An Odd Vision

I. THE PROBLEM EXPRESSED (Mark 8:22)

A. The Place of the Problem

1. The Lord had been on the west of the Sea of Galilee in Dalmanutha (Mark 8:10-12).
a. Here the Pharisees questioned Him, seeking a sign (Mark 8:10-11).
b. Christ sighed in His spirit, questioned why they required a sign, and said no sign would be given (Mark 8:12).
2. The Lord entered a ship to travel to east of the Sea of Galilee (Mark 8:13-21).
a. The disciples found that they had a shortage of bread (Mark 8:14).
b. The Lord charged them concerning the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod and they erroneously thought He rebuked them for their shortage of literal bread (Mark 8:15-16).
c. The Lord rebuked them for their hard hearts and inability to understand (Mark 8:17-21).
3. The ship arrived on the east of the Sea of Galilee and Christ, and His disciples, came to Bethsaida—house of fish (Mark 8:22).
4. After Bethsaida, Christ would take His disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi and ask of them who men believed Him to be and unveiled to them the cross (Mark 8:27-38).

B. The Nature of the Problem

1. The informers of the problem—“They” brought a man unto Him. In the context, the pronoun “they” refers back to the disciples. Some have supposed the “they” refers to unnamed participants in bringing the man to Christ.
2. The infirmity of the problem—a blind man; While blindness is the absence of sight, it is the first step to true sight (John 9:40-41).

C. The Request of the Problem

1. The requesters—“they”; presumably, still the disciples
2. The request—“touch him”

II. THE PROCESS EXPLAINED (Mark 8:23-25)

A. The Preparation of the Process (Mark 8:23)

1. The Lord took the blind man by the hand.
2. He led the man out of the town.
3. While this may seem odd, it will be apparent the Lord intended for this to be a private affair and a miracle that He was unwilling to do in Bethsaida (Matthew 11:20-21). The fact that it was private indicates that the lesson to be learned from it was intended for a small circle of individuals. The place of unbelief would not do for this healing, nor for the lesson it would portray. The blind man had to depart from the place of unbelief, and trust the Lord for guidance and direction in heading to the place of healing.

B. The Plan of the Process (Mark 8:23-24)

1. The Lord’s work (Mark 8:23)
a. He spit on the man’s eyes. Note: It was supposed by many that spittle contained medicinal or healing values.
b. He put His hands on the man’s eyes (see Mark 8:25).
c. He asked the man if he saw ought.
2. The man’s perspective (Mark 8:24)
a. He looked up.
b. He saw men as trees, walking.
3. Note: This was not a botched healing attempt. This intermittent step between blindness and clear human vision was on purpose. When Jesus asked the man if he saw ought, He did so to get the man to acknowledge what he saw and not to gather information for Himself.

C. The Perfection of the Process (Mark 8:25)

1. He put His eyes upon the man’s eyes a second time and made him look up.
2. The man was restored and saw every man clearly.

III. THE PRIVACY ENCOURAGED (Mark 8:26)

A. The Place of Privacy—Christ sent the man away to his house.

B. The Plan of Privacy

1. Christ specifically admonished the man not to return to Bethsaida.
2. Christ admonished the man not to speak of the healing to any in the town.