Mark 8:22-26 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village.”
In the above passage we see people begging Jesus to heal a blind man. The blind man's disability prevented him from easily navigating through this world. He could perceive his environment through his touch and smell, but his maneuverability in this world and even his perspective of life was hindered by his sightlessness. Are we somewhat like the blind man as we navigate our world? Most of us have all our biological senses to help us, but we cannot truly understand a correct perspective of life itself, for our spiritual senses are not functioning as they should because of the way we live life. The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people. (Ezekiel 2:1-2) As Christians we need a constant awareness of our attitudes, our choices, and where we are headed in life. Are we living as the blind man, not aware of our surroundings or even fully understanding the consequences of being sightless in a dark world? As Christians, are we walking in the light of Christ with full revelation of the spiritual world around us? Are we living life more abundantly with an eternal perspective, or are we living life with only our biological senses tuned to this natural world, looking to our daily needs, not understanding that our spiritual eyes are not open and our ears do not hear the Holy Spirit? Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (Mark 4:9) Jesus is implying that we need new ears to hear and new eyes to see. We need a healing of our spiritual senses. As with the blind man, we need our eyes opened.
Jesus heard the plea of the people, saw the need of the blind man, and came to his aid. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. He led him away from the crowd and their human perspective of what can be done and what cannot be done. He then did something rather unusual: He spit on the man's eyes. He placed his biological mucus on the man's eyes, anointing his eyes with his own spittle. We might ask, why did not Jesus simply place his hands on this man's eyes and pray to the Father for his healing. Or Jesus could have declared him healed with a touch or by simply speaking healing as He did in other instances. Who really knows, but we do know that in this instance we see Jesus giving part of himself for this man's sight. Only Jesus had divine sight: only He sees clearly. In healing this man with his spittle, we see a man walking away to his family with clear sight and a better perspective of who he is and what he is in this world: loved by God. No one else had done for him what Jesus did that day. Jesus was a good shepherd to this man, and he cares for his sheep. In speaking to his disciples one time, Jesus warned them against others who were false shepherds who came to steal and to destroy. He said, "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." (John 10:9-11)
When Jesus first touched the blind man, the man did not see clearly. Do we have a clear spiritual view or do we see the things of the Spirit as trees walking? Are we sure of what we think we see and discern as truth? Do we have just enough religion that we think we will get to heaven, but not enough of a walk with the Lord to bring us into true fellowship with him? Jesus was not satisfied with this man's sight after He first touched him. He wanted the man to see well, to view life with clarity. Today, some of us need Jesus' spittle on our spiritual eyes. We need a clear view of the world, to avoid its enticements. Jesus indicated He had no earthly home by saying, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20 When one man wanted to bury his father before following Jesus, Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:60 When one man said that he wanted to say goodbye to his family before he joined Jesus, Jesus said, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) Jesus was saying in all these instances, this world is not our home. If you are tied to the things of this world, you are not worthy to be one of my chosen ones. You are still sightless; you are deaf to my voice; your spiritual senses have not been activated. Jesus says, my eyes are clear and fixed on the Father. I live to do his will: I am moving on to a new reality of life that seeks first the kingdom of God and not the interests of the biological man. Are we moving on with the Holy Spirit on kingdom business? Has the spittle touched our eyes or do we still see men as trees walking when God asks us to do his will? Jesus said, if you love and serve even the smallest, most helpless child, you are seeing clearly and serving me. You are loving me and my father, God. We cannot open our eyes alone, we need the touch of his hand. We need to be outside of the village away from all distractions, alone with him, so we will see the truth of living only for our sweet Lord.
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