In Mark 8:22-26 Jesus heals a blind man. The short narrative has an interesting twist to it that has confused readers for centuries. In short, Jesus’ healing appears to have failed. In his first attempt to heal the blind man, he can see but everything is blurred (similar to me walking around without my contacts or glasses). Attempting again to heal the blind man leads to the full healing we expected all along.
The seemingly botch healing for Jesus on the first try is disturbing. Did he have a power failure? Did Jesus experience a faith crisis? Was the faith of the blind man responsible for Christ’s inability to heal? Bible students have struggled to understand this healing. But it’s also possible that Mark left a couple of clues to understand this miracle.
The first clue is a second healing of a blind man in Mark 10:46-52. Blind Bartimaeus calls to Jesus by both his personal name and Messianic title, Son of David, and begs for healing. While the crowd tries to quiet the man, Jesus calls for the man to come to him. The request is made for healing and Jesus graciously complies. He heals Bartimaeus just like we expect.
The two blind men stories seem to be bookends to a section where Jesus is traveling from Caesarea Philippi (i.e. a city 55 miles northeast of Galilean territory) to Jerusalem. So the “failed” attempt by Jesus to heal the blind man is placed before Peter’s confession of Jesus in the Gentile city of Caesarea Philippi and the “successful” healing occurs in Jericho before Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Both stories seem to hold this section together and thus need to be read together.
The second clue is contained between the two healing stories. Three times Jesus predicts his crucifixion. In each situation the 12 fail to see what Jesus is saying leading Jesus to reteach the disciples (see Mk. 8:17-38; 9:30-37; 10:32-45).
What is clear is how blurry eyed his 12 disciples are when it comes to the mission of Jesus. Either they push back on his prediction or they’re consumed by their own agendas. Thus, the bookend stories are as much about the disciple’s inability to see spiritually as it is about a blind man unable to see physically. The second healing is the hope for the disciples that their vision for Jesus has been corrected.
Our vision for Jesus osculates between being crystal clear and blurry-eyed; sometimes we see Jesus clearly and other times we’re squinting to make out an image. When we embrace humble service and reject authoritarian power, we see Jesus clearly. When we act through encouragment instead of through criticism, we see Jesus clearly. When we forgive instead of harbor anger, we see Jesus clearly. When we love and pray for our enemies instead of retaliating against them, we see Jesus clearly. When we are driven by compassion because defining “neighbor” has nothing to do with proximity and location, then we see Jesus clearly. When we speak our words with loving kindness instead of venomous cruelty, we see Jesus clearly. And when we finally see Jesus clearly, the world will see Jesus.
Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)