And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. 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 asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” Mark 8:22-26
Just when they thought they were figuring out Jesus, he throws them a curveball. In past days, the people brought him their sick, lame, demon-possessed, and blind for healing. Earlier we read it took only a touch of his outer garment to be cured. Here his miracle is in super-slow motion.
First, he takes the man from his sponsors out of the village for a one-on-one. He started by spitting on the man’s eyes with a laying on of hands. It’s unclear whether the ancients thought saliva was therapeutic, but it surely was in Jesus’ case.
Instantly, no partially, he could see men moving about “like trees.” Perhaps the man was thinking, is this the best Jesus can do? Or, wouldn’t I be the first to come to him after he changed his policies! But Jesus laid his hands on him again, and he saw clearly– no doubt the Lord’s face!
Interestingly, Jesus didn’t want the man to go into the village, but to go home. It may be that this was just between the man and the Lord, and those who brought him to Jesus might feel a sense of self-importance, that their mission was accomplished.
Whatever the case, this episode teaches us God is sovereign. He does things his own way, in his own timing. It also teaches us faith is a one-on-one matter between us and the Lord.
On the Other Hand…
Putting yourself in a role as “pastor” of a flock of people as a new believer is a dangerous proposition. You will recall that Paul went off to Arabia to sit under the Holy Spirit for an extended period of time (Galatians 1:17-18) prior to being chosen to do the teaching on the first missionary team (Acts 13:2) and write most of the New Testament. While he did initially hit the ground running (“At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.” Acts 9:20), he was led to gain the spiritual foundation he needed for the long and winding road ahead.
As a dad, I’m always worried about causing any of my four kids to stumble by my behavior or example. A heavy millstone is clearly not the kind of life preserver you’d want if cast into the sea, and this is better than causing innocent believers to go theologically astray. The same danger is faced by pastors of all kinds.
There’s really nothing more important or anything worth keeping that causes you to stumble. I like the word eschew here. Get rid of anything deleterious to your Christian walk. That’s a pretty tall task for someone with everything, that’s done everything.
Also not lost in this passage is the clear indication from Jesus himself that hell is a real and horrible place to go. We know from the Bible it’s a fiery place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, where eternal death is spent in separation from God. So, a Christian leader must make sure on his watch, no one goes there.