To See God Clearly

   “Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on the man and asked, ‘Do you see anything?’  Looking up the man replied, ‘I see people looking like trees and walking.’  The he laid his hands on the man’s eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly.” (Mark 8: 23 – 25)

   I believe everything Jesus said and did has meaning.  At times there is a deeper, spiritual meaning that goes beyond the physical.  I believe this healing of the man’s blindness is one of those times when there is a deeper, even more important meaning to the miracle.

   Jesus healed many people of many ailments including blindness, deafness, lameness and disease as well as expelling demons.  In none of the other instances that I find is there a time when it took two attempts to perform the miracle.  Yet in this case He had to lay hands on the man’s eyes twice to effectively restore his sight.  To me, there must be a reason other than it just didn’t work the first time.

 

   If I set aside the physical aspects of the man’s blindness and consider the spiritual blindness that affects us all I think I can better understand Jesus’ message in this miracle.

   Before coming to the Lord we are spiritually blind; we can’t see His presence in ourselves or His creation.  This blindness is, in part, cured by recognizing Christ as our Lord and Savior and turning to Him in all things.  Yet we are still not fully seeing Him in all His glory.  St. Paul said, “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face.  At present, I know partially; then I shall know fully as I am known.” (1 Cor 13: 11 – 12).

   I believe this helps explain the message of Jesus touching the man’s eyes twice to fully restore his site.  At first we are like infants with limited knowledge and understanding of God.  We can begin to see but we can’t yet understand.  As we grow in faith our understanding increases giving us a clearer vision of God and His way.  However, we will never fully understand in this life; our vision will never be totally complete.  Only upon our departure from this world will Jesus make our vision perfect, fully able to see Him and His true glory.

Lord I am blind in so many ways.

I don’t clearly see Your ways.

I don’t understand many things.

I desire to truly see and know you.

Amen