When Jesus and his disciples arrived at Bethsaida, people brought to him a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.

In the passage that precedes this one, Jesus both warned and rebuked his disciples for their dullness of faith. First, Jesus warned them against being deceived by the unbelief of the Pharisees. Then, when it was clear that they didn’t understand his warning, he rebuked them for their lack of understanding.

Following this warning and rebuke, Jesus heals a blind man, illustrating that he is the One who gives sight. The unique way by which Jesus heals shows that while the disciples may have already seen in part, they still needed full sight.

As Jesus and his disciples arrive in Bethsaida, a blind man is brought to Jesus to be healed. Here, we see a man with a condition that he cannot change but who is brought to Jesus by those who believe that he has the power to help. While few of us have the ability to open the spiritually blind eyes of another, if we are faithful to introduce people to Jesus through the message of the gospel, God can give them sight.

This miracle is different from others. The man is healed in two stages. When Jesus asks about the effectiveness of the healing, he says that his sight has only been partially restored. The context of Mark pushes us to consider the relationship between this miracle and the unbelief of the disciples (and us?). Progressive healing is a means of helping the disciples to see the difference between partial and complete sight. While they were farther along than the Pharisees (who were blind), they still did not see fully.

How clearly do we see the teaching of Jesus?

Let Us Pray:

O Lord, let me clearly see the message of your love and what it means to be your disciple.