Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

In this series, we have been moving through the gospel of Mark and stopping at points where the Lord asks a question that illumines truth or calls for a response. The passage we will study in this message contains several questions, and it begins with a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees. They tried to test him, and he responded with the question, “Why do you seek a sign?” Jesus challenged his own disciples with the questions, “Do you still not see or understand? Do you have eyes but fail to see?” The final section of the passage describes Jesus’ interaction with a blind man. In caring for the blind man, the Lord asked him, “Do you see anything?”

Throughout all of these encounters, the issues of blindness, failure to perceive, and inability to understand are of concern to our Lord.

These issues should be our concern as well. It’s easy to be oblivious to our surroundings. We are often unaware of the significance of the things that happen around us. We can be blind in relationships with our friends, our spouses, and our children. We are in desperate need of our Lord’s ministry to us in our blindness.
Let’s now turn to Mark 8:11. There are three scenes in this passage: the first (verses 11-13) is Jesus with the Pharisees. The second (verses 14-21) is Jesus in a boat with his disciples, and the third (verses 22-26) is Jesus alone with a blind man in Bethsaida.

(Mt 15:39-16:4; Mk 8:9b-12); [cf. § 62, 106, & Jn 2:18-23; 6:30]

^{[MT 15:]39}After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat [with his disciples^MK] and went to the vicinity of Magadan [the region of Dalmanutha.^MK]

¹The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

After the feeding of the 4,000 in Decapolis, Jesus returns to Jewish territory.^7-44 The Pharisees again accost Jesus (cf. Mk 7:1). This time they are accompanied by the Sadducees. These two groups generally fought with each other (cf. Acts 23:7-8), but their mortal hate for Jesus draws them together. This is the first time the Pharisees and Sadducees have gotten together since their investigation of John the Baptist (Mt 3:7; Jn 1:19, 24). It has primarily been the Pharisees alone who have pursued Jesus (Mt 9:11, 34; 12:2, 14, 24, 38; 15:1; Lk 5:17; 7:36-39), but from here to Golgotha, they will team up with the Sadducees (Mt 21:45; 22:34; 27:62), as well as with the Herodians (Mk 3:6; 12:13).

Jesus and the disciples crossed to the western side of the Sea of Galilee where they were met by the Pharisees who were still angry at Him because of His earlier indictment of their hypocrisy (Mark 7:1-23). This time they tempted Him to prove His divine authority by giving them a sign from heaven. They did not want an earthly miracle, such as the healing of a sick person. They wanted Him to do something spectacular, like bring fire from heaven or bread from heaven (John 6:30-31). This would prove He was indeed sent from God.

Our Lord’s response was one of deep grief and disappointment (see Mark 7:34). How tragic that the religious leaders of God’s chosen people should be so hardhearted and spiritually blind! Their desire for a sign from heaven was but another evidence of their unbelief, for faith does not ask for signs. True faith takes God at His Word and is satisfied with the inward witness of the Spirit.

The Judean^7-45 delegation conceals their insincerity. First, they ask for a sign rather than a miracle. They make it look as if they are asking for reasonable evidence as opposed to neat tricks. Second, they ask for a sign from heaven, such as was given by Elijah or Moses, as if these would be categorically different than the miracles Jesus already performed.

Their question is neither new nor sincere. Jesus has heard it at least three times before (Jn 2:18-23; Mt 12:38-45; Jn 6:30). They don’t really want to believe Jesus. Both Matthew and Mark capture their motive in the word “test.” Literally, they were tempting Jesus—looking for a reason to accuse him.

Since Mark was writing primarily for Gentile readers, he did not include our Lord’s words concerning the sign of the Prophet Jonah (Matt. 16:4; and see Matt. 12:38-41). What is “the sign of Jonah”? Death, burial, and resurrection. The proof that Jesus is what He claimed to be is the fact of His own death, burial, and resurrection (Acts 2:22-36; 3:12-26).

