Mark 8:22-30

Mark 8:22-30

It is important to remember that the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod to use God to gain their agenda was in the context for the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida. We are told that “they brought a blind man” to Jesus. We are not specifically told who is the “they”. Jesus takes the man out of the village and preforms a two-stage healing. Jesus often healed in the company of crowds, but this is the only time He did a two-stage healing. We are never told why and there is no follow-up discussion explaining this to the disciples. What are the lessons to be drawn? Jesus meets us as individuals. Each meeting of Jesus must be individual and unique. What experiences others have may or may not be repeated. The point is not the experience; the point is the Christ. Our encounter with Christ is singular and unique. It must not be seen as the norm that we expect all others to have. We may not be able to see an advantage to His two-stage healing, but it is not our healing. For this man, this was precisely what he needed.

Jesus has recently had to deal with the Pharisees looking for a sign to indicate Jesus would be the kind of Messiah that they could use. Because different people and groups are trying to use Jesus for their own ends Jesus chooses to become less of a public figure. This will make it harder for people to co-op his ministry for their own ends. Rather than a big show, Jesus deals with the person individually and then sends them to their home. Jesus makes the changes at the individual level, the small level and then lets it work out from there to change the world.

Mark's recording of the great confession is very brief. Jesus after hearing Peter's confession adamantly emphasizes that they not tell anyone who He is. The New American Standard Bible uses the words "warned them". The Greek words mean, "to threaten", "to speak in a mean tone". Jesus is threatening His disciples to not let people know that He is the Messiah. When anyone uses or attempts to use God to accomplish his or her own agenda it always causes great, spiritual harm.

"Lord, meet me where I am, give me the ears to hear Your word for me, not Your word for someone else.  AMEN"