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Only partially healed: The battle against eye-gate Mark 8:22-26

I. Assault on Mansoul How many of you have ever heard of eye-gate? It has nothing to do with stargate and the guy from MacGyver. Eye-gate is one of 5 important gates in the city of Mansoul. These gates were impregnable and “could never be opened nor forced but by the will and leave of those within.” Mansoul is a city that at one time was under the protection of the great King Shaddai but was to come under the control of the foreign marauder Diabolous.

If you know this great story by John Bunyan you know that Diabolous and his invisible army approached these famous gates and especially ear-gate to try to convince the people of mansoul that Shaddai was not the benevolent King they thought. In the middle of negotiations, Diabolous had Captain Resistance shot and Diabolous’ armies enter Mansoul with ease.

This is an allegory about the fall of mankind, but all that takes place in the first chapter. The next several chapters are about the crusade to win back the city of Mansoul. But the problem for the great captain Emmanuel is that eye-gate and ear-gate are nearly impregnable and the people inside will not open the gates.

They are blind and deaf and refuse to be anything else

II. Have you ever been blind?

I hear that deafness is worse than blindness, but it sure doesn’t seem to be. I have never truly been either, but I remember my sight being taken from me on two occasions.

Cave illustration

Stupidly no light (I mean bravely) I was blind

Mombassa illustration I remember another time when I was in Mombassa. We were on vacation and Jac and the boys and I were all asleep. Have you ever been woken up because it was just too dark? All of a sudden I woke up and couldn’t see.

I kept trying to open my eyes but they were obviously open and I just couldn’t see. I remember hearing my boys screaming in this house that we were staying in. I couldn’t get to them easily because I didn’t know the floor plan and I was trying to feel along to get to them. My guess is you have no clue what I mean by dark here. Its not something where my eyes just needed to get used to the dark, it was pitch black. There was no seeing. The power had gone off and they don’t have any light pollution out there. I remember blindly reaching my kids and holding them as they were crying. They couldn’t understand why they couldn’t see. Then I looked out the window and saw a man running 2

with a flashlight across the lawn. He had a flashlight and a bow and arrow and he was running towards me. Imagine the fear. I cant see anything except this man. I remember feeling around for a weapon and yelling for Jaclynnette to stay in the room with the boys. Not seeing is scary.

But the man we meet this morning has been blind for some time. We know next to nothing about the man except for perhaps the fact that he is perfectly used to being blind. I’ll explain that more in a second, but let’s actually read our text this morning.

22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around." 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village." 27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, "Who do people say I am?" 28 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."

Pray

III. The problem in a nutshell

This is a short passage, but admittedly a confusing one. Jesus comes to Bethsaida, is approached by men who want their friend to be healed, he takes the man aside, spits on him, and touches his eyeballs. Then to the shock of the reader the man is not healed. This is the only time in the entire bible that Jesus is unsuccessful in his healing. What in the world is going on? Then he tries again and the healing is complete. Apparently this blindness was stubborn and wouldn’t disappear as quickly as other diseases.

IV. Five things to take from the text

Let’s back up and approach it a bit slower because there are some really beautiful things you need to see here.

1. The man is blind

It seems pretty straight forward. Jesus comes to Bethsaida and there is a blind man. At this point in his life he has probably met tons of blind men. He has probably healed tons of blind men. In fact, that is the strange thing here. Why does Mark care to record this? Again, let’s just go back 3 to 6:54-55 where all the people recognize him and the whole region bring their sick to him on their beds and laid them wherever he was, even in the market places and implored him that he might heal them.

Why another story about a specifically blind person? And along with the question of why does Mark record this is the looming fact that none of the other gospel writers record it. Why, why Why?

To figure this out we need to have a bit more detail about this text and then we need to remember our context. So let’s keep going.

