The Blind Will See.
The Book of Mark
Mark 8:22-26
I. Introduction:
A. We have come to a major dividing point in the Book of Mark.
B. That makes the miracle recorded here significant in several ways.
1. This the second of the 2 miracles which were recorded only in Mark.
a) None of the other gospels mention it.
b) The miracles are similar in many aspects.
2. This is the last miracle performed in Galilee.
3. It also marks a change in the focus of Jesus work.
a) From the beginning to now the disciples have been taught the truth of God in many forms.
(1) Direct teaching.
(2) Observing Jesus discussing with others.
(3) Witnessing miracles.
b) His wide ranging public ministry ends here in Galilee although they make one more sweep through the area after going north for a time He doesn’t perform any more miracles nor does He teach crowds.
c) The next part of the book concerns itself with preparing the disciples for the passion of the Savior.
(1) It begins with the confession of Peter and ends at the resurrection of the Lord.
(2) From this point on He moves inexorably toward Jerusalem.
(3) His Public ministry here is ended.
(4) The crowds no longer throng to see and hear Him.
(5) The hostility toward Him increases more and more.
(6) The focus of His ministry now becomes His disciples.
C. Bethsaida.
1. Tragic place.
2. Located on the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee.
a) The name means house of fish.
b) Home of Peter, Andrew and Phillip who were all fishermen.
3. It is the village near where the feeding of the 5000 took place.
4. It is also an area where many healings took place.
5. The tragic part is that even with all the time Jesus spent there and all the amazing miracles that took place in that vicinity they were hardened to the Gospel Matthew 11: 21 “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. 22 But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.
6. It is fitting therefore that Jesus would perform His final miracle in this place.
II. The Condition of the blind man.:
A. Unidentified.
1. He had friends who cared enough for him that they begged Jesus to heal him.
2. He could have been a friend of one of the disciples.
3. Some how they had found out that Jesus was there and brought him to Him.
B. Most people who had diseases were ostracized from their community.
1. There were no laws making it illegal to discriminate in those days.
a) If family members or close friends didn’t take care of them no one would.
b) Most people were too busy taking care of their own needs to have the time or resources to take care of someone they didn’t know.
2. Usually these people were relegated to begging for their sustenance.
3. They were no government agencies to help.
4. There was no hope for a cure.
a) If you contracted a disease or some debilitating injury you were consigned to that fate for the rest of your life.
b) It wasn’t until the 19th century that people started to treat illnesses with any real hope of curing someone.
5. This man would have been in this kind of situation.
a) The context of the story indicates that he had had his vision at one time in his life.
b) He may have lost it in an accident or to some disease.
C. They begged Him to touch him.
D. This appears to be the customary way that Jesus healed those who came to Him.
1. Mk.1:31,40-41 Peter’s mother in law, a leper.
2. Mk.3:10
3. Mk.6:56.
4. Mk.7:33 the deaf and dumb.
5. Luke 4:40 When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.
6. The fact that He took the time to touch each person that He healed indicates a personal concern.
a) It indicates a deep love and compassion for each person He was confronted with.
b) What a wonderful demonstration of God’s unconditional love.
7. He didn’t just wave His hand over the crowd and pronounce them healed.
8. He took time with each person.
E. What is the significance of this to us?
1. Imagine being ostracized by other people because of something you have no control over.
2. Imagine how lonely you would be.
3. No one would want to touch you or be around you because of their fear of the unknown.
4. We have an incurable disease.
a) That disease is called sin.
b) It cannot be healed by the most advanced medical treatment.
c) It will not just go away if we hope hard enough.
d) It will not be cured through our own efforts.
5. There is only one source of healing for our disease.
a) It is Jesus Christ.
b) His personal touch alone will cure us from our disease.
c) Heb.2:17.
d) Heb.4:15.
III.The healing vs.23-25.
A. He took him by the hand and led him out of the town.
1. His purpose is reinforced here.
a) He didn’t want to conduct a town wide healing event.
b) He had an eternal agenda.
c) Wuest “Our Lord’s compassionate heart went out to the sick, but He always kept His chief mission in mind, the cure of souls, not bodies.
d) He only had a few more months with the disciples.
2. He resorted to a quiet place so that He could perform the work without an audience.
a) Always so unpretentious.
b) Never looking to draw a crowd unless it came to Him.
c) Mark 10:25For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
B. He spit on his eyes and put His hands on him.
1. This is similar to what He did with the deaf mute in chapter 7.
2. This man had no reference.
a) It was thought that spitting had medicinal properties in those days.
b) Some suggest that Jesus did what he did to help him believe.
c) John MacArthur suggests that it is a symbol of the transfer of power from Jesus to the man.
3. It was a way for Jesus to demonstrate that He is in control of how and when things happen.
a) This is the only miracle that happened in stages.
b) Mark gives no explanation of why.
4. This man was healed by the sovereign will of God just as we are in the spiritual realm.
5. God doesn’t do His work in each of us the same way either.
6. Each of us is touched in a different way by the Father.
C. He was healed in stages vs.24-25.
1. Men like trees walking.
a) This indicates that he had sight at one time.
b) At first his site was partial.
2. Then after Jesus touched him again he was restored and saw everything clearly
3. Mark doesn’t give an explanation of this either.
4. We can make some limited suggestions as to its application.
a) It demonstrates the progressive process of salvation for some people.
(1) Not all people get saved the same way.
(a) Some come to Christ suddenly at a meeting or when they hear the gospel for the first time.
(b) Others come to believe after a period of weeks or months or even years.
(c) God is at work in every instance but He isn’t confined to work according to some formula.
(2) This can help us to be more effective when we are sharing the gospel with people we come into contact with.
b) Not every on is going to respond to a specific formula.
(1) Some will walk away and never believe.
(2) Others may walk away and then at a later time God will bring them to understand.
(3) You might sow the seed and someone else might water and still another will reap the harvest.
(4) All in God’s time and by His sovereign will.
5. Jesus instructs him not to tell anyone about what happened.
a) This was to keep people from thronging Him again.
b) He wanted to move on without any fanfare.
IV. Conclusion:
A. Our Savior’s great love for us causes Him to have great compassion on us.
B. He loves us individually and that love caused Him to reach out and touch us and heal us from our sin.
C. Three things we can learn from this passage.
1. All men just like the blind man are in a hopeless situation sick with a disease that humanly speaking was incurable.
2. Jesus was willing to come here and touch us individually so that we might be cured from the ravages and consequences of sin. Ro 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
3. We are a work in progress Phil.1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
