BELIEVING IS SEEING
Opening Prayer
Lord, I pray that the eyes of my heart may be enlightened so that I may better know the hope to which you have called me.
Read MARK 8:22–30
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 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?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into[a] the village.”
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Footnotes
- Mark 8:26 Some manuscripts go and tell anyone in
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Where have there been times when your faith has increased because you witnessed God at work?The two-stage healing of this blind man may surprise us. Jesus seemed to be wrestling with the blindness. After the initial act of healing, like a modern doctor, Jesus asked his patient whether he could see anything before giving him additional ‘treatment.’ Jesus was not satisfied with his patient being able to see vague moving shapes (v. 24).
This incident helps us interpret the next event, Peter’s ‘revelation’ of the true identity of Jesus (v. 29). Looking ahead to verse 33, we can see that Peter did not yet have 20:20 vision. He would not see clearly until after Jesus’ death and resurrection. He saw that Jesus was the Messiah, but that was through the blurred lens of his preconceptions. For Jesus, bringing true spiritual sight to his disciples was a prolonged process.
Sometimes we talk with friends and family as if coming to faith in Christ depended entirely on them (or on what we say to them). People can arrive at the first stage of spiritual perception through reason, evidence, or experience. But a true understanding of Jesus requires revelation because it engages our whole person, not just our mind.
Apply
Even Christians can fool themselves into thinking that they ‘get’ Jesus, but there is so much more to discover. Read 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 12. How do you now want to pray for yourself and others?
Closing prayer
Holy Spirit, the depth of Jesus’ love is unfathomable, the extent of his care is beyond measure. Help me to grow in my understanding of that love and care, and to respond in ways that are a testimony to who he is.
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