The Beautiful Upset: WK5 - FRI
GRADUAL VISION
Mark 8:22–25 (NLT) "When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, 'Can you see anything now?' The man looked around. 'Yes,' he said, 'I see people, but I can’t see them clearly; they look like trees walking around.' Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly."
If you were compiling a highlight reel of Jesus' miracles, this one feels awkwardly clunky.
Every other blind person Jesus touches gets instant, 4K HD vision. But here in Bethsaida, Jesus leads the man out of town, spits on his eyes, lays hands on him, and asks if it worked. The man blinks and says, "I see people, but they look like trees walking around."
It takes a second touch from Jesus before the blurriness dissolves into crystal-clear sight.
Did Jesus lose His power? Did He misfire? Of course not. Mark deliberately places this unique, two-stage miracle right at the hinge of his Gospel to give us a living parable of spiritual growth.
This is the beautiful upset: spiritual clarity is rarely an instantaneous, all-at-once lightning bolt. It is almost always a gradual, two-touch process.
The disciples are living in the "trees walking around" stage. They know Jesus is special, they’ve seen the bread multiply, and they are following Him—but their vision is still blurry, distorted, and full of confusion. They see Him, but they don't fully understand Him yet.
We often get discouraged when our faith feels messy, incomplete, or blurry. We wonder why we still struggle with doubt or why we don't understand everything God is doing. But a blurry vision is still a vision in progress.
Don't run away from Jesus because your spiritual sight is partial. Stay near Him, let Him lay His hands on your eyes a second time, and trust Him to finish the work He started in you.
Reflect
Mark 8:22–25 (NLT) "When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, 'Can you see anything now?' The man looked around. 'Yes,' he said, 'I see people, but I can’t see them clearly; they look like trees walking around.' Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly."
If you were compiling a highlight reel of Jesus' miracles, this one feels awkwardly clunky.
Every other blind person Jesus touches gets instant, 4K HD vision. But here in Bethsaida, Jesus leads the man out of town, spits on his eyes, lays hands on him, and asks if it worked. The man blinks and says, "I see people, but they look like trees walking around."
It takes a second touch from Jesus before the blurriness dissolves into crystal-clear sight.
Did Jesus lose His power? Did He misfire? Of course not. Mark deliberately places this unique, two-stage miracle right at the hinge of his Gospel to give us a living parable of spiritual growth.
This is the beautiful upset: spiritual clarity is rarely an instantaneous, all-at-once lightning bolt. It is almost always a gradual, two-touch process.
The disciples are living in the "trees walking around" stage. They know Jesus is special, they’ve seen the bread multiply, and they are following Him—but their vision is still blurry, distorted, and full of confusion. They see Him, but they don't fully understand Him yet.
We often get discouraged when our faith feels messy, incomplete, or blurry. We wonder why we still struggle with doubt or why we don't understand everything God is doing. But a blurry vision is still a vision in progress.
Don't run away from Jesus because your spiritual sight is partial. Stay near Him, let Him lay His hands on your eyes a second time, and trust Him to finish the work He started in you.
Reflect
- In what area of your faith or understanding of God do things currently feel "blurry"—like trees walking around?
- Why is it comforting to know that spiritual growth and clarity are often a gradual process rather than an instant transformation?
- What does it look like to invite Jesus to give you a "second touch" of spiritual clarity today?
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