Seeing trees walking?

There is a story in Mark of a man whose healing was at first incomplete.  Jesus touches the blind man’s eyes. He then asks him, “Do you see anything?” The answer is startling: “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” (Mark 8:24, NIV)  Apparently this man had not been blind from birth, as he knew what trees looked like.  The interesting fact is that his sight only returned partially until Jesus touched him a second time. "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." (Mark 8:25, NIV)

Sometimes we need a second touch!
We come to Christ and He changes us, heals us, sets us on the right road- but we still get things confused, our spiritual vision is still clouded by the past and by our preconceptions.

The next passage in Mark’s Gospel tells us about Peter’s revelation of Jesus’ identity.  After seeing miracles, hearing Jesus teach, listening to Him pray – when the Lord asks, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter steps out in faith and declares that Jesus is the Christ, God’s anointed One, the Savior.  Seems that he saw things clearly, doesn’t it? Except he didn’t! 

Jesus continued to teach the disciples about His mission. "He then began explaining things to them: “It is necessary that the Son of Man proceed to an ordeal of suffering, be tried and found guilty by the elders, high priests, and religion scholars, be killed, and after three days rise up alive.” He said this simply and clearly so they couldn’t miss it. But Peter grabbed him in protest." (Mark 8:31-32, The Message)  The Messiah could not be a suffering, rejected Man. He had to be a triumphant King.  That’s what Peter’s traditions had taught him.  His vision of ‘the Christ,’ was still clouded! He needed a second touch to see that the Cross that stood on the pathway to the Throne was part of God’s plan for His Son.

How is your vision? Do you see clearly the things God desires?  There is no shame in praying for a second touch.  When it seems that the will of God has been shown to me, yet circumstances are not aligning to what I think I know, my prayer is for clarity.  “Lord, did I get the big picture, but miss the details?  Did I see only a part of the plan and mistakenly seized on that as the main mission?”  

James tells us that if we lack wisdom, if we’re stumbling along, we should ask God to clear things up. "But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:6, NLT)  We know that a second touch is not because God lacks power. Mark never tells us why the blind man was not completely healed with the first touch, but we know it wasn’t because Jesus failed!  Perhaps the man’s faith was wavering. Perhaps he needed to be tested to fully trust God and take ALL that was his. 

May we see with eyes of faith, beyond the obvious, as God sees. Here’s a word from the Word.  Lord, open our eyes.  “Early in the morning a servant of the Holy Man got up and went out. Surprise! Horses and chariots surrounding the city! The young man exclaimed, “Oh, master! What shall we do?” He said, “Don’t worry about it—there are more on our side than on their side.” Then Elisha prayed, “O God, open his eyes and let him see.” The eyes of the young man were opened and he saw. A wonder! The whole mountainside full of horses and chariots of fire surrounding Elisha! " (2 Kings 6:15-17, The Message)

___________

Open my eyes, that I may see,

Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me.

Place in my hands the wonderful key

That shall unclasp and set me free.

Silently now, I wait for Thee,

Ready, my God, Thy will to see!

Open my eyes, illumine me,

Spirit divine.

Open My Eyes That I May See (Open My Eyes)
Clara H. Fiske Scott

© Words: Public Domain