2. He shows no initiative or faith

The second point I want to note about this story is that Mark doesn’t tell us about his faith or his desire to be healed. He really tells us nothing of significance about this man. He is there because his friends brought him, but you might notice that he doesn’t even seem to care. Now we don’t really know that, but Mark certainly doesn’t have him calling out or trying to persuade Jesus of his need. He is nothing like Blind Bartimaus who cries out for Jesus to have mercy on him. There is no begging or pleading or even requesting any help. He is just there.

3. Jesus initiative: takes him by the hand away from the crowds

Jesus hears the request and grabs the man’s hand and walks off. I wonder what everyone else was thinking. Perhaps they were hoping for some huge amazing miracle and they wanted to be a part of it. That would be my reaction anyway. And I would be standing there wondering what is going on.

So what is going on? Well, this blind man needs some alone time. He needs to have one on one attention. Right now this man is totally and completely ignorant. He knows nothing. He doesn’t know Jesus or what a Messiah is and he doesn’t care. He is totally and completely wrapped up in his own world—he is completely and totally blind. Now I am filling in between the lines but I am doing that based on the larger context which I will give you in a second. I am not being willy nilly with the text. I am trying to discern Mark’s reason for putting this here.

But let’s move on so I can give you the bigger picture and it will all start fitting together.

4. Jesus gives the man hope: he accommodates his world view.

The fourth point I want you to see is that Jesus gives the man hope. He spits in his eyes and touches them with his hand. This verse just says he put his hands on him, but verse 25 specifies that he put his hands on his eyes again. Why the spitting and touching his eyes? This mans worldview would have understood this to be a legitimate way to heal. This was his worldview and Jesus was entering into his understanding. Of course, Jesus didn’t need to spit and touch, he needed only speak or think and his will would be done, but he does it this way for the benefit of the man. He informs him that healing is about to take place. That his eyes will begin to open. 4

This is the compassion of Jesus we spoke so much of for the last few weeks. He loves this man who shows no love for him back.

5. Jesus opens his eyes

I want to skip this overly annoying problem Jesus seems to have in verse 23 and 24 where Jesus asks if the man can see anything and he expresses that he sees only trees walking around. I am skipping all that because it’s really hard and doesn’t fit my oh so cool outline. So the final point is that Jesus opens his eyes. 25 b says he opened his eyes, his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.

Who opened his eyes? Jesus opened them. Who healed the masses? Jesus healed. Who unclogged the ears? Jesus did. Who healed the lame? Jesus did. Who cast out the demons? Jesus did? Who multiplied the bread and fish—twice? Jesus did. Who raised Jairus daughter from the dead? Jesus did. Who healed the woman from the flow of blood? Jesus did. Who walked on the water and commanded the sea to be silenced? Jesus did.

These are not the acts of a mere man. These are the acts of the Messiah, the acts of the Son of God. And remember why Mark is writing this gospel. Jump back to Mark 1:1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Christ, the son of God.

Who does the work? Jesus does. He is the one who conquers the curse and straightens the crooked. He is the one who levels mountains and raises up valleys. He does the impossible and nothing slows him down

V. Nothing stops Jesus, except for, apparently, some really stubborn blindness

Well, all that would be true, except that annoying second half of verse 23 and 24. 23b . . . Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" 24 He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."

We have seen over and over the miraculous power of Jesus. He seems undaunted even by death itself but now he has trouble. How can this be?

Well, now we get to the crux of the passage. The real point of the passage is not that Jesus is awesome and can heal blind people. The real point comes from understanding the context of the passage. You just can’t preach this text by itself. That’s why its so important that you have the previous 7 ½ chapters understood.

