Mark 8:22 - 26 (KJV)

22And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

23And 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.

24And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

25After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

26And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

• The unique thing about this miracle of healing is that it occurred gradually and not instantly. The Gospels record the healing of at least seven blind men, and they show that our Lord used a variety of approaches. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of unbelief in Bethsaida that hindered Him

(see Mark 6:5-6), or it may have been the spiritual condition of the man himself.

• For some reason not given, the man was not ready for instant sight, so Jesus restored him gradually. The fact that the man recognized men and trees suggests that he had not been born blind but had been blinded by accident or disease.
• The disciples learned some valuable lessons on this trip, lessons that they would need to remember and apply in later years of ministry. We today need to learn these same lessons:
  1. don’t seek after signs, but live by faith in His Word;
  1. trust Jesus to meet needs;
  2. avoid the leaven of false doctrine;
  3. let Jesus work as He wills, and expect variety in His working.
• Mark recorded the events of some busy days in the ministry of God’s Servant! Next he will take us “behind the scenes” as the Servant instructs His disciples and prepares them for His death on the cross.

Morning Moment: ”God gives vision to where we are going, not where we’ve been!”