'And He cometh to Bethsaida;
and they bring a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him.
And He took the blind man by the hand, and led Him out of the town;
and when He had spit on his eyes, and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw ought.
And he looked up, and said, "I see men as trees, walking".
After that He put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up:
and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.
And He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town".
And Jesus went out, and His disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi:
and by the way He asked His disciples, saying unto them, "Whom do men say that I am?"
And they answered," 'John the Baptist': but some say, 'Elias'; and others, 'One of the prophets'."
And He saith unto them, "But whom say ye that I am?"
And Peter answereth and saith unto him, "Thou art the Christ."
And He charged them that they should tell no man of Him.'
(Mar 8:22-30)
Hello MatthewG,
I have not listened to your video clips yet, but thank you for this reading.
* It is noteworthy that the Lord took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town of Bethsaida, for the town was not allowed to witness or be told of it. Why? See Matthew 11:20-22: the unbelief of Bethsaida was symbolized by this:-
'Then began He to upbraid the cities
wherein most of His mighty works were done,
because they repented not:
Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida!
for if the mighty works, which were done in you,
had been done in Tyre and Sidon,
they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But I say unto you,
It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon
at the day of judgment, than for you.'
(Mat 11:20-22)
* Also it is worth comparing the two stages of the miracle (which was unusual) and it's seeming difficulty: with the words of the Lord in Mark 8:17-18; for do not these two stages signify, or symbolise the failure of the disciples, earlier in the chapter, to understand and know what their Lord was doing, that He had to say to them, 'Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? (quoted from Jeremiah 5:21)
* How we must be careful not to become dull of hearing ourselves. Yes?
Just thoughts
Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris
