Jesus Healed Blind Man
The blind mans faith in jesus is what allowed him to be healed.
Jesus healed blind man. To instantly follow these words with the account of a man who literally has eyes but doesn t see doesn t appear to be accidental on mark s part. In the account which immediately precedes the healing of the blind man jesus has pointedly asked his disciples having eyes do you not see and having ears do you not hear 8 18. 9 as he went along he saw a man blind from birth.
It is so great to know that jesus will find us when we have been cast away. Similarly israel will be healed so long as they have faith in jesus and god. According to christian tradition the man s name was celidonius.
And that brings us back to the question what s going. 46 then they came to jericho. Unfortunately it is also a consistent theme in mark and the other gospels that the jews lack faith in jesus and that lack of faith is what prevents them from understanding who jesus really is and what he has come to do.
47 when he heard that it was jesus of nazareth he began to shout jesus son of david have mercy on me 48 many rebuked him and told him to be quiet but he shouted all the more. As jesus and his disciples together with a large crowd were leaving the city a blind man bartimaeus which means son of timaeus was sitting by the roadside begging. So there must be some purpose in the two stage healing of this blind man.
We know that everything jesus did he did for a purpose. When i am in the world i am the light of the world. Jesus heals a man born blind.
2 his disciples asked him rabbi who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind 3 neither this man nor his parents sinned said jesus but this happened so that the works of god might be displayed in him. Here we have yet another man being healed this time of blindness. That man had been telling the truth but because what happened did not fit into the mold of the pharisees they cast him away.
This episode leads into john 9 39 where jesus metaphorically explains that he came to this world so that the blind may see. But the text merely relates the story. It doesn t explain the deeper meaning.
They cannot refute it. Alongside another giving of sight story that appears in chapter 8 this frames a series of passages where jesus gives insight to this disciples about his coming passion death and resurrection. He never did random miracles or simply performed miracles for no reason at all.
4 as long as it is day we must do the works of him who sent me. Jesus in bethsaida.