Paul correctly assesses his compatriots when he says, “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:22-24).

Mt 16:2-3 with  Mk 8:12 — ²He replied [sighed deeply^7-46 and said^MK],^-7-16 “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ ³and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

Palestinian weather generally comes from the west, off the Mediterranean Sea. At dawn, the rain clouds from the west, reflect a reddish hue from the morning sun coming up over the eastern horizon. In the evening, however, that same reddish hue would indicate clear skies in the west.^7-47

Jesus is visibly upset over the myopia of the Jewish leadership. They are more attentive to weather than to the Messiah. They have plenty of reason to believe in Jesus (cf. Jn 5:31-47); but have clearly refused, attributing Jesus’ miraculous power to Beelzebub (Mt 9:34; 12:22-37; cf. Lk 11:14-36).

Mt 16:4 –⁴A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

Why is it wicked and adulterous to look for a miraculous sign? Does God expect us to believe without proof? Is faith really some leap in the dark? NO! Sign seeking is wicked for the following reasons:

(1)   It ignores what Jesus has already done. It essentially says, “Jesus, we don’t believe you. You must prove yourself again … and again … and again.”

(2)   It places us as judge over Jesus. It essentially says, “Jesus, you perform for me and I will decide whether or not you are valid.”

(3)   It places miracles over testimony. Miracles are used to attract our attention to valid testimony. Once the testimony has been given, the miracles have served their purpose. In addition, it often places emotions over reason. Instead of thinking through the testimony we want to feel our way along with souped up experiences.

(4)   It places self over Jesus. Miracles used for human gratification point in the wrong direction. Instead of pointing to Jesus they point to self. They become shallow and selfish.

(5)   It denigrates true faith. Instead of believing what we can’t see based on true testimony, we demand validation at every point (Jn 20:29).

Again, the resurrection is promised as a sign for this generation. And even this will be concealed from unbelievers (cf. Mk 8:12; Acts 10:41). Jesus is again forced to leave the region due to the animosity of his enemies. He has been rejected and nearly ejected from Jerusalem, Nazareth, Capernaum, and now Magadan.

 (Mt 16:5-12; Mk 8:13-21)

[Mt 16:4 = Mt 12:39]

^{[MK 8:]13}Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. ¹⁴The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ¹⁵”Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees [and Sadducees^MT] and that of Herod.” ¹⁶They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

After another tense confrontation with the Jewish religious hierarchy, Jesus retreats with his disciples across the lake to the north shore. Jesus left them and crossed to the east side of the Sea of Galilee, and en route taught His disciples an important spiritual lesson. It appears that they were almost as blind as the Pharisees! The men were having a private discussion about their food supply, because somebody had forgotten to pack bread. Who was to blame?

It must have grieved Jesus that His handpicked helpers were so spiritually obtuse. The fact that He had multiplied bread on two occasions and fed over 10,000 people had apparently made little impression on them! Why worry and argue over one loaf of bread when you have Jesus in the boat with you? Their minds were dull, their hearts were hard (see Mark 6:52), their eyes were blind, and their ears were deaf (see Mark 4:11-12).

Enroute to the other side^7-48 Jesus warns his disciples about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples are thinking about food while Jesus is thinking about teaching (cf. Jn 4:31-34; 6:27). Jesus’ words remind them that they have no lunch, save one measly loaf to split thirteen ways.

It is hard to tell how they interpret Jesus’ warning. Perhaps they think he cautions them about poisoned bread. After all, the Pharisees have already expressed a desire to kill Jesus, both in Judea and Galilee (Mk 3:6; Jn 5:18; Mt 12:14). Poison was a common form of murder in those days. Perhaps their hunger hinders them from thinking much at all about what Jesus means. All they know is that it’s slim pickings for dinner and they somehow connect Jesus’ warning to their negligence to get groceries (v. 16).

