A Two-fold Healing

Jesus performed so many miracles, but not all of them were recorded. When you take a closer look into the recorded miracles, you see that they contain within them a message. A kingdom message.

For now, I just want to look at the healing in Mark 8.

Mark 8:22-26
22 Then they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Jesus and asked him to touch him.  23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, Do you see anything?  24 Regaining his sight he said, I see people, but they look like trees walking.  25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again. And he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.  26 Jesus sent him home, saying, Do not even go into the village.

 Now, with Jesus, he always got his miracle done the first time. Yet this instance it seems he had to do it twice. The first time around the man was only partly cured. Why? Why did Jesus take this man outside of Bethsaida? And why does this man See Men walk as Trees? Why must Jesus do a twofold healing for this blind man?

In order to understand what was going on, we have to look at the chapter as a whole, in the context of what was happening. Jesus had long stated his mission had long been, stated.

John 9:39-41
39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, that those who don’t see may see; and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Those of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.

This heeling was speaking a kingdom message. It was prophetic in every way, Jesus had come to open the eyes of those who could not see.

Now let’s go into the context of Chapter 8. The chapter opens with Jesus performing a great miracle sign.

Something never done before, He feeds four thousand families with seven loaves of bread.

Mark 8:6-10
6 He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people, and they did so. 7 They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.  8 The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.  9 About four thousand were present. After he had sent them away, ¹⁰ he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

But soon afterwards, the Pharisees come to him seeking another sign.

Mark 8:11-12
11 The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.  12 He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Jesus was grieved in his spirit. This miracle surely testified of his power, and his authority, as the long-awaited messenger. He sighed deeply in his spirit. Why ask for a sign? Did not know about the miracles he had just performed? However, it was his disciples that would cause him greater grief.

Mark 8:13-18
13 Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side.  14 Now they had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.  15 And Jesus ordered them, Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod! 16 So they began to discuss with one another about having no bread.  17 When he learned of this, Jesus said to them, Why are you arguing about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened? 18 Though you have eyes, don’t you see? And though you have ears, can’t you hear? Don’t you remember?

He couldn’t understand why his disciples, having been given eyes, still could not see. They were still blind. After they had participated in the makings of great miracles, yet their sight and understanding was still nulled. Let’s continue with the scripture.

Mark 8:18-21
18 Though you have eyes, don’t you see? And though you have ears, can’t you hear? Don’t you remember?  19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up? They replied, Twelve. 20 When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up? They replied, Seven.  21 Then he said to them, Do you still not understand?

 This is the background of the miracle of the twofold healing of the blind man. Jesus is asking why his disciples still can not see or understand him after he had revealed himself to them. Let’s continue.

Mark 8:21-23
21 Then he said to them, Do you still not understand?  22 Then they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Jesus and asked him to touch him.  23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, Do you see anything?

This is the first part of his healing, do you see the connection to what was happening. Bethsaida means, House of Fish. This was the home town of Peter, Andrew and Philip. He had found them blind, and brought them out, that they may witnesses of the living Christ. This is where Jesus had found Peter and told him, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. So when Jesus realizes that Peter and his counterparts were still blind, they still did not understand him, he brings them back to Bethsaida where it had all began, and the story is retold in a type.

Mark 8:23
23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, Do you see anything?

This blind man’s answer was supposed to be simple, because the man standing in front of him was Jesus. This blind Man’s answer was supposed to be a description of Jesus. His answer should have been, I see you, because Jesus was the only man on front of him. He had been taken away from the crowds.

Yet, instead of Seeing Jesus who was plainly in front of him…

Mark 8:24
Regaining his sight he said, I see people, but they look like trees walking.

So Jesus now knew he would have to try again, and he would have to directly open their eyes.

Mark 8:25-26
25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again. And he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.  26 Jesus sent him home, saying, do not even go into the village.

Just as the disciples could not, see The Son of God who had laid his hands on Them, who had “Spat in their eyes” by the delivery of his word yet they still could not understand him. This second attempt, this direct opening of the eyes, is a direct intervention. This is what the blind apostles needed. To see how he would do this we continue with the story.

Mark 8:27-29
27 Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, Who do people say that I am? 28 They said, John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and still others, one of the prophets.  29 He asked them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered him, You are the Christ.

Finally, they saw him clearly. But for a better description of this part, we continue with the details in Mathew. It would take a direct intervention by God, for Peter, the man from Bethsaida, to have his eyes opened.

Matthew 16:15-17
15 He said to them, But who do you say that I am? 16 Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.  17 And Jesus answered him, You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!

And it was only after this, that Jesus could now begin to reveal his true mission to them.

Mark 8:30-31
30 Then he warned them not to tell anyone about him. 31 Then Jesus began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and after three days rise again.