GOSPEL MEDITATION #198
Mark 8:22-30
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida &
Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ
(also read Matthew 16:13-20 & Luke 9:18-22)
- Find a quiet place, alone and apart from distractions.
- Be comfortably alert, still and at peace.
- Say the Lord’s Prayer. Sing or cant the Jesus Prayer
- Pray for family, friends, neighbors, and yourself.
- Slowly and carefully read the passage of Scripture.
- Reread it. From memory, determine the central points.
- People brought a blind man to Jesus. They thought Jesus could heal the man. Our work is to bring people to Jesus.
- Being blind, Jesus spoke to and touched the man. Interesting that the healing was not completed at once and when it was the man saw clearly. Jesus did not want the healing to be widely known; Jesus did not need the publicity or further interruptions since now the priority was to teach the apostles..
- Some distance north of Bethsaida was Caesarea Philippi, a Greek city, a place were Jesus’ enemies would not travel.
- Now about half-way in Jesus’ earthly work, He enquires about what His followers, and others, were saying as to who He was.
- The disciples gave three replies: John the Baptist; Elijah, or one of the other prophets, like, maybe, Isaiah or Jeremiah.
- Though Herod had beheaded John, in his paranoia he supposed Jesus was John come back to life. Elijah, was known to come before and herald the Messiah, and others, for no sound reason, thought Jesus was one of Israel’s noted prophets coming at an auspicious time.
- But the disciples, as announced by Peter, had a clearer understanding, one revealed only by God Himself. (see Matthew 16:17)
- Characteristically, Jesus does not want this announced.