The Pharisees and Herodians were strange bed-fellows. (Matthew substitutes Sadducees for Herodians, who were probably political envoys from the Sadducean party. Although they did have their distinctions,^7-49 here the Sadducean Herodians surely represent the liberal counterpart to the Pharisees.) These two groups are nearly polar opposites and yet Jesus describes their yeast as a singular evil. What error do these two groups share? The subtle but blatant rejection of Jesus. They feign a willingness to accept Jesus, by asking for a sign (Jn 2:18-23; Mt 12:38-45; 16:1-4). But there is no way they will ever accept him as leader or Lord.

Leaven is often spoken of as evil (cf. Lev 2:11; Mt 16:6; Lk 12:1; 1 Cor 5:6-8; Gal 5:9), but not always (cf. Mt 13:33; Lk 13:20-21). Some commentators suggest that the leaven removed from the Passover meal represents sin (cf. Exod 12:8 etc.). However, it could just as well represent the hurried nature of the meal. That is, they did not have time to wait for the yeast to cause the bread to “rise.” In other words, “evil” is not the dominant characteristic of leaven, but rather it is “pervasive influence.” With this understanding, we hear Jesus say, “Beware of the pervasive influence of unbelief of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” This comes at a time of mass defection among Jesus’ disciples (cf. Jn 6:60-71). They need a warning against social seduction, when Jesus’ popularity wanes.

Mk 8:17-21 with Mt 16:8 ¹⁷Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “[You of little faith,^MT] Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? ¹⁸Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,” they replied.

²⁰”And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”

²¹He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Mt 16:11-12 — ¹¹”How is it you don’t understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” ¹²Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Their “little faith” is lamentable (cf. Mt 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 17:20). Not only do they fail to understand Jesus’ sublime teaching on faith, they even miss the mundane meaning of food. Couched in the language of Isaiah 6:10, Jesus reminds them of his supreme ability to provide food. If five little loaves fed 5,000, with twelve baskets of leftovers, and seven loaves fed 4,000, with seven “hampers” left over, then one loaf is surely sufficient to feed thirteen men.

Having settled this little diversion about bread, Jesus gets back to the issue at hand, which is the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees—their teaching.^7-50 Now their teaching is not all bad (cf. Mt 23:3). Jesus would agree with the Sadducees in their rejection of Pharisaic oral tradition. He would agree with the Pharisees in their belief in the resurrection, etc. But Jesus warns us to watch out for their pervasive unbelief. It is especially insidious since it disguises itself in the garb of religious dialogue.

While clinging to orthodox practices and espousing Biblical doctrine, their self-seeking attitudes of unbelief lead them away from God’s plan. This is confusing to the populace, whose shallow evaluation never looks past the dress, talk, and public display of the clergy. So often, the heart of the matter is indeed the heart of the matter.

Jesus refused to perform an act of power to impress the Pharisees. Those whose hearts are like those of the Pharisees cannot see signs from heaven. They are incapable of being persuaded by anything that God does.

Psalm 19 declares: The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world

God speaks of himself everywhere. Creation declares the glory of its maker, people see God at work, and hearts that are open receive benefit from him. “You will not be given a sign,” Jesus said, “because you cannot see what God is doing. You are unwilling to be persuaded by God. What would be enough? What sort of sign would convince you?”

If we love to think of ourselves as intrepid inquisitors who can call God to account, if we aren’t happy with the way he is doing things and insist on more, or if we proudly prefer our questions to his answers, then we will never see a sign. Nothing he does will persuade us.

People in this congregation have received healing. Cancers have disappeared, and children on death’s door have been given back life. Others have given testimony to periodic visitations by God in answer to prayer. Such things persuade some people that God is at work, but others see them as coincidence. In The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis, four children made the first journey through a magical wardrobe to Narnia. Three of them remembered what they experienced and were forever changed by it. The fourth child, Susan, allowed the memory of her experience to fade. As she grew up, she considered her experience to be a mere child’s tale, and it ceased to persuade her.

