Monday, October 24
The second touch
Scripture: Ezekiel 41-42, Mark 8
Mark 8:4 His disciples answered him, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to feed these people?”
Mark 8:17 Aware of this, he said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend? Do you have hardened hearts?
Mark 8:20-21 “When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many baskets full of pieces did you collect?”
“Seven,” they said. 21 And he said to them, “Don’t you understand yet?”
Mark 8:22-25 They came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people—they look like trees walking.”
25 Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.
Observation
The disciples were dense.
Not long after Jesus fed the 5000 with five loaves, they find themselves with a hungry crowd of 4000. When Jesus expresses His compassion and concern, the disciples ask, “Where can anyone get enough bread here to feed these people?” How quickly they forgot!
After boarding a boat to depart, Jesus warned them about the yeast of the Pharisees. They had forgotten to bring bread and thought that’s what Jesus was talking about. “Why are you discussing the fact you have no bread? Don’t you understand or comprehend?” He reminded them of the feeding of the 5000 and asked again, “Don’t you understand yet?” The issue wasn’t bread, but the teaching of the Pharisees.
Then comes the story of the blind man who needed a second touch from Jesus. This is the only miracle in the gospels that wasn’t immediate and complete. I wonder if Mark put it here to give us hope for the disciples (and us). They are dense, but Jesus will touch them again…and again if necessary.
Jim Edwards writes in the Pillar NT Commentary on Mark: “The juxtaposition of the two stories is a clue that the lingering blindness of the disciples may also be relieved, as is the blindness of the man at Bethsaida, by the continued touch of Jesus.”
Application
I know that I can be dense, that I have blind spots and fail to understand Jesus and what He wants me to be and do. What can I do?
First, keep coming to Jesus and asking Him to touch me again and again. That’s my hope…the second touch…and third and fourth…
Second, ask those who love me to point out my blind spots and humbly listen. The reason they’re called blind spots is that we don’t see them; we need others who do see to help us.
Prayer: Jesus, where am I still blind? Where am I missing what You are saying and doing? Where am I dense? Please give me friends who will help me, and most of all, please touch me again today and heal me.