WTM JOURNAL
by Yuri Solomon After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. Mark 8:25 Yuri Solomon holds degrees from Gospel Ministry Outreach Theological Institute and the College of Biblical Studies. He is author of the book Biblical Masculinity. More info @ www.wordtalkonline.orgHe Put His Hands Again Upon His Eyes
11/19/2008 / Bible Studies
A blind man, subject to the sight of others, dependent on their interpretation and explanation of the world; he can provide no leadership or guidance to others, for he has no visual discernment, and perception. Jesus rhetorically asked, "Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?"
This is not the only blind man healed by Jesus. John accounts another episode of blindness in the ninth chapter of his gospel. All cases of blindness indicate a lack of divine wisdom, yet there is dissimilarity in the two accounts. John broadly conveys the "characteristics" of blindness and sight, while Mark narrowly focuses on the "progressive nature" of a man coming to see. The former posits that "seeing-men" are opposed by "blind-men"; the latter teaches that "seeing-men" do not look to "blind-men" any longer.
Mark's telltale term is that he saw men as "trees" walking. If one understands that the word "trees" is loaded with meaning and symbol, one then understands that this man, like Eve, "saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise." Yet there is a reversal: In the Garden all the trees were good for food except one; now only one tree (Christ) is good for food.
There are other subsequent touches by Christ which are just cloaked in different paradigms. One man cried out, "Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief", in which the distinction is made between general faith in Christ and faith for a specific situation. After first raising Lazarus from the grave, Jesus says, "Loose him, and let him go," demonstrating that one raised from the dead still needs to be freed from a dead man's mentality through the body of Christ.
The miracle of the two touches is fleshed out later in this same chapter. Peter says, "Thou art the Christ Son of the living God!" He had the first touch and yet he needed another touch. WHY! Because in attempting to rebuke Jesus only moments later, Jesus clearly stated, that Peter had in mind "not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."
The point of the two touches is that the same Jesus who justifies also sanctifies. So it is that every Christian needs a subsequent touch. How often it is that sinners are converted, yet they come to the church with the belief that the church operates by the same premises as the world; it is not that Christ has not touched them; it is that they need to be touched again. Or what of that person who believes that after coming to Christ his problems are all over; it is not that Christ has not touched him; it is that he needs to be touched again. Or what of that person who thinks that the church is supposed to be perfect; it is not that Christ has not touched him; it is that he needs to be touched again. Paul aptly stated,"if any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise." Where one sees men as trees walking, he is indeed in need of another touch for discernment, for clarity, for truth, and yes indeed, to see "every man clearly."