Dramatic events happen, and we interpret them. But the lasting power and authority of signs is that they point to something. Signs must signify. A freeway sign is only useful if it gives us direction. It does no good to stop and stare at the sign, to marvel at its geometry and color, and then drive away. A sign points to something, and our attention should be directed toward the thing to which the sign points, not toward the sign itself. Because the Pharisees came to Jesus impressed with their authority to ask questions, lacking any desire to learn, the Lord said that they would never receive a sign.

Nothing he could do would ever persuade them. Recall Jesus’ story about Abraham and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31). The rich man wants to go back and warn his brothers, but Abraham replies, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them… If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” Empty tombs will not persuade anybody who is determined not to be persuaded.

Remember the parable of the four soils (Mark 4:3-8). The first soil never produced anything because the seed was taken away. The second soil was rocky ground and the seed quickly withered under the heat of the sun. The fourth soil produced a crop of great bounty. The third soil also produced a crop, but the plants did not bear grain because “…the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Mark 4:19).

The Herodians loved worldly power and the pleasure it could produce, and the Pharisees were filled with pride. Jesus said to be careful and to watch out for the subtle influence of yeast, but he didn’t just warn his disciples. He showed them where their focus should be. He wanted them to be alert to his presence. “Don’t be so distracted by unimportant things that you fail to see me for who I am,” said the Lord, “to hear what I say, to believe the invisible reality of the love of God.” Yet, while Jesus was explaining spiritual truth, they were concerned about who forgot to bring lunch.

Their discussion of bread had no purpose and no value. They were distracted by silly things.
We are very much like them, aren’t we? How often do we forget to consider what is beautiful and true and valuable, what is filled with the presence and glory of God? How often do we ignore the things of God in favor of petty pursuits? We are royal sons and daughters, sacred ambassadors of the King. God has called us to serve him in a world that needs him, and yet, instead of believing that of ourselves, we feel frustrated because nobody pays enough attention to us, or because we were snubbed in some social environment or passed over for some sort of recognition. You can almost hear the Lord saying, “Why are you talking about bread? Why do you waste your attention on such silly things?”

Our bodies and minds are the temple of the Holy Spirit. We carry with us the presence of God into every place we go. We are an aroma of the divine presence wherever we are. Yet how many of us are inordinately bothered by our body shape or wrinkles or gray hair? Is the temple more important than the Spirit within us? We can again hear Jesus saying, “Why are you talking about bread? Don’t you understand? Don’t you perceive? Don’t you see?”

Angels long to understand the gospel come down from heaven (1 Peter 1:12). They look at the words of the Prophets and marvel at the love of this God who became human. They would give anything to participate in what we take for granted, but we are fascinated by glitzy TV shows, sports celebrities, electronic toys, small, silly, petty things. “Don’t you see? Aren’t you paying attention? Having seen, don’t you perceive what you see? Don’t you value what is valuable?”

These questions of our Lord come back to us, and they are important, challenging questions. Jesus wondered at the disciples’ forgetfulness and hard-heartedness. Not much time had passed since the feeding of the 4,000, and Jesus was asking, “Have you forgotten so soon?” That is a great reminder that very often the most helpful thing we can do is to make ourselves remember who we are, where we’ve been, and what God has done for us.

The proud Pharisees loved their ability to ask questions more than they longed for answers from God, and the disciples were distracted by unimportant things. Blindness keeps us from knowing what we need. Because we are blind, we don’t know what to ask for, where to go, how to be, or what is of value, so the blindness reinforces itself. That is why the last part of our passage is so powerful and helpful.

God’s people often have a tendency to forget His blessings (Ps. 103:1-2). He meets our needs, but then when the next problem arises, we complain or become frightened. As long as we are with Him, we can be sure He will care for us. It would do us all good to pause occasionally and remind ourselves of His goodness and faithfulness.

