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Due to the large amount of sermons and topics that appear on this site I feel it is necessary to post this disclaimer on all sermons posted. These sermons are original to the author and the leading of the Holy Spirit. While ideas and illustrations are often gleaned from many sources including those at Sermoncentral.com, any similarities and wording including sermon title, that may appear to be the same as any other sermon are purely coincidental. In instances where other minister’s wording is used, due recognition will be given. These sermons are not copyrighted and may be used or preached freely. May God richly bless you as you read these words. It is my sincere desire that all who read them may be enriched. All scriptures quoted in these sermons are copies and quoted from the Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible.
Pastor James May
WALKING TREES
Mark 8:22-25, "And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly."
Mar 8:22 - And he cometh to Bethsaida and they bring a blind man unto him…
Christ had been here before, and was known by those who lived in this place; who, as soon as they heard of his arrival, and knowing what miracles were done by him, - they began to think of anyone who needed the touch of God. Thank the Lord they cared enough to think of others above themselves and pay the price to see that the needs of others were met. They brought a poor blind man, of their town, to him, to be cured by him.
…and besought him to touch him
Oh how many times have we seen the Lord touch a heart, a sick body or a sin-sick soul? We know who has the answer for every situation! We know who can heal the blinded eyes! We know who can raise the dead soul and give it new life! We know in whom we have believed and we have seen His miracle working power already! That’s why we can place our trust in Him and bring others to Him.
This man is an emblem of those who are spiritually blind. He had no natural sight at all. He could see nothing and did not have the least bit of light, or understanding of reality in this life, until he was touched by Christ.!
Men living in the realm of the flesh, are blind, and even become as part of the darkness itself through the power of sin, until they are made light by the Lord!
1) They have no sight, nor sense of themselves, of their sinful, lost, and dangerous estate and condition they are in.
2) They know not because they are blind, that they are wretched, and poor, and miserable, and naked.
3) They have no vision or understanding of Christ, neither of the glory of his person, nor of the fullness of his grace, nor of his salvation.
4) They are blind to any saving knowledge of God in Christ, the way of life and peace by him, and the work of the Spirit of God in the soul.
5) They know not the power of Gospel and have no vision of the glories of Heaven or of Hell.
I still believe that when a soul comes to Christ and that person begins to understand the ways of Righteousness and Holiness, and to understand who Jesus is and what He does for us, that their intelligence level soars above even some of the most learned men who are still blinded by sin. They suddenly begin to make choices and decisions based upon what is right in God’s eyes instead of what the warped sense of justice that prevailed while they were yet in sin. How much better off would this world be if our leaders and those in positions of power would make decision based upon the standards of God’s Holy Word instead of the twisted laws of man?
Just like this man, all sinners seem to be unconcerned about the cure for their blindness, but thank God his friends were affected with his case, and brought him to Christ, and sought god on his behalf (this man would never have been healed if it had not been for those who cared for his soul)
Mar 8:23 - And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town;
Jesus didn’t just take the blind man by the hand to make a show. Jesus became the guide for the blind man and began to draw him into the place where he could receive his healing.
Jesus had to leave the people behind and take this blind man aside to get him away from all of the unbelief and sin. This required a separation from those who only stood by to see what would happen and had no real concern. Sometimes there are those around who are not worthy to be witnesses of such a cure because God knows their heart of unbelief and strife.
…and when he had spit on his eyes – Why did Jesus do this? Perhaps it was as a sign for those who watched, I don’t really know.
If He did that today, we would see preachers spitting in the eyes of everyone and then proclaiming that they were anointed to spit and that the act of spitting upon the eyes of a believer would cause some supernatural power or anointing to come over them and heal them of all manner of diseases. We might even see a new church come into being called the “First Church of the Healing Spit”.
The spit really had nothing to do with the healing for whatever use spit may be to those that have weak eyes. There is no medical treatment called “radio spitology” for spit has no healing power within itself to restore sight to blinded eyes.
…and put his hands upon him – Jesus did ordain the “Laying on of Hands” in order to receive many of God’s blessings.
