Former Blackout Artist

“He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” – Mark 8:23-25

The smoke and haze from the wildfires in Canada made its way into the Northeastern US a few weeks back. While it made for some colorful sunsets a few of those evenings, the air had the ongoing presence of an ominous haze. Extremely poor air quality warnings were issued, and many who were busy with outside activities donned face masks to protect their lungs. Visibility was quite poor, especially for aircraft. It truly looked like Armageddon.

But the jet stream shifted a few days later and thankfully the smoky air gradually cleared up. The story Mark tells in chapter 8 about the blind man’s sight gradually being restored came to mind.

Jesus literally spit in the man’s eyes and rubbed them. “Do you see anything,” he asked? The man opened his eyes and his vision was quite blurry. “I see people, but they look like trees walking around.” Jesus once again put his hands on the man’s eyes. This time, however, the man could see everything clearly.

It’s worth noting that this is the only recorded instance in Jesus’ ministry that he gradually healed someone. Could not the power and authority of Almighty God not restore the man’s sight in one fell swoop? Of course it could. So, that this man’s healing came gradually surely must have been intentional.

Although this wasn’t a parable but rather an actual, true miracle, Jesus provides no explanation as to why this man’s healing was done in stages. But many believe that through this particular healing, Jesus was illustrating to his disciples the manner in which they themselves would have their spiritual sight gradually restored so they could clearly see the Truth.

Often, when we come to faith in Christ, our spiritual eyes are opened, and we start to see glimpses of God’s truth. Yet, just like the blind man, our understanding can be incomplete or distorted at times. We may see people and situations through the lens of our limited perspective, failing to grasp the fullness of God’s truth.

But here is the good news: Jesus is not content with our blurry vision! He desires to bring clarity and acuity to our spiritual sight. He wants to restore our vision so that we can see everything clearly, just as He did for the blind man.

To see with spiritual eyes, we must surrender ourselves fully to Christ. We need to allow Him to touch our hearts, our minds, and our perspectives. This requires humility, trust, and a willingness to let go of our own understanding.

And as we seek to see, we can also learn from the blind man’s response. When Jesus asked him what he saw, the blind man honestly shared his limited perception. Should we shy away from acknowledging our own areas of weakness and lack of perception? No! Bring these acknowledgments to Christ, and trust that He will touch us once again and grant us clearer vision.

Father, help us to clearly see your truth today; the good work you’re doing around us, the good work you’re doing in us, and the good work you’re doing through us. Grant us clarity and understanding, so that we may fully see your truth realized in our lives. Amen.