A Blind Man Healed

Mark 8:22-26 - 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. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

This story does not reflect a lack of power on the part of Christ, rather, the story reflects a lack of faith on the part of the citizens of Bethsaida, perhaps a lack of faith on the part of the blind man.

Probably need to use at least two points:

1. The condition of the town of Bethsaida. 
2. Why the blind man had trouble seeing after Christ healed him. 

I.    The City of Bethsaida.

A.     Regardless of where you are or who is around you, you can be healed, saved, and kept by God’s eternal power. 

1.       People often think they are closer to Christ or being saved, or being healed in church services than anywhere else. 

2.       Christ healed this blind man even though he came to Christ in a very wicked place. 

3.       Christ also instructed the man to not return into that wicked place. 

B.     Exceeding wicked - Matt. 11:20-22 states, Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: 21 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.  

1.       There are variations of judgment based on revealed truth. 

2.       II Timothy 2:15 states we should study to show ourselves approved unto God. 

3.       The principle is not: do not learn, therefore we are not accountable. 

4.       The principle is: God has given each of us so much we are accountable for – whether we ever learn of our responsibility or accept that responsibility. 

5.       Chorazin is located about 2 miles north of Capernaum, and was a chief city during the time of Christ, but was uninhabited by the second half of the third century. 

6.       Both Tyre and Sidon were destroyed. 

C.     Matthew 11:23-24 – Jesus condemned Capernaum for their unbelief. 

1.       Capernaum became the “headquarters” for Christ after he left Nazareth. 

2.       Capernaum, a seaport city, is located about 4 miles southwest of Bethsaida. 

3.       Capernaum saw many works of Christ, yet was not full of faith for all they had seen. 

D.     There are some good people in every bad place.

1.       Luke 9:10,11 - Mighty works were not done in Bethsaida, but outside the city limits, in a desert place.  In order to receive the blessings of God, the people had to go outside the city.

2.       John 1:44 - Philip, Andrew and Peter were from Bethsaida.

3.       Mark 8:22-26 - Some people, full of faith, from Bethsaida, brought a blind man (who evidently didn't have much faith) so Jesus could heal him.  According to verse 26, it seems the blind man didn't live in Bethsaida, and he was healed outside the city. 

4.       The friends of the blind man.

a.       They saw the need.

b.       They saw there was no solution outside of Christ.

c.       They talked it over and decided to work together.  (What they could not do alone, they could do together--A three fold cord is not easily broken.)

d.       There were hindrances, but this did not stop them from bring the man to Christ.

E.      The warning for us. 

1.       The more Christ reveals to us, the more he requires of us.

2.       Many want to dwell in the secret places of the most high, rejoicing in his presence, and having people know Christ dwells with them. 

3.       Luke 12:41-48 – Jesus explains that the more that is given, the more that is required.  

a.       It is not what we know or what we learn that makes us more accountable. 

b.       We are more accountable because God gives us more. 

c.       A man jokingly told me he would not be accountable for much because he refused to learn anything!  (grin) 

F.      In Bethsaida - took him to Jesus in spite of the attitude of the town.  [1]

II.    Verse 23 – The Blind man. 

A.     There is not one way to come to Christ for salvation. 

1.       Every sinner is instructed to come to Christ just as they are. 

2.       There is no certain way to come to Christ for his blessings, whether that blessing is salvation, help, healing, or whatever. 

3.       Every situation is different, therefore every coming to Christ is different.

B.     Different blind men who were healed. 

1.       Luke 18:35-43 – This blind man yelled for Christ to come and give him his sight, being full of belief before he received his sight.

2.       John 9 – This blind man was just sitting there when the disciples brought up the question about who had sinned.

a.       Jesus told this man to go to the pool of Siloam to wash and he would receive his sight.

1.)    This man had faith to walk all that distance (being blind) and returned to show everybody he had been healed.

2.)    The distance is approximately ½ mile.

3.)    This might not be far for some people, but it is a distance for a blind man!

3.       The blind man of our text was brought to Christ for healing. 

a.       He did not yell to be healed. 

b.       He accepted healing, but it seems the people who brought him to Christ was more interested in him being healed than he was. 

C.     The method Christ used to heal. 

1.       Jesus did not use enchantments.

a.       An enchantment is a particular saying, a particular touch, or a particular methodology used to achieve a particular result. 

1.)    Jesus does not have to do things the same way for everybody.

2.)    Jesus does not have to do things the same way every time.

3.)    Jesus always acts according to the glory and honor of his father, not so we can “see” what God is doing. 

2.       Different “methods” used by Christ to heal. 

a.       Mark 7:31-37 – Jesus healed the man with a speech impediment. 

1.)    Not by sticking his fingers into his ears, spitting and touching his tongue. 

2.)    The man was healed by the power of God, not by doing those things.

b.       Matthew 8:5-10 – The centurion did not need the presence of Jesus to know his servant would be healed, much less a touch. 

c.       Matthew 9:20,21 – The woman with the issue of blood touched Jesus and she was healed.

1.)    The act of touching Jesus did not heal her, Jesus healed with the power of God. 

2.)    Did the folks of Mark 8 hear about her and wanted to see the same touch given to the blind man?

3.)    The methodology Jesus used to heal the woman with the issue of blood and the blind man of Mark is 8 is different, but the power is the same. 

d.       Faith is the same for all, but the results are different. 

1.)    Hebrews 11:4,5 – Abel was killed and Enoch was translated for the same thing.

2.)    Hebrews 11:22 – Joseph received both good and bad for being faithful to God.

3.)    Hebrews 11:32-35 compared to Hebrews 11:36-38 – Some received good and some received bad for being faithful to God.

