Mark 8:22 They came to Beit-Tzaidah. Some people brought him a blind man and begged Yeshua to touch him. 23 Taking the blind man’s hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him and asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like walking trees.” 25 Then he put his hands on the blind man’s eyes again. He peered intently, and his eyesight was restored, so that he could see everything distinctly. 26 Yeshua sent him home with the words, “Don’t go into town.”
I think this Guy has a spitting problem.
But at least He does it in private so as not to embarrass them:
Mark 7:33 Taking him off alone, away from the crowd, Yeshua put his fingers into the man’s ears, spat, and touched his tongue;
Mark 8:23 Taking the blind man’s hand, he led him outside the town. He spit in his eyes, put his hands on him
Why take them away? We have two spitting episodes that only came after a walk out of town -- alone. I’d guess this is because the spit was necessary but culturally, this is a very dishonoring gesture.
Job 30:9 “Now I have become their song; yes, I am a byword with them. 10 They loathe me, they stand aloof from me; they don’t hesitate to spit in my face! 11 For God has loosened my bowstring and humbled me; they throw off restraint in my presence.
So to avoid humiliation, it would be best if no one saw.
Or maybe spit wasn’t dishonoring. Many Jewish and Roman sources claim saliva was known to have healing properties so maybe this was a play on that. But still, it was done in private. If you wanted to mock cultural beliefs, wouldn't you want everyone to see it?
Or maybe there is something else going on. Before we get there though, let’s look at what happened out there in the country.
Looking at the miracle itself, we find something interesting: the first attempt didn’t take.
Or did it.
I personally believe most believers go through this exact process on the road to maturity.
Our first encounter with Him allows us to see a little but it is very cloudy. We can’t see clearly at all but we are no longer blind. Sure, men look like trees but we can see (ish). Some corrective lens would have you in spic-n-span order. But why use a crutch when you can be biologically whole?
What happened here? Was Yeshua’s power weak and He needed a second try at healing this man?
Well, I’d assume the trust is high in this region because they have just about seen it all. The trouble was that the people had plenty of trust but zero reverence (more on this later).
What I believe is happening here is that Yeshua is taking this man on a journey. And not just out of town.
He peered intently, and his eyesight was restored, so that he could see everything distinctly.
Attempt #1 was enough to show this man that Yeshua can do His part. Attempt #2 showed him that he played a part also.
He peered intently. Now, he could see at this point but he squinted and strained because he wanted to be able to see clearly. Not only was his physical sight restored but his desire for more allowed his spiritual sight to be opened fully. Clarity had come upon him because he stared deeply into the eyes of the Messiah.
Sadly, this isn’t true for most people.
Our lives are chock full of seeing things but never seeing them clearly. Having the ability to see is something we take for granted and we struggle using that ability for the purposes in which it was intended.
The first attempt at restoring this man’s vision was to bring him to the place occupied by the residents of the area. Sure they could see -- but not really. There was no peering intently on their part. They didn’t want to see any further than they were comfortable seeing. They loved seeing men walking around like trees but they just couldn’t peer deeply into Yeshua’s eyes to see why He was doing what He was doing..
How do we know this about the folks in this town? Good question.
Bethsaida means “House of the Fisherman”. This is the hometown of Peter, Andrew and Philip:
John 1:44 Philip was from Beit-Tzaidah, the town where Andrew and Kefa lived.
Ok, makes sense. Those guys were fishermen and their house was there. In this crowd of disciples, this was the House of the Fishermen.
But we need to consider what all happened at this place and what Yeshua had to say about the residents there. Luke tells us that this was the place of the feeding of the 5000:
Luke 9:10 On their return, the emissaries detailed to Yeshua what they had done. Then, taking them with him, he withdrew by himself to a town called Beit-Tzaidah.
Being it was his hometown, we also see that it was Philip that was tasked with feeding all 5000+ hungry listeners:
John 6:5 so when Yeshua looked up and saw that a large crowd was approaching, he said to Philip, “Where will we be able to buy bread, so that these people can eat?” 6 (Now Yeshua said this to test Philip, for Yeshua himself knew what he was about to do.)
Makes sense here also since Philip is from this area and should know where the best restaurants are located. Of course, we know how that turned out.
