
Or has your sight been completely restored by the touch of the Master’s hand? If so, praise God and tell others how they, too, can have their sight restored.
If you are spiritually blind or can’t see clearly, today is the day to accept Jesus’ touch and gain your perfect vision!
What a thought-provoking message, thank you, J Mark. Have you ever met someone who wanted to stay blind? The people who stay blind are those who don’t know they are blind. Instead of applying this blindness to others, make it personal. Has Christ restored your eyes? Do you see the world the way He sees it? Ask Jesus to restore your sight so you can see clearly. Then let’s lead others to Him so they can experience the wonderful, eye-opening power of Jesus as well.
If you have any questions about today’s lesson, you can contact us by email or online. Our email address is hope@heraldsofhope.org, and our website is heraldsofhope.org. There you will find “contact us,” under the partner tab on the top right. Click that to message us directly. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
The miracle in today’s lesson reminded me of another time Jesus healed a blind man. In Luke 18, the blind man cried out to Jesus for mercy. The crowd tried to quiet him, but he cried all the louder. Jesus asked him what he wanted, and his answer was simple and powerful. “Lord, I want to see!” and Jesus responded to his desperate plea. This is a great example for all of us.
