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SUBJECT: Mark 8:22-26 Jesus and the Blind Man
QUESTIONS:
1)
Why did
Jesus spit in his eyes?
2)
Why did
Jesus take him away from the crowd as opposed to the other
healings where He did not?
3)
Why wasn’t
it an instant healing as the others were, it took two
attempts by Jesus?
4)
Why did
Jesus ask him NOT to tell anyone?
ANSWER:
First the verses:
Mark 8:22-26
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man
unto him, and besought him to touch him.
23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of
the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his
hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made
him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go
into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
KJV
Notice, now, the commentary:
Mark 8:22-26
Mark 8:23
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of
the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his
hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
[Led him out of the town]
Why this was done the sacred writers have not told us. It
MIGHT have been to avoid the collecting of a multitude, and
thus to have escaped the designs of the Pharisees who were
attempting to take his life, and chiefly on a charge of
sedition and of exciting the people. On this account Jesus
chose to perform the miracle alone, thus showing that while
he did good, he desired to do it in such a way as to avoid
the "appearance" of evil, and to prevent, at the same time,
ostentation and the malice of his enemies.
[Spit on his eyes] Why
this was done is not known. It was evidently not intended to
perform the cure by any natural effect of the spittle. It
was to the man a "sign," an evidence that it was the power
of Jesus. The eyes were probably closed. They were perhaps
"gummed" or united together by a secretion that had become
hard. To apply spittle to them-to wet them-would be a
"sign," a natural expression of removing the obstruction and
opening them. The power was not in the spittle, but it
attended the application of it.
[Saw aught] Saw
anything.
Mark 8:24
And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
[I see men, as trees, walking]
I see men walking, but see them so indistinctly that, but
for their "motion," I could not distinguish them from trees.
I cannot distinctly see their shapes and features. Probably
our Lord did not "at once" restore him fully to sight, that
he might strengthen his faith. Seeing that Jesus had
partially restored him, it was evidence that he could
"wholly," and it led him to exercise faith anew in him, and
to feel more strikingly his dependence on him.
Mark 8:25
After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made
him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
[Every man clearly]
Could see their form and features. His sight was completely
restored. Though our Lord did not by this, probably,
"intend" to teach any lesson in regard to the way in which
the mind of a sinner is enlightened, yet it affords a
striking illustration of it. Sinners are by nature blind, 2
Cor 4:4; 1 John 2:11; John 9:39. The effect of religion, or
of the influence of the Holy Spirit, is to open the eyes, to
show the sinner his condition and his danger, and to lead
him to "look" on him as a Saviour. Yet at first he sees
indistinctly. He does not soon learn to distinguish objects.
When converted he is in a new world. Light is shed on every
object, and he sees the Scriptures, the Saviour, and the
works of creation, the sun, the stars, the hills, the vales,
in a new light. He sees the beauty of the plan of salvation,
and wonders that he has not seen it before. Yet he sees at
first indistinctly. It is only by repeated applications to
the Source of light that he sees all things clearly. At
first religion appears full of mysteries. Doctrines and
facts are brought before his mind that he cannot fully
comprehend. He is still perplexed, and he may doubt whether
he has ever seen anything aright, or has been ever renewed.
Yet let him not despair. Light, in due time, will be shed on
these obscure and mysterious truths. Faithful and repeated
application to the Father of lights in prayer, and in
searching the Scriptures, and in the ordinances of religion,
will dissipate these doubts, and he will see all things
clearly, and the universe will appear to be filled with one
broad flood of light.
Mark 8:26
And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into
the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
[The town] The town of
Bethsaida.
[Nor tell it ...] Lest
it excite the jealousy of the Pharisees, and produce
commotion and danger. ~from
Barnes' Notes
Here is another one:
Mark 8:23-26
Mark 8:23
And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of
the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his
hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
Jesus led him out of the town, probably to avoid excessive
publicity (cf. v. 26). Here, as in the case of the deaf man
(Mark 7:33), saliva was used, not as a healing application,
but as an aid to the sightless man's faith.
Mark 8:24
And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
This healing was unique in that it consisted of two stages.
After the first healing acts, the man saw people
indistinctly as moving objects, like trees walking.
Mark 8:25
After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made
him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
The second stage of healing was preceded by the touching of
the eyes. The Greek text does not say that Jesus made him
look up, but rather that the man looked intently. And when
he did so, he began to see all things clearly.
Mark 8:26
And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into
the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
Again in order to avoid the results of undue publicity,
Christ sent the man to his house. That He told him not to go
into the town indicates that he lived elsewhere, perhaps in
the surrounding countryside.
~from The Wycliffe Bible
Commentary
So, it seems clear:
1)
Why did
Jesus spit in his eyes?
Answer:
To loosen the eyelids and to act as a sign of the healing
power of Jesus.
2)
Why did
Jesus take him away from the crowd as opposed to the other
healings where He did not?
Answer:
To avoid crowds and to avoid the malice of enemies.
3)
Why wasn’t
it an instant healing as the others were, it took two
attempts by Jesus?
Answer:
It was not two attempts at healing but rather all part of
the healing process in this instance. The second commentary
above details that process. Everything about God is
PROCESS. Sin is a process (it
does not just happen). Salvation is a lifetime
process (from calling to
repentance to the return of Jesus Christ). Healing
is also a process as depicted by Jesus in this instance.
4)
Why did
Jesus ask him NOT to tell anyone?
Answer: Again to avoid crowds.
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