I Can See Clearly Now
Read the Text: Mark 8
Memorize the Text: But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. (Mark 10:43-44)
Consider the Text: Mark 8:22-26
People spend lots of money every year to maintain the ability to see. In a recent year, people spent roughly 23.7 billion dollars on various eyecare. Some innovations include glasses that allow color blind individuals to see color for the first time. The response of these individuals demonstrates an overwhelming joy as they experience true sight for the first time. However, the threat of spiritual blindness also exists and must be dealt with. In Mark 8, Jesus engaged a blind man and performed the miracle of restoring his sight.
The opening of the event reminds us that people EXPERIENCE SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS. When we recognize the pain of spiritual blindness, we grasp the importance of bringing the spiritually blind to Jesus. The purpose of getting them to Jesus flows from the understanding that Jesus alone provides the ability to cure the blindness they experience. Since action is needed for their salvation, we must see their need for Jesus and seek to bring the spiritually blind to him.
Those who brought the blind man to Jesus did not only bring him, but they pleaded with Jesus to restore the man's sight. The pleading came from a deep compassion for the welfare of the man and the desire to see him have restored sight. Like the people brought the man to Jesus, so should we plead for the salvation of others. One avenue to plead with Jesus for others comes through evangelistic praying. This activity centers on seeking the Lord to open the heart of the lost, send a messenger to share, and receive Christ in the blind's life.
As Jesus engaged the blind man, he started by providing partial healing that allowed the man to see with a BLURRED VISION. Then, Jesus removed the man from the village so that he would not continue to be reliant on others. The blind man depended on others to guide him through life to go to various locations and obtain the needed necessities for life. In a spiritual sense, Jesus calls those in blindness not to become dependent on others and fall into the trap of a blurred spiritual vision. This is because reliance on others is still lostness. After all, one must rely on Christ alone.
The issue at hand comes that blurry spiritual vision is close to sight but not entirely. When Jesus asked the man what he saw, the man responded by describing a blurred vision of people. He could see things but could not truly know what the things were. So in a spiritual sense, we can get close to seeing properly because of Jesus, but when we become dependent on other people or things, we obtain a blurry spiritual vision and fail to receive true sight.
The miracle ends with the man EXPERIENCING BEAUTIFUL VISION. The man looked intently to Jesus, which marked the change from blindness to blurry and from blurry to corrected vision. The man’s gaze is now centered on Christ as the place of redemption and healing. Concerning spiritual sight, Christ alone offers the needed salvation through faith that conquers spiritual blindness and blurriness. Thus, we must intently look in faith to Christ as the place for corrective spiritual sight.
The fullness of beautiful vision comes because of restoration. The man can now see like others because that which was gone is restored. Jesus brought restoration to the man by making his vision new. When Christ corrects our spiritual vision, he makes our life new, and our ability to see comes from him alone. As you consider your life with Christ, would you define your spiritual vision as blinded, blurry, or beautiful?
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
