“And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.” – Mark 8:23-25
This is a funny little miracle story, isn’t it? How often do we see Jesus doing a two-part miracle that only sort of works the first time? Why would He choose to do the miracle this way? The answer is found in the larger context of Mark chapter 8.
This healing story is an acted-out parable describing the growth of the disciples. After spending a great deal of time with Jesus and seeing wonders they could have never imagined, they understood some things about Jesus, but there was so much they still didn’t understand! Their eyes had been opened a little bit but they still didn’t see Jesus clearly.
In verse 21, Jesus asked them “Do you not yet understand?” because clearly they didn’t. However, in verse 29, Peter will at last confess that Jesus is the Christ. Their eyes were opening at last and they would keep opening wider! Like the disciples, every person is naturally born blind to Christ. If we’re fortunate, we come to hear something about Him and our eyes begin to open. We come to believe in Him and our eyes open more.
However, even among Christians, our vision of Jesus can be too small, too limited, too blurry. Thankfully, God will continue to open our eyes to see Jesus more clearly through regular reading of the Bible, regular worship, and consistent prayer. How clearly do you see Jesus? Are you doing what you should be doing to see Him more clearly?