Reflecting on Mark's Gospel - Mark 8:22-26

The theme of being able to see, or not, continues as Jesus heals a blind man. The disciple group has come to Bethsaida. News of Jesus’ arrival seemed to spread quickly wherever he went and people come, and bring others, to see him. Frequently, there are references to large groups, but not so on this occasion. We are not told how many people gathered, but there is only reference to this single healing.

The blind man is brought to Jesus and they beg Jesus to place his hands on the man. They are looking for healing. I so like the way in which Jesus treats people in individuals, and so the encounters, and the healings, do not follow a precise pattern. Sometimes it is remote healing, on other occasions it is instant healing. Here we have an account of how Jesus spends a little time with the man.

Jesus takes the man by the hand and leads him out of the village. I cannot believe that was done in silence. I wonder what they talked about as they walked along, however brief the journey. I wonder if we can imagine what we would want to say if we think ourselves into the place of that man. (Or perhaps we would be so over-awed by the encounter that we would say nothing, and think of all the things we wished we had said later.)

This is a gradual healing. There are two elements of physical touch, the placing of saliva on the man’s eyes, and the laying on of hands. At first, the man can see, but not properly. I can see people, but  they look like trees, walking. So, Jesus repeats the laying on of hands; and the man is healed, and can see clearly. I wonder if we might see this as a reminder to keep praying, and not to always expect instant answers. Our encounters with Jesus are different from those of his earthly life, but they can be just as transformational.

Jesus is not trying to build a reputation. He tells the man to go home, and to avoid the village. Yet, even if Jesus had taken this man off on his own, which seems unlikely, surely the folk who brought the blind man to Jesus would be wondering, and determined to discover, what had happened.

However, Mark is not a newspaper reporter, but a gospel writer. The stories Mark tells give us an account of Jesus’ life, but also point us to Jesus’ message. As Ernest Best (Mark The Gospel As Story) reminds us – “Jesus can open both the ears and the eyes of those who at present in the pagan world do not see or hear, and he can also do the same for those within the community who are deficient in sight or hearing in relation to what their faith means for them; as they truly see and hear they will learn to follow Jesus in the way of the cross.”