They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
I have always loved this story. I love it when Jesus heals someone and they“see everything clearly.” But this story is not a “slam dunk”. It seems that there were several steps to this healing.
Often I feel like this man when he was in between Jesus’ healings. He wants to trust Jesus and he follows him but the healing doesn’t come right away. The man sees people who look like trees walking. He sees dimly. Paul says “Now we see in a mirror dimly; then we shall see face to face… but some day…we will be “fully known.”(1 Cor. 13:12) Someday I will see clearly and understand fully what God has been doing to bring forth the full healing of our world.
It is interesting to me that the text says that the man“looked intently and his sight was restored.” Is now the time to look intently at Jesus? I truly see dimly right now, and I wonder if you do too. Like the man who must have seen people before his blindness came, I have seen God do marvelous things in my life and in the lives of others. I can remember, so that as I strain to see clearly in this time, I can try to recognize what is happening. Where I need to fix my gaze is on Jesus. I need to look intently at Him and He will bring complete healing. Is this an invitation to you too? Pray for healing and look deeply at Jesus. HeNEVER takes His eyes off of you. He sees you. He will respond to your desire for healing. He was and is on a mission to save and restore what is lost.
