NOTES for Mar 8:22-26

Sometimes it seems that the miracle the Lord works in us is an instantaneous transition, a single second after which everything changes. Perhaps sometimes it truly is so. But the story of the blind man from Bethsaida is particularly interesting because the evangelist lets us understand how human nature changes gradually when it encounters grace, and how much we have to overcome in order to find healing.

First, the blind man does not regain his sight at once. The Lord touches him the first time, but he still sees indistinctly and only approximately; it is only after the second touch that he sees everything clearly. Most important here is that the Lord seems to allow the blind man a little time to become accustomed to his new condition. He gently and tenderly changes human nature, giving us the opportunity to become aware of the change taking place within a person. Second, Jesus shows us that a miracle, a transformation, is a quiet and hidden process, a personal conversation between God and a human being. He leads the blind man out of the town, away from needlessly curious eyes, and afterward sends him straight home and asks him to tell no one what happened.

It is very important to give ourselves time to understand what has actually happened, to become aware of the changes brought about in our lives by our encounter with God, and to let His work be completed in us. Then it will not be words but our transformed life itself that bears witness to God.