But the main lesson had to do with leaven (yeast) and not with bread. In the Bible, leaven is consistently a symbol of evil. Each Passover season, the Jews had to remove all leaven from their dwellings (Ex. 12:18-20), and leaven was not allowed with the offerings (Ex. 23:18; 34:25; Lev. 2:11; 6:17). Evil, like leaven, is small and hidden, but it spreads and soon infects the whole (Gal. 5:9).

The Bible uses leaven as a picture of false doctrine (Gal. 5:1-9), unjudged sin in the church (1 Cor. 5), and hypocrisy (Luke 12:1). In this context, Jesus warned them about the teaching (false doctrine) of the Pharisees and the followers of Herod. The Pharisees “said but they did not”; in other words, they practiced and encouraged hypocrisy (note Mark 7:6). The Herodians were a worldly group who catered to Herod, accepted the Roman way of life, and saw in Herod and his rule the promised kingdom for the Jewish nation. If this false teaching got into the hearts and minds of the disciples, it would infect them and pollute the truth Jesus had given them to proclaim about Himself and His kingdom.

We can never be too careful about detecting and avoiding false doctrine. Only a small deviation from the Word may get into an individual or a church, but before long it will grow and infect everything. Our Lord did not often say “Beware!” but when He did it was important!

(Mk 8:22-26) — ²²They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

²⁴He looked up^7-51 and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

²⁵Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village.^-7-17”

Likely this “Fisher-town” (Bethsaida) is the home of Peter and Co. After all, they would need to dock their boat(s) before leaving the country to travel to Caesarea Philippi. As they arrive “home,” they are met by a delegation on behalf of this blind man. We can’t tell his level of faith, but the faith of his friends is obvious (cf. Mk 2:3-12; 7:31-37). If he lacked faith, this might explain Jesus’ odd actions as an attempt to bolster his belief.

This scene has become all too familiar. Jesus has often healed blindness (Mt 9:27-30; 11:5; 12:22; 15:31; Lk 7:21-22; Jn 5:3). It was, and is, a common problem in third world countries. Yet this pericope is unique. It has a number of similarities to the healing of the deaf-mute (Mk 7:31-37):^7-52

(1)   Both are recorded by Mark alone.

(2)   Both take place in a period of retirement/retreat.

(3)   Both men are taken aside.

(4)   Jesus uses spittle and touch with both.

(5)   Jesus tries to avoid attention with both.

What makes this healing such an oddity is that it is the only “two-step” healing Jesus ever performed. Any guess as to Jesus’ motives is speculative. But Wessel (p. 691) offers a nice suggestion: “Jesus may have moved only as quickly as the man’s faith would allow (in Mark’s Gospel faith as a requisite for healing is emphasized). But Calvin’s suggestion that Jesus was demonstrating his sovereign freedom seems more likely. One thing is certain. The early church did not make up this story!”^7-53

The use of spittle aligns with the common Jewish belief in its healing properties. The fact the man sees people as if they were “walking trees” indicates he is still nearsighted and probably that he was not born blind since he has some point of reference to make such a comparison. Then, when Jesus lays his hands on him, his sight is restored. Mark uses a rare word which indicates clear sight at a distance. Not only can he see, but he can see well.

Perhaps Wessel is correct in suggesting that this two-step miracle prefigures Peter’s confession in the next pericope. His chart showing this comparison in Mark is insightful:

8:22	Circumstances	8:27
8:23-24	Partial Sight—Partial Understanding	8:28
8:25	Sight—Understanding	8:29
8:26	Injunction to Silence	8:30

Consider the third scene, which begins at verse 22. Of all Jesus’ healings this one is, in some ways, the most curious. For one thing, Jesus rarely healed anybody in stages. In this case, the blind man was given partial sight, then a second work of the Lord gave him clear sight. Also, the passage tells us that a group of people brought the man to the Lord. Note, however, that Jesus took the man by the hand and pulled him away from the crowd, out of the village. Jesus deliberately chose to interact with the blind man in a personal and intimate way, and after healing him, he told him not to go back to the village.