So what’s the context? Well, you know Jesus is doing lots of cool stuff and you know he is preaching many important things. You also know that Mark is rather unique in letting you know 5 that Jesus tries hard to keep things quiet. Its even right here—“He sent him to his home, saying “Do not even enter the village.” (vs. 26)

This is important but even more important are the last two weeks of context. Do you remember the title of last week’s sermon? “They just don’t get it” and the week before “Unclogging deaf ears.” Do you remember the problem two weeks in a row? Jesus’ own disciples can’t grasp what Jesus is trying to impart to them. He walks across the water for the sole purpose of passing by them—remember what that phrase means? He was trying to reveal himself to them in a special way. He quieted the sea and they saw a piece of him. He was screaming out, I am the Messiah. I am Gods own son. I am not a mere miracle man. I am GOD. I am the anointed one and I am here to show compassion on those who are mine.

VI. Why not a complete healing? 10 words or less: “It’s a ______about the ______slowly getting their ______opened. So with that context, we ask again, why is Mark recording this story and why is Jesus performing in this way? The answer is simple. Someone asked me on Facebook to explain it in ten words or less: It’s a parable about the disciples slowly getting their eyes opened. Well that’s eleven words. This is a picture of the discipless relationship with Jesus. Jesus has been trying to get them to see, to understand. The context make this obvious, but even the text itself. Did you know there are 8 different words and 9 instances used in Greek here to refer to sight? This repetition is to counterbalance all the questions from the previous story.  Do you not see?  Do you not perceive?  Do you not understand?  Are your hearts hardened?  Don’t you get it?

The response by the man is that he gets it… a little bit. And Jesus steps in to make sure he totally gets it. Its saying, he will make sure his people understand. He will slowly move them from ignorance to understanding.

That’s the important point. Not that they don’t get it, but…that they will get it. He will cause them to get it, regardless of their dullness. They will understand.

That’s why this passage is followed by turning point in Mark. Everything has been leading up to the confession of the disciples.

The story moves from the blind man to the disciples knowledge of Jesus. He asks them who do people say that I am. They told him, “some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, others one of the prophets.

But then the question: Who do you say I am? The answer is given by Peter as the spokesman for the group. “You are the Christ.” 6

With this affirmation by the disciples and this record by Mark, we have reached the turning point in the story. He is the Christ. What Mark set out to show you in verse 1, he has done well in the last 8 chapters. Jesus is the Christ. It’s not his name, it’s his title. He is the Anointed One spoken of in the Old Testament. Jesus has been trying to get his disciples to understand since he first called them. He is moving them from blindness to light. But what we will find next week is that they are still only partially seeing. They see only what looks like tree trunks walking around. They still don’t fully understand that the Messiah must suffer and die.

And Jesus will rebuke them openly for their failure to understand.

Then Mark will tell you the story of the greatest display of Jesus glory on earth—the transfiguration. Surely they will understand here, but they won’t. In fact, they will still not fully get it until their eyes are opened on the Emmaus road and in the locked room and at the empty tomb. For that is the true glory of Christ made manifest.

VII. So what for us?

1. Recognize that we were blind and many still are.

Blindness is a good way to explain the condition of the world and perhaps even our own condition.

As they say, there are two kinds of people in the world—the saints and the aints. But while the aints are surely blind, I think there is some residual blindness even in God’s own people. Just consider. . .

Christian blindness  Amaziah, who was a worshipper of Yahweh, also decided to worship the gods of Edom  Jonah who was a prophet of God, ran from God and refused to accept God’s mercies.  Israel is described as blind in numerous OT and NT passages (Dt. 28:29; Is. 56:10; 59:10; Lam. 4:14; Zeph. 1:17; Mt. 15:14; 23:16-26).  And what about these very disciples we are looking at.  The bible even seems to make fun of our partial blindness—here we are trying to pull a splinter from mans eyes when a beam is obstructing our own eyes.

Blindness of the world

But if even we have residual blindness, all the more so the world. Jonathan Edwards in a treatise on spiritual blindness in 1739 says “There is an extreme and brutish blindness in things of religion that naturally possesses the hearts of mankind.”1

Not just Jonathan Edwards, but Paul himself in Ephesians 4:18—“The world is alienated from God on account of their blindness.”

We don’t even recognize our own sin.

