Devotion:
Read Mark 8:22-25.
Friends of a blind man in Bethsaida brought him to Jesus. Jesus restored the man’s sight, but the unusual thing about this story is that Jesus did not restore the man’s sight all at once. After Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes for the first time, the man said he could see people that looked like trees walking around. I think that meant things looked blurry. Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes a second time, and then the man saw everything clearly.
A lot of people who read this story question why Jesus would heal the man in two stages and not just all at once like most of the healing miracles. Some theologians guess that by restoring the man’s sight in two stages, Jesus was illustrating how his disciples would first comprehend that he was the Messiah, and then they would understand clearly later that the Messiah had to die on the cross. Jesus wanted to heal people who believed, and God is always willing to redeem us. We need to have the faith that God can save us.
Personal Worship Option:
God, we trust in your power to heal in the name of Jesus. Whether that happens quickly or over our lifetime, give us grace and the assurance that you are with us forever. Amen.
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