Cancer treatments often happen in stages. There might be an initial operation and then chemo or radiation treatments follow. Rarely does one treatment take care of the issues. This can be very frustrating for those going through the treatments, and for those who love and care for them. Instead of having the pain and uncertainty finished in one quick motion, the process gets dragged out over months, perhaps years. The closure moment might be delayed and postponed. Checkups happen over years. The words “cancer free” may come repeatedly, but maybe not.
We have come to expect cures, quick ones, ones contained in small pills, taken once daily with food. We struggle with impatience. We want the suffering to be over and done. WE want to get back to our ‘normal’ life.
I find it interesting that Mark places this account right after the disciples got stuck on discussing physical bread when Jesus wanted them to consider something very different. Jesus even questions whether their hearts are hard, their eyes blind and their ears deaf. And now Mark includes a story about a blind man being healed in stages. I don’t think this order is accidental.
People bring this man to Jesus, a very common thing. Jesus pulls the man aside by himself, a pretty common thing. And then Jesus touches him twice, once for sight, and once for clarity. Why did He do it in stages? He had healed other people with a single touch, why did it take two for this man?
I want to venture a guess, but it is only a guess. Mark includes this account here because the disciples had their eyes opened, but they still didn’t understand what they were seeing. This man could see people, but the image was distorted. They looked like trees. The disciples knew Jesus was different, but they didn’t know how different. They knew Jesus could multiply bread, but they didn’t understand that He was the Bread of Life. They needed a second touch.
Sometimes we get satisfied with partial vision. We respond to the wooing of the Holy Spirit and we begin a relationship with the LORD. Our eyes are opened, but we still don’t really understand what we are seeing. Things are still distorted, reflecting too much of the old perceptions of the world. We still hold on to our old way of looking at things, our old limited worldview. But Jesus wants to do more.
Don’t be satisfied with seeing the world like trees walking. Seek the LORD until you have His perspective, His clarity. Wait for His touch. When He touches we can begin to see clearly.
The Arnold Journey 