When they arrived at Bethsaida, they brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes he laid his hands on him and asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 Looking up he replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.” 25 Then he laid hands on his eyes a second time and he saw clearly; his sight was restored and he could see everything distinctly. 26 Then he sent him home and said, “Do not even go into the village.”
Jesus and his disciples arrived in Bethsaida, a predominantly Jewish town on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus had previously performed miracles (Mark 6:45, 53). Bethsaida, the hometown of several of Jesus' apostles, including Peter, Andrew, and Philip, was in the general direction Jesus went after the Pharisees demanded a sign from him (Mark 8:11-13). A blind man was brought to Jesus by some people, demonstrating the community's awareness of Jesus' power to heal and their belief in the intercessory nature of prayer. Both the faith of those praying and the faith of the person being prayed for are considered important factors in intercessory prayer but the effectiveness of prayer rests on God's sovereign will. Jesus often emphasized the importance of faith in healing miracles (Mk. 10:52; Lk. 17:19)
Jesus took the blind man outside of the village away from the crowd. The laying on of hands, a common practice in Jesus' healing miracles, was used. The use of spittle as a physical element in the healing process, symbolizing the direct transmission of healing power, can be found in other healing miracles recorded in Mark 7:33 and John 9:6. Initially, the blind man’s sight was only partially restored. He saw people as indistinct figures like trees which was in contrast with other instantaneous healings in the Gospels. Jesus laid hands on the man again and the healing process was completed. While the text does not explicitly state that the man was blind from birth, some scholars interpret his initial perception of 'people looking like trees and walking' as suggesting that he may have been blind for some time but not necessarily from birth. Jesus instructed the man not to return to the village.
Almighty God, through your Son, Jesus Christ, you restore sight to the blind granting clarity and faith. Help us to trust in your timing and embrace the gradual unfolding of your grace. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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Sources:
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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