1 http://www.peacemakers.net/unity/jespiritualblindness.htm March 5, 2009. 7

We earnestly pursue our course in the name of self interest and self benefit without even realizing all we do is utter folly (Num. 16:38; Prov. 19:8; 20:2; Hab. 2:20; Lk. 7:30).

We think ourselves wise and refuse to deny ourselves anything we see as good.

My friends, the situation is dire: Romans says that 18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-- his eternal power and divine nature-- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

They think they are wise, they are actually fools and without excuse because God is revealing himself everywhere.

The problem is dire. Right after that famous John 3:16, John says, “this is their condemnation, that light is come into the world, yet men loved darkness rather than light.” (John 3:19, 20)

But the problem is even direr than this. Romans actually tells us that there is no hope. We have suppressed the truth in wickedness and we are unable to free ourselves from the situation. (Rom 1)

That’s point 2

2. we show no initiative

Like the blind man, we show no initiative to reach out for healing.

Remember, we don’t even know we are sick. We are utterly and hopelessly deceived. And Romans breaks down all of our pride.

It says that our justification in the eyes of God “does not, therefore depend on man’s desire or effort. I learned it in the KJV—“So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth.”

We do nothing to bring about our healing. We are wandering hopeless. Blind. Asleep is another metaphor that is used for our condition. 8

Arthur Koestler’s book The Sleepwalkers2 sums up the Biblical picture of humanity and spiritual blindness in its title alone. The whole human experience is analogous to sleepwalking; we go through the motions of reality, but actually (as a race) we are spiritually asleep.

God sees the world as sleepwalking. Do you even care? Or are you satisfied with your charmed life among the sleepwalkers?

Blind, asleep. Interesting the most common analogy is that of being dead. Of course you can’t show any initiative… you are dead. You aren’t one of those men drowning in the ocean and you are calling for help and Jesus sees you and throws you a life preserver. This isn’t hard hitting enough. You are dead on the bottom of the ocean and your flesh has rotted

3. Jesus leads us away. Divine initiative

That leads me to step 3. Jesus takes the initiative. There you are dead and rotting corpse on the bottom of the ocean and not calling out for help not only because you wont, but because you cant. (neither will he or can he in Romans verse???????)

And Jesus jumps in the water and rescues you. (I never wanted to follow Jesus, he rescued me, he rescued me)

As I said before it is not up to him who wills or him who runs, but what is the end of that verse? but of God that sheweth mercy.

Jesus leads the blind man, and it is Jesus who will take the initiative in our life too

4. Jesus accommodates us

But what part do we play? Well, no part in the actual salvation, but God accommodates us. He uses the things of men to conquer dead hearts and to open blind eyes. It is his plan to use you to shine the light.

This task is not easy. In fact, it is next to impossible. To stick with the analogy, try to see not just your blind neighbor but an entire world that is blind. John Newton in the 18th century in a treatise on spiritual blindness speaks of every man in the world walking around blind. Then there were one or two people who were in their midst and professing that they could see. Of course they could not offer them “such a proof of their assertion as they were capable of receiving, nor even explain, to their satisfaction, what they meant by sight;”

Then he asks, “what may we imagine would be the consequence? I think there is little doubt but these innovators would experience much the same treatment as the believers of Jesus often meet with from a blind world. The blind people would certainly hate and despise them for presuming to pretend to what they had not. They would try to dispute them out of their senses, and bring many arguments to prove, that there could be no such thing as either

2 Arthur Koestler, The Sleepwalkers (London: Macmillan, 1952). 9

light or sight. They would say, as many say now, How is it, if these things are so, that we should know nothing of them? Yea, I think it probable, they would rise against them as deceivers and enthusiasts, and disturbers of the public peace, and say, Away with such fellows from the earth; it is not fit that they should live. But if we should suppose further, that during the heat of the contest some of these blind men should have their eyes suddenly opened, the dispute as to them would be at an end in a minute; they would confess their former ignorance and obstinacy, confirm the testimony of those whom they had before despised, and of course share in the same treatment from their blind brethren, perhaps be treated still worse, as apostates from the opinion of the public.3

5. God does the work

This is what we have to look forward to. After all, people do not want to hear the truth

The atheist, Voltaire, once said: "Even if a miracle should be wrought in the open marketplace before a thousand sober witnesses, I would rather mistrust my senses than admit it a miracle."