4.)    Hebrews 11:39-40 – All of these received a good report and God has something better for all who live and die by faith.

e.       All are blind (lost); all are saved the same way, but under different circumstances.

1.)    The blind man in John did not know who Jesus was – see John 9:25.

2.)    The blind man in Luke 18 knew who Jesus was.

3.)    The blind man in Mark apparently knew who Jesus was, but didn’t seem to think Jesus could heal him.

3.       The different “methods” used by Christ to heal should reveal there is no “method”, as Christ heals only by the power of God. 

D.     Why did Christ ask the man if he saw ought? 

1.       There is a reason Christ asked this question. 

a.       He never asked before if his healing was complete or perfect. 

b.       Why now? 

2.       Christ knew the man did not see completely, therefore asked this question. 

a.       The man’s incomplete healing was not first mentioned by the man, as if Christ was unaware of any problem with God’s healing. 

b.       Christ wants us all to understand hidden principles we can only understand by digging deeper into God’s word. 

III.    Verse 24.  Why the blind man had trouble seeing after Christ healed him. 

A.     The blind man looked up. 

1.       It is apparent he was looking down, but at the instruction of Christ, looked up. 

a.       Christ always instructs his disciples to look up, not down. 

b.       Christ wants his disciples to have hope, not despair. 

2.       There was a recognition by the blind man that he was healed. 

a.       His healing is overshadowed by the fact that he cannot see very well. 

b.       When a person is saved, yet fails to grow as a Christian, his failure to grow overshadows his salvation, even casting down on his eternal salvation. 

B.     Sometimes we need to see a little before we can see a lot more.

1.       The blind man was brought to Christ by others, he did not come because he believed. 

2.       There are those that do not have faith to believe, but Jesus will see the faith of those who bring people to him. 

C.     It is amazing the man knew he saw men as trees walking when he had never seen a tree or a man before. 

1.       God has given blind people have a sense of how the world looks. 

2.       The man knew trees did not move, while moved. 

IV.    Verse 25. 

A.     Jesus did not “re-heal” the man. 

1.       Why the man did not see clearly is not given. 

2.       Jesus did not send the man away until he saw clearly. 

3.       Jesus will not “send us away” until we understand clearly. 

B.     The man could see every man clearly.

1.       He could see their form and features.

2.       His sight was completely restored.

C.     Jesus intends us to think about this healing and see principles of Christian growth. 

1.       Sinners are by nature blind.

a.       II Corinthians 4:4 states, In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 

b.       I John 2:11 states, But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.  

c.       John 9:39 declares, And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. 

2.       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 whom he has pierced.

a.       Proverbs 4:18 states, But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 

b.       II Peter 1:9 states, But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 

1.)    It is possible for a save person to forget they were saved, if they fail to add to their salvation the attributes mentioned in verse 5-8. 

2.)    It is possible for believers to quench the spirit of God and be unfruitful, to be saved yet so as by fire, I Corinthians 3:15. 

3.       New believers often do not clearly understand Christian doctrine or principles. 

a.       Christian growth enables the newly saved person to develop Christian characteristics.  

b.       The Christian life is a completely different life than the worldly life. 

c.       Light is shed on every object, and the new believer sees the Scriptures, the Saviour, and the works of creation, the sun, and stars, and hills, and vales, in a new light.

d.       He sees the beauty of the plan of salvation, and wonders that he has not seen it before.

4.       Yet he sees at first indistinctly.

a.       It is only by repeated applications to the Source of Light that he sees all things clearly.

b.       At first, religion may appear full of mysteries.

c.       Doctrines and facts appear on every hand that he cannot fully comprehend.

d.       His mind is still perplexed, and he may doubt whether he has ever seen aught, or has been ever renewed.

5.       Yet let him not despair.

a.       Light, in due time, will be shed on these obscure and mysterious truths.

b.       Faithful and repeated application to the Father of Lights in prayer, and in searching the Scriptures, and in the ordinances of religion, will dissipate all these doubts, and he will see all things clearly, and the universe will appear to be filled with one broad flood of light.

V.    Verse 26 – Jesus send the man to his own house, which was not in Bethsaida, as Christ told him not to return to that city. 

A.     Jesus told him not to go into the city and tell about his healing.

1.       When people reject what God has given to them, He won't give them any more.

2.       Luke 12:48 - But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. 

a.       Unto whom much is given, much is required. 

b.       Unto whom little is given, little is require. 

c.       Jesus had spent many days and done many miracles in Bethsaida, and none in Tyre and Sidon, therefore Bethsaida is more responsible than Tyre and Sidon.

3.       The condemnation of God is complete, without retribution.

B.     It would seem there would be a great wondering what became of the man, but there is no record anybody asked. 

C.     Different instructions for different folks. 

1.       There is often no particular way for a particular thing to be done. 

2.       Christ forbade the healed blind man from returning to rebellious Bethsaida to show them his healing or to preach to them the unsearchable riches of Christ. 

3.       Mark 5:19 – Christ directed the demon possessed man to witness to those who desired Jesus to depart from their coasts. 

4.       God knows the difference, I do not. 

D.     Christ doth not forbid him to tell it to others, but he must not tell it to any in the town.

1.       Obedience to the commands of Christ is very important. 

2.       Be careful to not slight the wooing of the Holy Spirit, or harden your heart to the pleadings of God. 

3.       Bethsaida, in the time when Christ dealt with her, would not yield to the pleadings of Christ, therefore Christ will hid those things from her. 

4.       Sinners, who refuse to repent when Jesus pleads with them, might find Christ will hide himself from them. 

5.       There is a difference between willful rejection and confusion concerning acceptance.  [2]