WALKING TREES

They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had spit on the man’s eyes and put His hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’ Once more Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home saying, ‘Don’t even go into the village.’ (Mark 8: 22-26).

Why so secretive? Was this another of those occasions when Jesus wanted to dodge the crowds? Never did He pass up on an opportunity to show mercy. When this blind man was brought to Him with a desperate plea to heal him, He responded immediately with a great big “yes” but, at the same time, He was not in Bethsaida on a healing campaign.

He gently led the blind man away from the people. The poor guy must have wondered where Jesus was taking him. Outside the village, where He was alone with the man and His disciples. Jesus rubbed spit on the blind man’s eyelids. What was the purpose of that? Was it an aid to faith? Was there power in His spittle? Perhaps the reason was far simpler than that. Did Jesus use His spittle to lubricate the man’s eyelids so that He would not injure him when he touched his eyes? Every person, every situation demanded a different strategy.

After the first touch, Jesus questioned him. “What do you see?” This answer to this question seems to indicate that blindness had come on him at some stage in his life – cataracts may have formed or some disease may have caused him to go blind. Whatever the cause, he had once been able to see because he was able to identify trees. People as trees walking? Hazy objects moving – that’s all he could see at that moment. Light had begun to enter his eyes but he was still unable to focus.

Was Jesus perturbed because His touch had not worked? Not at all. He simple touched the man’s eyes a second time and the healing was complete. This time the man’s vision was perfect and he was able to identify everything clearly. Imagine his joy when the world around him once again came into view!

Why did Jesus send him home? Surely the man’s first objective was to run into the village square – unaided and without his cane to guide him, if he used a cane, and tell everyone the good news. What would they think of him if he sneaked off home and didn’t even announce to everyone that he could see again? What about the people who brought him to Jesus? Wasn’t it only right that he should at least report to them what had happened?

Jesus’ instruction had to override his desire to tell the world his good news. The Master had a very good reason for telling him to dodge the people and go home. By the time they found out that he had been healed, Jesus and His disciples would be far enough away to escape being mobbed by a crowd of desperate people wanting healing.

But why did Jesus act so secretively? Surely He wanted them to know who He was. Wasn’t this why He came – to introduce the kingdom of God to His people? Weren’t His miracles a witness to His identity and His mission?

In the next part of Mark’s story we get a clue to the reason why Jesus acted as He did. When He was among His own people, He warned many of those whom He healed not to talk about it because He wanted people to weigh up the evidence for themselves. He did not want a mob of curiosity-seekers to run after Him. He wanted people to believe in Him because they were convinced that He was the Messiah. Miracles do not produce faith. Faith produces miracles. Had miracles produced faith, the children of Israel would have trusted and obeyed God in the wilderness. Jesus would have gathered a crowd of believers in Him before He was ever crucified. But it didn’t happen.

Jesus is not interested in opportunistic followers. Unfortunately, campaigns of miracles and healing are doing exactly that today. People are invited to follow Jesus for what they can get out of Him. When He does not oblige, they walk away disillusioned because they have not learned to bow to Him as Lord.

Whether we experience miracles or not is irrelevant. Jesus demands our allegiance and obedience because of who He is, not because of what He can do for us. He is gracious and merciful, and He does heal and meet our needs, but that is because of who He is, not because of the demands we make of Him.

Do you follow Jesus as Lord, or do you use Him for your own ends?

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!