Sight restored...

Early in May the tree resting on the southern side of my father’s garden caught my attention. Although the leaves hadn’t even started to bud, it touched my heart.  I couldn’t pinpoint the lesson to be taught yet knew there was one there. Trusting God I pulled my camera out of my pocket and tried to capture the lesson God was teaching me.

Nearly a month later, the lesson is clear. After starting my day in God’s Word and prayer, I started to close my Bible and pick up my study when this photograph came to mind and the parable it was reminding me of. I was drawn to the book of Mark and I read about the healing of the blind man in Bethsaida. Are you asking yourself how this tree and Mark 8:22 – 26 relate to each other? I hope so…read on to see my interpretation.

While at first glance this is another of God’s miracles. A blind man is brought to Bethsaida to be healed of his blindness. While his friend’s faith is strong, knowing Jesus can heal their friend. Although his friends believed, he must have had some doubt since it was the people “begging” for Jesus just to touch their friend. Jesus does more than touch the man. Not only did Jesus touch him, He was walking with him and leading him outside the village. They exercised obedience not to follow, to remain at Bethsaida amidst the hustle and bustle of the village while their friend experiences the healing touch of Jesus Christ in a secluded quiet. Can you see the people who brought him, falling to their knees in praise and thanksgiving for the miracle about to happen?

What if you were the blind man holding the hand of Jesus, trusting Him, recognizing the village noise and confusion becoming softer and in the distance. Does your heart race once outside the village walls and you realize you are alone with Jesus? Do you cry? Speak? Bow down? Or simply stand in trust and wait.

The blind man…he trusted.  Jesus spit on the blind man’s eyes, placed his hands on him then asked, “Do you see anything?” When the blind man looked up he answered with “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

The man’s sight was partially returned yet it wasn’t focused enough to discern with clarity. While Jesus must have known his vision wasn’t 100%, He still asks for a description. The response shows the similarities of man and nature, both having a trunk and both God’s creation. God cares for ALL he’s created.

At this Jesus placed His hands on the blind man’s eyes one last time and his sight was restored completely. He not only saw, but he saw clearly. Instead of sending the man back to the village to tell of the miracle, Jesus sends him home saying “Don’t go into the village.” Once again the man trust Jesus and obeys, heading for home.   

The healing of the blind man precedes the opening of Peter’s eyes as he recognizes the Messiahship of Jesus. God healed one man’s blindness to show we need to have our eyes open and recognize Jesus as our Savior, Sanctifier, Healer and our Coming King! I pray your eyes are opened.