22 When
they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they
begged him to touch the man and heal him. 23 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?” 24 The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I
see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking
around.” 25 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. 26 Jesus
sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the
village on your way home.”- Mark 8:
22-26
We find in Mark 8 an interesting story of a blind man. We know not whether he was blind since birth
or whether he lost his sight through an
accident or a disease. What we know is
that Jesus heals him not once but twice.
First, we see Jesus spit on the man’s eyes and touch them. When the man tells Jesus that he cannot see
clearly, Jesus touches the man’s eyes a second time. Through this second touch, the man is able
to see clearly. Immediately after this
healing, we find the story of Peter exclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah, the
son of God.
Some can
look at this story and focus on the fact that the man was not totally healed of
his blind by the first touch of Jesus.
I choose a different focus and it is this: it is not enough that we be touch by the
Lord Jesus only once. We need the touch
of the Great Physician again.
Perhaps
you can share a date or time or at a particular event when you knew the touch of Christ to your life. That surely is something to celebrate. I don’t know about you, but I need the touch
of Christ on my life not just once, but again and again. If you need the touch of Christ again, I
pray that you will receive it. Have a
joy-filled week.- Pastor Randy Wall
PRAYER -- O God,
thank you for your marvelous, healing grace that touches us again and
again. Touch us, Lord, and transform us
more fully into your presence; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