Right off the shoreline was where Yeshua walked on the water and Peter did as well. And it’s also the place where Yeshua performed one of His first healing miracles with Peter’s mother-in-law:
Mark 1:29 They left the synagogue and went with Ya‘akov and Yochanan to the home of Shim‘on and Andrew. 30 Shim‘on’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever, and they told Yeshua about her. 31 He came, took her by the hand and lifted her onto her feet. The fever left her, and she began helping them.
Lots of action in the House of the Fishermen. But what on earth was going on with the people? Do you recall what Yeshua said about them?
Matthew 11:20 Then Yeshua began to denounce the towns in which he had done most of his miracles, because the people had not turned from their sins to God. 21 “Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Beit-Tzaidah! Why, if the miracles done in you had been done in Tzor and Tzidon, they would long ago have put on sackcloth and ashes as evidence that they had changed their ways. 22 But I tell you it will be more bearable for Tzor and Tzidon than for you on the Day of Judgment! 23 And you, K’far-Nachum, will you be exalted to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Sh’ol! For if the miracles done in you had been done in S’dom, it would still be in existence today. 24 But I tell you that on the Day of Judgment it will be more bearable for the land of S’dom than for you!”
Uh-oh. All of this spiritual activity (healing, deliverance, multiplication of provision) occurred within this tiny region on the north end of the Sea of Galilee. Not London. Not Paris. Not Tokyo. Not even Jerusalem. But in the House of the Fishermen. Why are they now getting woes thrown at them?
Was this some kind of circus for them?
“Hey, now here’s a blind man -- can you heal him too? Ralph, did you see this? Isn’t that cool?!”
It’s almost as if these miracles had become so commonplace that the people had no reverence for what was actually happening. The compassion that was necessary in seeking healing had been converted into pure entertainment (much the same way MTV made the decision to show “real life” shows instead of music videos 😕).
Think of the latest “awakening” that had people’s lives getting changed for the better. Submission to His authority, repentance, and so on. All of the excitement surrounding such a powerful move of Abba’s Spirit stirred many people to flock to that location just to have a taste of what we should have all of the time.
Do you know what happens when the masses learn about it? Yep, the spiritual celebrities make their way in and try to “help facilitate” God’s work because, after all, they are professionals, right? They know how to market it so the coverage can expand and we can “get more people saved”. True professionals, indeed.
The trouble with this casual and professional approach is that reverence diminishes. The message of “submit so you can be free” gets clouded and diluted in favor of webstreams and t-shirt sales. Increasing views is the name of the game. And all of those people out in the internet world do not want to change their lives -- they want God to add more stuff to the one they have.
It truly does become a circus.
Remember?
“Hey, now here’s a blind man -- can you heal him too? Ralph, did you see this? Isn’t that cool?!”
Men walking around as trees, not people.
Yeshua, knowing this, decided to take this man away from all of the casual viewers (shutting down the webstream, if you will). What was about to happen was incredibly serious in nature and He wasn’t going to withhold healing from this man just because some other group of people wanted to be entertained.
Once He had taken this man though the healing process (being blind to seeing to seeing clearly), He decided to rob the resident experts on “witnessing healing” from their temporary high.
Yeshua sent him home with the words, “Don’t go into town.”
Don’t give these people what they are seeking. There is no sense in this man getting tons of attention while no one there is willing to change their own lives:
Woe to you, Beit-Tzaidah! Why, if the miracles done in you had been done in Tzor and Tzidon, they would long ago have put on sackcloth and ashes as evidence that they had changed their ways.
This is a strong argument that the reason behind healing and deliverance is not just to alleviate pain and let people live comfortable lives. No, it was so people’s lives would change. And not just the people that were healed. Seeing it and hearing about it should be just as strong for even those that witness it. But they can’t see, remember?
Everyone in that town should be some of the most dedicated followers in all the Land. But there is no evidence whatsoever that anything within (or without) them has changed. Even if Sodom would have seen these things, they would have repented and been spared. Think long and hard about that.
Are you eager to see healing? Is it so you can be entertained? You know, being amazed temporarily then immediately seeking the next big show.
Or do you really think you’ll change your life?
It’s time to stop looking around at people as though they were trees. They are real people with a real life, real history, real pain. You aren’t walking alone in a forest, you are walking among many, many people. Can you see that?
If not, peer intently into His eyes. Can you see the compassion? Can you see the genuine care He has for people? Can you see the love He has for you?
Lock eyes with Him and peer intently into them. Woe to those that choose their life over His.