Sermon Central
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Can You See Clearly Now
Contributed by Ron Theis on Jul 8, 2010 (message contributor)
Summary: A Pre-Revival sermon on the importance of being touched daily by Christ
Can You See Clearly Now?
The Gospel of Mark is unique. It is not a biography of Jesus, like Matthew or Luke. It does not dwell on the family history with all the begets and genealogy. It is a record of Jesus’ actions. It shows Jesus as Savior-King, who conquers demons, disease, and death. Mark dedicates more of his account to the miracles of Jesus more than any of the other Gospels. It is the shortest of all the Gospels, but yet it is action packed. Today we are going to look at one of those miracles with the healing of a blind man. This is the only Gospel who records this, and it is the only recorded miracle in the Bible where progressive healing was used.
Mark 8:22 - 26 (NKJV) 22Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23So 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. 24And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” 25Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26Then He sent him away to his house, saying, £“Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
Now maybe you did not notice, but did you wonder why Jesus led him out of the city? (Vs. 23) Couldn’t Jesus have healed him where He was?
Two Reasons…
1. Bethsaida had rejected the ministry of Christ.
Matthew 11:20, Then He begin to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
The people may have rejected Him, but Jesus still had compassion on this one blind man. So He took the time and the effort to led him out of the city.
2. To teach us a lesson…even when we cannot see…we can trust the guiding hand of the Lord Jesus Christ.
He seeks out the Individuals
That is the way God works. He will always seek out the individual.
We read in Genesis 6 that God was sorry that He had made man. So He said in verse 7, “So the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth…”
But then God sought the individual. Verse 8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
When God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He sought out the individual in Lot.
The demon possessed man living in the tombs, the woman at the well. God has sought many the outcasts and He still seeks after the individuals today.
Remember the Pharisees were always complaining about the company Jesus was keeping. But that is the way He works. I believe if I would have been the only person to ever live on this earth, God would have still sent His Son to die for me.
For God so loved Ron Theis that He gave His only begotten Son. That if Ron Theis would believe in Him. He would not perish; but have everlasting life.
He loves us each as individuals. He desires an individual relationship with each of us. Jesus is crazy in about you. He made the way so that ALL could come to repentance.
He Touched Him (Vs. 23b)
Not only did Jesus lead him out of the town, but also He physically touched him. Now was this touch necessary?
A couple of Chapters later we read about blind Bartimaeus receiving his sight.
Mark 10:46 - 52 (NKJV) 46Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. 47And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” 50And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 51So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” 52Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
