There are only two miracles of healing recorded in Mark’s Gospel that are not specifically mentioned in the other Gospels. They are found in Mark 7:31-37 and Mark 8:22-26. We read both passages this week.
The miracle recorded in Mark 8:22-26 is unique in that it is the only healing miracle by Jesus that seems to require a second effort and it shocks us when we read it. So far in Mark we have seen several miracles of healing by Jesus. In Mk 1:40 we read of a man with leprosy approaching Jesus to be healed and then in verse 42 the CSB reads “Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.” In Mk 5:22ff we find the story of the Synagogue leader whose daughter is sick and while Jesus is on the way to his house a woman with a bleeding disorder touches Jesus’ clothes and then the CSB records in verse 29 that “Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.” Word then reaches the Synagogue ruler that his daughter has died. Jesus continues anyway to the ruler’s house, enters the room where the little girl is laying, and simply speaks and tells her to get up. We then read in the CSB in verse 42 “Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.” Mark also records in 7:32 that a man who was deaf was brought to Jesus. Jesus puts his fingers in the man’s ears and says, ‘be opened’ and the CSB records in verse 35 “Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly.” With this background of healings, we come across this strange miracle in Mk 8:22-26. Next week we’ll read in Mk 10:52 of another man who is blind, and Jesus heals him immediately. What is going on here in Mk 8? Does faith have something to do with it? If so who’s faith?
Blindness in the Bible is often used literally for physical blindness, but it can also be used metaphorically for spiritual blindness. It was sometimes used metaphorically in the Old Testament, see Dt. 16:19; Isa. 43:8; 56:10; and Isa. 6:9-10. It is also sometimes used metaphorically in the New Testament. In Matthew 23, which we read a few weeks ago, when Jesus denounced the scribes and pharisees as hypocrites He referred to them as ‘blind’ in verses 16, 17, 19, 24 and 26.
Getting back to Mark 8:22-26 remember that when we seek to understand a passage that context rules. How is this passage related to its context? In the previous passage in Mk. 8:15 Jesus tells his disciples to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. They take his words literally and think that he says this because they had forgotten to bring any bread on the trip. Jesus scolds them for their lack of understanding in verse 18 “ Do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear?” CSB. Jesus after a little more discussion asks them in verse 21, “Don’t you understand yet?” The disciples at this point have not seen clearly who Jesus is. Jesus then encounters the blind man in our passage. Following the healing of the blind man Mark tells us that Jesus questions the disciples near Caesarea Philippi as to the opinion the people have concerning Himself. He then asks for their opinion and Peter makes the confession that he believes Jesus is the Messiah. Peter is beginning to see more clearly. The miracle’s stages in Mk 8:22-26 fit well with the stages of spiritual blindness seen in the disciples and may function as an acted parable.
But Mark also stresses the importance of faith when it comes to miracles, see Mk 6:5-6. When you are reading this Gospel notice how Mark often, but not always, mentions the faith of the recipient. Many times it is the person’s faith that compels him to go to Jesus for healing. In Mk. 8:22 it is the ‘they’ that bring the blind man to Jesus (v.22), nothing is said about this blind man’s faith. Does the partial restoration of his sight bring about the faith for complete healing?
The miracle recorded in Mark 8:22-26 is unique in that it is the only healing miracle by Jesus that seems to require a second effort and it shocks us when we read it. So far in Mark we have seen several miracles of healing by Jesus. In Mk 1:40 we read of a man with leprosy approaching Jesus to be healed and then in verse 42 the CSB reads “Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean.” In Mk 5:22ff we find the story of the Synagogue leader whose daughter is sick and while Jesus is on the way to his house a woman with a bleeding disorder touches Jesus’ clothes and then the CSB records in verse 29 that “Instantly her flow of blood ceased, and she sensed in her body that she was healed of her affliction.” Word then reaches the Synagogue ruler that his daughter has died. Jesus continues anyway to the ruler’s house, enters the room where the little girl is laying, and simply speaks and tells her to get up. We then read in the CSB in verse 42 “Immediately the girl got up and began to walk. (She was twelve years old.) At this they were utterly astounded.” Mark also records in 7:32 that a man who was deaf was brought to Jesus. Jesus puts his fingers in the man’s ears and says, ‘be opened’ and the CSB records in verse 35 “Immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak clearly.” With this background of healings, we come across this strange miracle in Mk 8:22-26. Next week we’ll read in Mk 10:52 of another man who is blind, and Jesus heals him immediately. What is going on here in Mk 8? Does faith have something to do with it? If so who’s faith?
Blindness in the Bible is often used literally for physical blindness, but it can also be used metaphorically for spiritual blindness. It was sometimes used metaphorically in the Old Testament, see Dt. 16:19; Isa. 43:8; 56:10; and Isa. 6:9-10. It is also sometimes used metaphorically in the New Testament. In Matthew 23, which we read a few weeks ago, when Jesus denounced the scribes and pharisees as hypocrites He referred to them as ‘blind’ in verses 16, 17, 19, 24 and 26.
Getting back to Mark 8:22-26 remember that when we seek to understand a passage that context rules. How is this passage related to its context? In the previous passage in Mk. 8:15 Jesus tells his disciples to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. They take his words literally and think that he says this because they had forgotten to bring any bread on the trip. Jesus scolds them for their lack of understanding in verse 18 “ Do you have eyes and not see; do you have ears and not hear?” CSB. Jesus after a little more discussion asks them in verse 21, “Don’t you understand yet?” The disciples at this point have not seen clearly who Jesus is. Jesus then encounters the blind man in our passage. Following the healing of the blind man Mark tells us that Jesus questions the disciples near Caesarea Philippi as to the opinion the people have concerning Himself. He then asks for their opinion and Peter makes the confession that he believes Jesus is the Messiah. Peter is beginning to see more clearly. The miracle’s stages in Mk 8:22-26 fit well with the stages of spiritual blindness seen in the disciples and may function as an acted parable.
But Mark also stresses the importance of faith when it comes to miracles, see Mk 6:5-6. When you are reading this Gospel notice how Mark often, but not always, mentions the faith of the recipient. Many times it is the person’s faith that compels him to go to Jesus for healing. In Mk. 8:22 it is the ‘they’ that bring the blind man to Jesus (v.22), nothing is said about this blind man’s faith. Does the partial restoration of his sight bring about the faith for complete healing?
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