Job 29:15  ” I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame”

Mar 8:23  And taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes, and laying His hands upon him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?”

Several things about this story strike me.  First, the blind man was not asking for help, not like in the case of blind Bartemaeus who cried out loudly after Jesus.  It says his friends brought him. Then, Christ led him out of the city, not his friends, Christ.  The Lamb of God, the Light of the World, took this blind man by the hand and led him….

No one from the town witnessed this…is it that they had had so many miracles worked in their midst, they weren’t curious enough to follow them out of town to see what might happen?  Whatever their lack of witness became a judgment against them.  The Lord told him not to go back into that village and share the miracle. What have we missed because of our lack of wonder?   We are called to rejoice when God moves over our brothers and sister in ways that brings sight, health, love , peace etc. lest we find ourselves without our own visitation.

What was it like to be led by God in the flesh from blindness to sight?

John Stott in his book ” Basic Christianity” makes the statement that fear is the greatest enemy of truth.  Because fear paralyzes our search.  This is true. I know in my own life I have been afraid to  “look” at certain things for what I might see in myself, in the subject, in others.  Yet we are called to search, and when we do we will find.  God’s biggest complaint with mankind is that they didn’t seek after Him.  I am on a hunt for “the lie” at the base of my own apple tree.  I want to dispel the paralysis that has kept me from seeking the depths of the mystery.  I am ready to be undone.  To be unsettled by the inconvenience of a true Christian conviction.  Spit upon the mud, and let me see…have mercy on me Son of David.

Rev. 3:18  “anoint your eyes with eye salve that you might see.”

I too, want to feel the hand of the Master lead me from darkness into His glorious light.  I don’t want to be paralyzed by fear of seeing I would rather be blinded by the light.  The last point is the value of Godly friendship.  Friendship led this blind man to his encounter.  But notice, they couldn’t lead him into the light, only God could do that.  They just put his hand in The Master’s then got to rejoice at the miracle.  Like the parable of the friend needing the bread at midnight Luke 11.  We don’t have the bread, but we know someone who does, and we go to him and ask, and He provides.