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Read Mark 8:22-30
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22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" 24 And he looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village." 27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." 29 And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
Was Jesus just low on energy this day, necessitating a second attempt to get the miraculous healing right? We might think so if we were reading bits and pieces of Mark’s gospel account without taking it all in from start to finish. However, in the greater context of the story of Jesus and his disciples, we see this healing was not only an actual event of Christ’s compassionate healing mercy, but gives us a picture of the disciples’ struggle to comprehend.
We have watched the disciples see the things Jesus has done and yet fail to understand. Jesus remains patient, continuing to demonstrate and teach. Now, because of Jesus’ ongoing revealing, we have Peter’s response, “You are the Christ.” This doesn’t mean Jesus is done. He will still have more work to do as the disciples struggle with what it means that Jesus is the Christ, what his purpose is, and how he will carry that purpose out. But, just like Jesus brings about sight to the blind man, he is responsible for giving faith and understanding to blind disciples (whether those disciples lived 2000 years ago or walk the earth today).
Prayer
Lord, open my eyes to see and understand you and your ways clearly. Direct me to your Word that by reading it and hearing it preached my confident confession would always be, “You are the Christ.” Amen.