Open The Word | Fungua Neno

⏱️ 6 minutes.

Greetings, children of God,

Today, let’s take a look at the account where Jesus heals a blind man:

And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and pleaded with Him to touch him.
— Mark 8:22

One of the first things we note is that the blind man did not come to Jesus on his own. Instead, some people brought him. These individuals didn’t just stop at leading him to Jesus—they pleaded with Jesus to touch him. This tells us that the people in Bethsaida had heard of Jesus’ miraculous works and believed in His power.

Let us pause and reflect: is that the same posture we take for the people around us? When we look at our community, do we see a people in desperate need of Jesus? Do we see a society blinded by the deception of the devil, longing—knowingly or unknowingly—for salvation?

More importantly, do we take action to bring them to Jesus? Do we, like those who brought the blind man, plead with Jesus to touch and transform the lives of those around us?

These are crucial questions because this is precisely the commission Jesus has given us. We might claim to love our friends and family, but the ultimate expression of love is to care not only for their physical well-being but for their souls. And the greatest act of care for any soul is to introduce them to Jesus Christ so they may be reconciled to their Creator.

I pray that as we witness the heart of those who brought the blind man to Jesus, we also recognize the responsibility God has given us for those in our lives.

Let us also remember: we were not placed in our families, communities, and circumstances by accident. God, in His sovereignty, has placed us exactly where we are to proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

And taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He was asking him, “Do you see anything?”
— Mark 8:23

This verse presents interesting details. First, Jesus takes the man by the hand—a gesture that shows compassion and connection. Jesus did not shy away from associating with this blind man. He was willing to touch and lead him personally.

Second, Jesus leads him out of the village. This aligns with what we’ve seen throughout the Gospels: Jesus often performed miracles privately and instructed people not to publicize them. His full redemptive mission had not yet been revealed. It was not yet time for the public proclamation of the complete work He had come to accomplish.

Say to those with an anxious heart,
“Be strong, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with vengeance;
The recompense of God will come,
But He will save you.”
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.
— Isaiah 35:4–5

Jesus’ miracles weren’t for fame. Each miracle pointed back to Old Testament prophecy, affirming that He was the promised Messiah. This particular miracle—the healing of a blind man—fulfills prophecy and affirms Jesus as the One who was to come.

Unlike other miracles where Jesus simply spoke a word, this time He uses a different method: He spits on the man’s eyes, lays His hands on him, and then asks if he can see. While Mark doesn’t explain why Jesus chose this method, it reminds us that God has His own ways of doing things—ways we may not always understand.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares Yahweh.
— Isaiah 55:8

God calls us to trust Him, even when His methods differ from our expectations. His will is always good, pleasing, and perfect.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.
— Romans 12:2

Jesus then asks the man:

“Do you see anything?”
— Mark 8:23b

This question echoes the earlier conversation Jesus had with His disciples:

And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”
— Mark 8:21

The man responds:

And he looked up and was saying, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.”
— Mark 8:24

Just like the disciples, the man sees, but not clearly. There is vision, but it’s blurry. This parallels the spiritual understanding of the disciples—they had received revelation, but it wasn’t yet fully clear.

Then Jesus acts again:

Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly.
— Mark 8:25

This beautifully mirrors the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. At conversion, we begin to see, but much is still unclear. As we walk with Christ, He continually lays His hands on us—shaping, revealing, clarifying.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
— 2 Corinthians 3:18

Perhaps this is where some of us are in our journey—we’ve believed, we follow Christ, yet there are still things we do not fully grasp. Be encouraged: conversion is the beginning, not the end. God is still working, shaping us into the image of Christ.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
— 1 Corinthians 13:12

This transformation is not just about perception but about who we are becoming. Just as the blind man was restored and given clear sight, we too will be fully transformed when we see Christ.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He is manifested, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
— 1 John 3:2

Finally, Jesus instructs the man not to return to the village:

And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”
— Mark 8:26

Even after this powerful miracle, Jesus remains focused on His mission—a mission that would ultimately lead to the cross. He wasn’t looking for fame; He was working in line with the Father’s redemptive plan.

Grace and peace to you all.
May we bring others to Jesus, trust in His process, and rejoice in the ongoing transformation He is working in us.