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit came as the disciples laid hands upon people.
Acts 8:17, "Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."
The Laying on of hands also brings about the healing of the sick.
Mark 16:18, "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."
…he (Jesus) asked him, if he saw ought…
Mar 8:24 - And he looked up... he opened his eyelids, and lifted up his eyes, to see if he could see, and his vision was still not complete. Jesus has to begin to open our eyes by making us lift up our heads and look into his face. Faith is found when our vision is fixed on Him and not upon the old circumstances of life that we have lived with for so long. We have to lift up, look up, and get up if we are to receive the things of God. Jesus must lift us up out of the miry clay, out of the pits of darkness and set our feet upon the rock to stay.
…and said, I see men, as trees, walking.
He saw objects at a little ways from him that he supposed to be men. Otherwise his sight was so imperfect, that he could not have distinguished them from trees: he was capable of discerning the bulk of their bodies, and that they walked, or moved forward; but he could not distinguish the particular parts of their bodies.
Even though we are saved, our vision of Jesus, and the ways of the Kingdom of God are still hard to understand. Over time and with the continued touch of God, our vision and understanding become clearer. We become blinded to the things of this life so that the things of the eternal realms may come into view.
ILLUSTRATION:
In his book, An Anthropologist on Mars, neurologist Oliver Sacks tells about Virgil, a man who had been blind from early childhood. When he was 50, Virgil underwent surgery and was given the gift of sight. But as he and Dr. Sacks found out, having the physical capacity for sight is not the same as seeing.
Virgil’s first experiences with sight were confusing. He was able to make out colors and movements, but arranging them into a coherent picture was more difficult. Over time he learned to identify various objects, but his habits--his behaviors--were still those of a blind man.
Dr. Sacks asserts, "One must die as a blind person to be born again as a seeing person. It is the interim, the limbo . . . that is so terrible."
To truly see Jesus and his truth means more than observing what he did or said, it means a change of identity.
The Christian walk is a faith walk – one day at a time. Line upon line, precept upon precept we begin to learn and know Jesus and his word. Here a little and there a little, each day adding to our knowledge of Him until we are slowly, gradually changed into the very image of the Lord who saved us from our blindness.
Mark 8:25 - After that he had put his hands again upon his eyes and made him look up.
These words are a command of Christ to the man to lift up his eyes, and try again to see more than we did before.
…and he was restored… his sight was restored to him and he was cured of his blindness.
…and saw every man clearly… he saw every object distinctly, and afar off, as the word used also signifies; he could distinguish men from trees, and trees from men.
Christ first separated this man from the rest of the multitude; and set him apart from others after his decision to follow the commands of Christ and become redeemed.
This man, when he first received his sight, had a very imperfect view of things.
The newly converted soul has a very limited view of things, particularly of Christ and of the glory and fullness of his person, what his blood does for us, of his righteousness, of his power to save.
But as this man afterwards had a more clear, and distinct view of objects! So it is with true believers in Christ; their shining light increases, and shines more and more. Gospel light is not perfect in any of those who have some darkness and imperfection in them; though they may see all things clearly when compared to what they did before.
We live under the Gospel dispensation and we can see more clearly than those under the Dispensation of the Law did because the cross and salvation through the blood of Jesus was farther from them. They saw the promises afar off; and their sight was obscured in types, shadows, sacrifices and hard to understand prophecy.
Moses, and his law, had a veil over them; but New Testament saints, without the veil of the Law and with the ability to enter boldly into the presence of God, can see more of the promise of the Savior and the fulfillment of those Old Testament prophecies. We see and understand Jesus and the Gospel truths!
But, even in our day, we know most see only a small part and teach only a small portion of what is in God’s Word when we compare what we know to what is yet to be revealed.
One day the saved shall see Jesus face to face and know, as they are known! But now we see only as though we were looking through a dark glass.
How clearly will all things be seen in the new Jerusalem when there will be no need of the light of the sun or moon of imperfect light. Christ, the Lamb will be the everlasting light in which them that are saved shall walk!
