I grew up in a family that took pumpkin carving very seriously. We owned several sets of carving knives, scoops for seeds and pulp, and shaving peelers in all sizes to accommodate the artistic process. The more intricate the design the better was the motto each year. Every year it seemed my mother outdid her last carving as the pumpkins glowed at the end of our driveway on cold October evenings.

These elaborate carvings would happen in stages. It was a gradual process. Each movement of the knife would reveal more of what the intended look would be. Each layer of flesh removed from inside the pumpkin would allow more light to shine, creating the effect of depth and shadow. Sometimes it was difficult to decipher what the result was meant to be. Patience was needed to allow the process to unfold.

As we continue our study of the questions Jesus asked in Scripture, this month we turn to Mark 8 where Jesus conducts a gradual miracle for a blind man in Bethsaida. In the working of the miracle, we find our question for this study: “Can you see anything now?” (Mark 8:23). As we take a deeper look at this encounter, the aim is to understand Jesus’ restrained miracle as it applies to our spiritual vision. 

In the Gospel of Mark, we are told that as Jesus arrived in town, “ … some people brought a blind man” to Him (v 22). No name was given for the man, and no additional information other than his condition. The people seem concerned for his well-being and convinced of Jesus’ ability to address his vision. The verse says, “ … they begged him to touch the man and heal him.” There is an urgency to their request of Jesus. In response, He takes a measured and intentional approach, working in His time rather than at the mercy of the distraught demands of the people. 

Jesus takes the man “out of the village” in verse 23 and begins working directly with the blind man to heal his sight. Mark tells us that Jesus spits on the man’s eyes, lays His hands on him, and then asks, “Can you see anything now?” (v 23). The only other moment in the Gospels where we find Jesus spitting is in John 9 when He spits on the ground and uses mud to heal another blind person (John 9:6–7). Mark does not tell us why Jesus spits, and most commentaries agree that is a mystery part of this healing. After this first attempt at healing, the man says, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around” (v 24). Jesus places His hands on the man a second time. The Scripture tells us that the man’s “ … eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly” (v 25).

After reading this passage, we are inevitably left with the question: Why did Jesus have to do it again? We wonder if something was wrong with the miracle. Did Jesus get something wrong? The gradual healing of the blind man in this account leaves the reader without clear answers on the “why” of what happened. This story occurs in a chapter where the religious leaders demand to see Jesus prove Himself (8:11–13). The chapter also contains an encounter with disciples who misunderstand Jesus to the point that He essentially calls them blind and deaf to His true purpose (8:16–18) Mark seems to be building up to a greater lesson through the literary structure of this part of his gospel narrative. There is a lack of understanding, or inability to see, who Jesus is and what Jesus is about. 

The blind man in verse 22 is a potent illustration of what is possible when a person allows Jesus to work in their life, even if it is slowly. The man’s vision was not completely restored until after Jesus laid hands on him twice. The first attempt at healing was only partial (v 24). The implication that sight was “restored” (v 25) could be understood that sight had been lost at some point in his life, rather than a condition he was born to. The man may have gradually lost vision over time and to a point where he could no longer see anything. 

In our own lives, we sometimes allow our spiritual sight to fade away. We allow worry and anxiety to overwhelm us. We spend our precious energy on selfish pursuits. We slowly stop participating in things we know are good for our soul: reading Scripture, praying, and soul-restoring practices like the Sabbath, spiritual disciplines, and seeking God’s will in all things. We don’t wake up one morning and decide to stop seeking God. We let fear of the future, the pressure to conform to cultural expectations, or maybe our bad attitudes corrupt our spiritual vision slowly over time. 

Mark leaves the questions of the story of the healing of the blind man unanswered. In Michael Card’s commentary on Mark, he suggests: “The ‘aha’ moment is waiting for those who will listen and hear and look and see. For the moment, maybe we see the spiritual world out of focus. Jesus promises us the hope of clear spiritual perception.” The hope for us is that even if we have gradually lost our vision of God in our lives, Jesus offers us a complete restoration when we trust His process. 

Notice that Jesus touches the blind man three times: “Jesus took the blind man by the hand … laid his hand on him … Jesus placed his hand on the man’s eyes again” (v 23, 25). Each touch from Jesus led the man closer to healing. Restoring his eyesight started with a private audience with the Savior, away from the panic-stricken calls of others. Each moment spent with Jesus gradually restores what had been lost to him.

Each time Jesus reached out to the blind man in Mark 8, the blind man would have had to physically accept Jesus’ offer of healing, even as that healing came in stages: first from the noise of the crowd, then to a glimpse of what could be, and then to a complete restoration. Jesus offers each of us our chance to find healing. His gradual healing in our life still leads to restoration whether it be on this side of heaven or the other. That financial situation that keeps you up at night, a painful relationship, an addiction, circumstances beyond your control, a health diagnosis you aren’t prepared to face … whatever in your life needs healing, Jesus is ready to take you by the hand and work for your good and His purpose (Romans 8:28). The situations in our lives that seem hopeless and unanswered find hope in Mark’s story of gradual healing. It serves as a reminder that Jesus works in our lives in His way and His time. 

Questions to ponder

• In what areas of my life is my vision is hazy and senseless?
• In what ways has Jesus gradually brought about healing in my own life?

AN OPEN INVITATION

You can receive the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ by praying something like the following:

Dear God, I know I am a sinner. I need Your forgiveness and grace. I believe that Christ paid the penalty for my sin, and He died in my place, and He rose from the dead. I invite Jesus Christ to come into my life as Savior. Thank You for saving me from my sin and making me Your child. Help me to grow and learn how to serve You. Amen.