A Question of Vision

January 3, 2016

Mark 8:22-26 (text: v. 23) [Series: “Questions Jesus Asks”]

Jesus asked the healed blind man a question (v. 23). The specific words of Jesus’ question are not given. The Bible simply says, “he asked him if he saw aught.” The question may have been, “Can you see anything?” Or, “How is your vision now?” “What do you see?” Whatever the exact words were, it was a question concerning VISION and seeing things CLEARLY (v. 25). In this message I hope to set our sights for 2016. We must have clarity of spiritual vision (Prov. 29:18).

Jesus healed FIVE blind men in the Bible. The healing of the blind man in our text is one of the more neglected miracles of Jesus that preached about. As I mentioned last week, there are many sermons on the feeding of the 5,000, but not many on the feeding of the 4,000. I’ve preached several messages on the healing of the man born blind in John 9 and blind Bartimaeus. But until today, I’ve never preached on the healing of the blind man in our text.

This man was not born blind. He knew what trees looked like, so he must have been able to see at one time. The Bible says his sight was “restored.”

BACKGROUND: This miracle is only recorded in the book of Mark. Mark has a particular literary style different from Matthew, Luke and John. Mark uses a lot of repetition in his gospel.

In Mark chapters 6-7…
1. Jesus feeds the 5,000…
2. He crosses the Sea of Galilee…
3. He has a conflict with the Pharisees…
4. He has a conversation with His disciples about bread…

5. He heals a man using spittle and laying on of hands.

In Mark chapter 8…
1. Jesus feeds the 4,000…
2. He crosses the Sea of Galilee…
3. He has a confrontation with the Pharisees…

4. He has a conversation with His disciples about bread…

5. He heals a man using spittle and laying of hands.

This repetition should alert us to an important truth Jesus is trying to teach.

Let’s back up and see what happened before the healing the blind man.

I. The PROBLEM of the disciples. (vs. 14-21).

Jesus was not giving His disciples bread baking lessons. The leaven was not physical leaven used in bread, but the doctrine and hypocrisy of the Pharisees (Mt. 16;11-12; Luke 12:1). They missed the spiritual application.

The number of baskets of fragments also had spiritual significance (vs. 19-20). But the disciples didn’t make the spiritual connection (v. 21).

Jesus was teaching a spiritual lesson, but the disciples were only thinking in the physical realm. (Like Nicodemus)

A. A CONTRAST—There are two miraculous healings that are only found in Mark’s gospel. Both occur within a chapter of each other. Both involve the healing of a man’s physical senses (hearing and seeing).

Mark 7:32-35—Healing of a DEAF man.

Mark 8:22-26—Healing of a BLIND man.

Both men were brought to Jesus by others.
Both were healed after being separated from the crowd.
Both were healed by Jesus using spittle and a touch with His hands.
Both were instructed not to tell.

B. A CHASTENING—In between these two miracles Jesus chastens His disciples for their lack of spiritual perception (vs. 17-18— notice reference to “eyes” and “ears.”). The disciples were spiritually blind and deaf. They had a Problem with their spiritual perception (v. 21).