How honest. He is saying, "I don't care what you tell me; I don't care what God does before me and a thousand witnesses. I'm telling you now I will not believe it."

That is not an intellectual problem. That is a heart problem. He is blind to the things of God.

I think its almost funny how people will believe some things that can be so easily disproven and refuse to believe what nature itself screams out. We read books like The DaVinci Code, and we just eat it up. Despite the fact that it is full of ridiculous historical errors. But then these same people dismiss the Bible having barely even opened it and dismiss the evidence of their own senses that scream out that there is a God.

We must remember that this is not an intellectual problem that a few people deal with. It’s a heart problem that everyone deals with. No one will come to Christ by finally figuring it out intellectually. They are blind and can not heal themselves.

Only God heals.

“And I will lead the blind by a way they do not know, In paths they do not know I will guide them. I will make darkness into light before them And rugged places into plains. These are the things I will do, And I will not leave them undone.” Isaiah 42:16 (NASB)

Yes, we need to be the light, but no matter how much light we shine, God is the surgeon with the scalpel to the eyes. There is no blindness in God (1 Jn. 1:5); He describes Himself as covered in eyes (Ez. 1:18; Rev. 4:8) and his sight will enable us to see. It is only who can cause the scales to be removed. Only he can lower the veil.

No man seeks after God, God seeks after man and he breaks through.

3 http://www.sovereign-grace.com/2092.htm March 5, 2009. 10

Back to John Bunyan’s famous book Holy War.

I said that Mansoul is under the control of Diabolous and that King Shaddai sends his captain Emmanuel, to try to get them to listen, but the ambassador Loathe-to-stoop will not accept Emmanuels “all or nothing” terms.

And Emmanuel must do battle “Then he bid that the word should be given forth, and the word was at that time, “EMMANUEL.” Then was an alarm sounded, and the battering-rams were played, and the slings did whirl stones into the town amain, and thus the battle began.

There is much cleaving and gutting and “brain pans” being cracked

Bunyan “shall not give you a particular account of the names of the soldiers that were slain in the town, for many were maimed, and wounded, and slain; for when they saw that the posts of Ear- gate did shake, and Eye-gate was well-nigh broken quite open, and also that their captains were slain, this took away the hearts of many of the Diabolonians; they fell also by the force of the shot that were sent by the golden slings into the midst of the town of Mansoul.”

“But after three or four notable charges by the Prince and his noble captains, Ear-gate was broken open, and the bars and bolts wherewith it was used to be fast shut up against the Prince, were broken into a thousand pieces. Then did the Prince?s trumpets sound, the captains shout, the town shake, and Diabolus retreat to his hold.”

My friends, this is our story. We are mansoul and our ears and eyes were shut and Emmanuel— Jesus—broke through them with battering rams. Or at least I hope he has.

Call to Christ. 11

Only partially healed: The battle against eye-gate Mark 8:22-26

I. Assault on Mansoul

II. Have you ever been blind?

III. The problem in a nutshell

IV. Five things to take from the text A. The man is blind

B. He shows no initiative or faith

C. Jesus initiative: takes him by the hand away from the crowds

D. Jesus gives the man hope: he accommodates his world view.

E. Jesus opens the eyes

V. Nothing stops Jesus, except for, apparently, some really stubborn blindness

VI. Why not a complete healing? 10 words or less: “It’s a ______about the ______slowly getting their ______opened.

VII. So what for us? A. Recognize that we were blind and many still are.

B. We show no initiative

C. He does and leads us away

D. Jesus accommodates and uses us

E. God does the work