And he cometh to Bethsaida;
and they bring a blind man unto him,
and besought him to touch him.
And he took the blind man by the hand,
and led him out of the town;
and when he had spit on his eyes,
and put his hands upon him,
he asked him if he saw ought.
And he looked up, and said,
I see men as trees, walking.
After that he put his hands again upon his eyes,
and made him look up: and he was restored,
and saw every man clearly.
And he sent him away to his house, saying,
Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
Mark 8:22-26
Atheists use this text to mock Christ. Some claim it shows He was "magician". Theological "liberals" use this to claim parts were added or subtracted later to the Gospels, for example claiming that the supposed later authors of Matthew & Luke left it out because it made Christ look foolish. But Paul tells us that spiritual things are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14
These men get it....
* "Chrysostom, “the golden mouth” preacher, was a presbyter and bishop at Antioch in the late 4th century. He said that this miracle occurred in stages because of the imperfect faith of the man. He did not seek healing from Jesus; others brought him to Jesus. The first glimmer of sight caused him to believe, and Jesus went on to heal him completely."
1) We should never assume that, because we can see some truth, we know all truth.
2) We should realize that seeing a little does not mean we see clearly.
3) If we – and even apostles – do not fully understand the implications of what we see in the Scriptures or in Jesus, we need to be patient with others
who do not understand what we think we understand.
JerryStarling
* "This healing by stages pictures the maturation process of a believer's spiritual understanding, the conversion process each Christian experiences.
Christ's method of healing here shows that our spiritual enlightenment is a continuous process. At first, we cannot see God's truth clearly. Most of our spiritual blindness remains, but as our faith, obedience, and growth develops, Jesus, "the author and finisher of our faith" Hebrews 12:2, increases the clarity of our spiritual vision." MartinG.Collins
* "Here is Christ leading this blind man. He did not bid his friends lead him, but he himself took him by the hand, and led him, to teach us to be as Job was, eyes to the blind, Job 29:15.
In this cure we may observe,
1. That Christ used a sign he spat on his eyes (spat into them, so some), and put his hand upon him. He could have cured him, as he did others, with a word speaking, but thus he was pleased to assist his faith which was very weak, and to help him against his unbelief. And this spittle signified the eye-salve wherewith Christ anoints the eyes of those that are spiritually blind, Revelation 3:18.
2. That the cure was wrought gradually, which was not usual in Christ's miracles.
He asked him if he saw aught, Mark 8:23.
Let him tell what condition his sight was in, for the satisfaction of those about him.
3. It was soon completed Christ never doeth his work by the halves, nor leaves it till he can say,
It is finished.
He put his hands again upon his eyes, to disperse the remaining darkness,
and then bade him look up again, and he saw every man clearly."
MatthewHenry
* He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him: Adam Clarke has an interesting perspective on this: “It is likely that this was done merely to separate the eyelids; as, in certain cases of blindness, they are found always gummed together. It required a miracle to restore the sight, and this was done in consequence of Christ having laid his hands upon the blind man: it required no miracle to separate the eyelids, and, therefore, natural means only were employed - this was done by rubbing them with spittle.” Adam Clarke