HEALTH, HEALING, AND MIRACLES – PART TWENTY-NINE
Sunday – September 23, 2018, Tishrei 14, 5779
Greetings and welcome back to this faith building study of maintaining health and walking in healing and miracles whether it be for ourselves personally or others. Health, healing, and miracles were a life style for Christ Jesus. Jesus told us that the things He did we were to do and even greater things (John 14:12). So, let us ask ourselves and inquire of the Lord, why this is not our lifestyle. The miracle which we are about to examine has some puzzling aspects which may in part remain unexplained at least for now. Let’s read the text aloud putting it in our eyes, our mouth, and our ears. This particular miracle or healing is recorded only in the gospel of Mark.
Mark 8:22-26 (KJV)
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.
23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.
24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.
25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
We find Jesus coming to Bethsaida so we know that He is there by the will, the direction of the Father, and we know that whatever is done and said here is directed by the Father. Jesus made it clear elsewhere in the gospels that He only said what the Father said, and He only did what He saw the Father doing, and that He could do nothing of Himself, the Father (by Holy Spirit) did the works. The name “Bethsaida” means house of hunting or fishing. If you examine a map you will find Bethsaida located at the northeast aspect of the Sea of Galilee. Given the location on the Sea of Galilee it was more likely a fishing village than a hunting village. Generally speaking the word “beth” means house. For example, “Bethany” is house of dates (fruit) or house of misery and depression (don’t know that I would want to live there).
On the arrival of Jesus at Bethsaida “they” brought a blind man to Jesus that He might touch him. They apparently had heard that people were healed when Jesus touched them. At this point we don’t know anything about the faith of the man but perhaps can presume that those who brought him to Jesus had faith that Jesus could heal the man. Next, we find that Jesus takes the man by the hand, takes him just outside of the town, spits on the man’s eyes, and lays hands on the man. We have seen this spitting before when Jesus spit placing the spit on His finger and then on the dumb man’s tongue. In that culture at that time spitting was very offensive and explains the leading of the man away from the people. We know also that the man had to consent to going with Jesus, trust Him, and faith is being built by this process. We don’t know that Jesus asked permission to spit in his eyes but if He did that would require trust and faith as well. In any event we know that all of this is at the direction and will of the Father. We have seen over and over again that when faith came in contact with the Anointing on Jesus people are healed, made whole. It should be no different for you or I. No faith, no healing. For example, when Jesus came to Nazareth, his home town very few were healed due to unbelief, a lack of faith.
Mark 6:5-6 (KJV)
5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Faith facilities or releases the flow of Holy Spirit and doubt prevents the flow of Holy Spirit. Notice the preceding Scripture says that He, Jesus, could not do any mighty works and the reason was their unbelief. Now, back to our account of the blind man at Bethsaida. Notice that when Jesus had spit upon the man’s eyes and laid hands on him, Jesus asks him what or if he can see anything. Isn’t this curious, Jesus has never asked anyone so far in our studies of this topic if they were healed. Are we to conclude that Jesus lost focus, wasn’t spending time with the Father, or was having a bad day and the Anointing was off? Are we to conclude that this is an argument for incremental healings? I believe the answer to all of the above is no. I believe the answer lies in the man, and this was a process of building his faith. Jesus lays hands on the man’s eyes (first time was on him) makes him look up toward Heaven a reminder to the man that God is doing this wonderful thing and the man’s eyesight is restored. I find it curious that it does not say he was healed or made whole but restored. The man was restored to a former condition. He was not born blind but became blind at some point in his life. Take a look at the Passion Translation which brings out the man’s excitement and evidence that his faith is coming up a notch.
Mark 8:24 (PassionNTPsa)
24 “Yes,” he said. “My sight is coming back! I’m beginning to see people, but they look like trees—walking trees.”
Finally, Jesus sent the man home with the admonition that he was not to tell anyone in Bethsaida or any other town what had happened. We see this in other places also and it is puzzling. However, in this instance you will see that immediately following this episode at Bethsaida Jesus has a discussion with the disciples about who people say that He is and finally Peter exclaims; “Thou art the Christ.” (Mark 8:29) Christ in this instance referring to Jesus being the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. That was what Jesus did not want the man talking about until His time was come.
Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Exodus 15:26 (KJV)
26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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