Jesus came to Bethsaida, a town on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, where a blind man was brought to Him. It is not said that the man asked Jesus to give him sight, but his friends besought Jesus to touch him. They were certain of what Jesus could do, and the man must have been willing.
Jesus had healed the blind before this, by touching their eyes, but there is more told of this case. First, Jesus took the man by the hand and led him out of the town. He would not show His power in the midst of the open unbelief of the people.
Blindness is one of the many sorrows in the world since there was sin, and unbelief is spoken of as “blindness.”
Yet Jesus showed full mercy to the man himself in his trouble. He put His hands upon him and then asked him if he saw anything. The man looked up and said he saw men as trees, walking. He saw, but not correctly. Jesus touched his eyes again and told him to look up. Then he saw every man clearly, so, of course, he saw Jesus and must have been very happy.
Why Jesus Asked for Silence
Jesus told the man to go to his home and not to go into the town or tell of his cure to any there. The people of that place had seen the greatest of Jesus’ miracles and listened to Him tell God’s words, yet they did not believe Him or think He was sent by God. Because of that, He had spoken of woe, or judgment, to them, saying, “Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon [Gentile cities which did not have or know the Scriptures], they would have repented” (Matt. 11:2121Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (Matthew 11:21)).
But the people of Bethsaida had not been sorry for their sins, and Jesus could do no more for them. This must have been the reason He led the blind man from there. Yet in spite of the people’s sin against Him, He used His power for one willing to be helped.
Proving Who He Was
And Jesus restored many blind, as the obedient One. We find He also taught the people by the ways that He used, and those ways are told in the Gospels to help us learn His truths.
We do not always understand the lesson to be learned, but as we think about it, some other part of God’s Word seems to give the meaning. One thing for us to think of in this story is that, however little trust the blind man had, Jesus took him by the hand and led him where He could give him sight. One touch of the Lord made the man see; because He is the true light for the soul, one “touch” by Him gives “sight” to any willing one.
The man did not at first see those around him rightly; it was a confused view, as though men were in a high position. Whatever the lesson in that, it required the touch of Jesus and to look up, as He instructed, for him to see every man clearly. We know he then saw Jesus, as He would have him, and others, in their place.
Further Meditation
1. What were some of the other prophecies that the Lord fulfilled in His lifetime?
2. You might find Thirty-Three Prophecies Fulfilled in One Day a fascinating and encouraging article to study.