Clear Sight Through God’s Touch

Clear Sight Through God’s Touch?

Ben CerulloBy Ben Cerullo4 Minutes

Mark 8:22-26 tells the intriguing story of a blind man in Bethsaida who begged Jesus to touch him and restore his sight. Jesus had healed countless other people during His ministry, so this certainly wasn’t a difficult request for Him.

Yet instead of healing the man immediately, Jesus “took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town” (v. 23). The text here doesn’t explain why Jesus felt it necessary to remove the man from his town before healing him, but we get another clue when Jesus instructed the man after he was healed, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town” (v. 26).

So why was Jesus so intent on keeping this man out of the town? The answer is found in Luke 10:13, where Jesus reprimanded the residents of Bethsaida for their lack of faith and failure to repent when they saw His miracles: “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, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.”

Jesus recognized that if this man allowed himself to be influenced by the unbelief of his surroundings, he would struggle to receive and maintain the breakthrough he needed. So Jesus removed him from the place of unbelief before healing him, and then warned him not to go back and be influenced by the townspeople after he received his sight. No doubt, they would have attempted to talk him out of his experience and undermine his faith.

Don’t miss this critical lesson: If you need a miracle from God today, make sure to surround yourself with people of faith. Stay away from naysayers who try to tear down your confidence in God’s promises.

Seeing Everything Clearly

Ordinarily, when Jesus prayed for someone to be healed, the miracle was instantaneous and complete. But this story is a little different. Jesus spit on the blind man’s eyes and then put His hands on him. When Jesus then asked if he could see anything, the man looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking” (v. 24). In other words, he had received a partial healing, but his eyesight was still blurry.

I meet many believers who are very similar to this man from Bethsaida. Jesus has touched their lives and saved them. Their sins are forgiven, and they have a home in Heaven — but their vision is still blurry. They don’t have a clear view of God, the people around them, or even of their own calling. If this is your experience today, you may need a second touch from the Master!

Thankfully, Jesus isn’t content to leave you with blurry vision — and you shouldn’t be content to stay in that condition either. When Jesus heard that the man’s vision was still fuzzy, “He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly” (v. 25). Isn’t that a beautiful statement? Just like this man, Jesus wants you to see everyone and everything in your life clearly!

When you see your Heavenly Father clearly, everything else in your life will change as well. Your health, your finances, your emotions, your relationships — every area of your life will be transformed when you catch a clear glimpse of the Father’s incredible love for you.

So don’t settle for blurry vision! Keep pursuing the Lord until your spiritual eyesight is clear and your life has been made new.