David Bahn – Reflections

Mark 8:22-26

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 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?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Sherlock Holmes is famously to have said, “…when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” With that in mind, I want to eliminate some impossibilities about Jesus’ healing powers in this double-healing encounter with the blind man at Bethsaida.

Could Jesus have done the whole miracle completely the first time? Without a doubt; he raised people from the dead. So why didn’t Jesus do the whole miracle in one complete act the first time? Although I might wish to speculate as to his motives, the better thing to do might simply be to acknowledge that Jesus did this, and that the man went home seeing. Perhaps that is enough.

Sometimes we seek to delve into the motives and ways of God’s will and lose sight the greater truths. God is over all things, and his ways are beyond finding out. God is good and his mercy endures forever. Proverbs 3:5-8 says it well:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.

When we trust in God, and lay aside our need to figure out his ways and our need to understand, we are in a better place to receive and experience the fullness of his grace and work in our lives. That’s where I want to live today. How about you?