A few years back, I went to the eye doctor. My vision had changed enough due to age that I needed glasses. To find the right prescription, he placed a device in front of my eyes. With every turn of the dials, he said, “Same, better, or worse.” Eventually, the best prescription was dialed in. Our next passage from Mark’s Gospel has that feel to it.
“They came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people—they look like trees walking.” Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly. Then he sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”” (Mark 8:22–26, CSB)
Context reveals layers. There is the immediate layer of the healing of the blind man and the interesting observation that his healing was gradual instead of immediate. Jesus prayed twice for this man, which is unusual. The placement of this healing between the Disciples, not seeing who Jesus is, and Peter’s revelation is not accidental.
We don’t know why Jesus prayed and laid hands on the man twice for the healing to be complete. There could be a faith thing involved. The first prayer birthing faith in the blind man that change was possible. There’s a hint of that after Jesus’ second prayer when “the man looked intently.” He looked, expecting to see.
There are a couple of applications in the immediate layer. Sometimes God moves gradually instead of immediately. It’s not a lack of faith to pray twice (or more). And there is no magic formula. Jesus heals the blind in several different ways throughout the Gospels.
The layer of context is about the disciples. In some ways, this healing echoes the gradualness of the disciples’ understanding of Jesus. A picture that didn’t fully develop until after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Their arc of understanding went something like this – traveling rabbi(teacher), healing prophet, Messiah (in the sense of the day that messiah would restore Israel), Messiah/Christ in a way different from expectations, the Lamb of God, God the Son.
People grow in faith by the grace of God. We grow in faith by the grace of God. That’s why I often talk about a journey of faith and walking with folks no matter where they are on that journey. The application for us, however, is the looking intently part. If we think we know it all, our eyes are closed; we are no longer looking with intent. But if we approach each day intending to look to Jesus, our understanding and faith become even clearer.
- Essential Worship – A Worship Map - March 4, 2026
- Proverbs – Anxiety - March 2, 2026
- Essential Worship – Sprirt and Truth - February 25, 2026