The use of saliva, which people of that time believed to be of medicinal value, indicated a loving intimacy as well. On another occasion, Jesus healed a blind man by spitting on the ground, then applying the mud to the eyes of the blind man (John 9:6). On this occasion recorded in Mark, Jesus spit directly on the blind man’s eyes knowing that the man would receive it as an act of love.

It is a curious story, but the dominant theme is intimacy with Jesus. We are reminded of creation. God shaped clay, then brought his face near to breathe life into the shaped clay. Likewise, Jesus came very near to the blind man in Bethsaida, first applying saliva to his eyes, then touching him with his hands, and then touching him again. Jesus asked, “What do you see now? Do you see anything?” The man answered, “I can only see a bit. I’m still confused. I’m unsure.” The Lord allowed the man to speak of his uncertainty, then he ministered to him again. Everything about this scene is tender and intimate, and the passage makes a statement to those of us who are spiritually blind. Jesus challenged Pharisees who could not see the work of God because they would not see; they were more interested in their ability to ask questions than in God’s ability to answer them. He challenged disciples who were petty and small-minded, silly and self-absorbed. He calls on us to awaken and perceive.

In the end, however, it is Jesus who gives sight. He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He takes us by the hand and draws us near to him. He touches us and allows us to speak of our uncertainty and lack of clarity, to ask for more help, and then he helps us again. There is gospel in this-good news, not just challenge. There is a work of Christ. We are too blind to even know how to proceed from here. We are oblivious to what is important. We don’t know how to ask for help, and when it’s offered, we don’t know how to receive it. We make a mess of things. The blind can only follow at Jesus’ initiative. It starts with his concern. It’s true that we may know what concerns him and yet not believe or act upon that knowledge, but it is also true that, in our blindness, most of us need more help than we know how to get. We don’t even know the direction to turn.

What we need is the intimate touch of the Lord, “I will come. I will take you by the hand. Just you and me. I will love you. I will touch you. I will touch you again. I will ask you questions. I will let you speak. I will draw you out. I will make the changes.”

The gospel of John describes the incarnation in an amazing way: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14a, N). What a remarkable statement. God the Son, in fellowship with the Father from eternity, became a child, took on flesh, and dwelt among us. But that is not the most remarkable part of that sentence. The work of God is true whether we perceive it or not. It remains true that the Word became flesh and dwelt among us whether we are able to perceive it or not. But the wonder of what John wrote is this: “…we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14b, N). God acted, and we were allowed to see it. He opened our eyes so that we could see the Lord as he is-glorious, filled with grace, filled with truth. He has persuaded us of who he is. He has let us believe it. Our lives are changed.

John was once a disciple arguing about bread in a boat; at the end of his life, he would write of seeing the Lord as he is in all his glory. The apostle Paul wrote, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints…” (Ephesians 1:18, N). That is our hope, not only that the incarnation took place, but that we are going to be allowed to believe it and have our lives changed by it. His glory, grace, and truth will grow ever greater in our experience because he will lead us into it himself. He will come for us, touch us, awaken us, and open our eyes.

In both these situations, friends brought the men to Jesus; and in both situations, Jesus led the men away from the crowds. In fact, in the latter case, He took the man outside the city. Why? Probably because the city of Bethsaida had already been judged because of its unbelief (Matt. 11:21-24). No more evidence would be given to them.

The unique thing about this miracle of healing is that it occurred gradually and not instantly. The Gospels record the healing of at least seven blind men, and they show that our Lord used a variety of approaches. Perhaps it was the atmosphere of unbelief in Bethsaida that hindered Him (see Mark 6:5-6), or it may have been the spiritual condition of the man himself. For some reason not given, the man was not ready for instant sight, so Jesus restored him gradually. The fact that the man recognized men and trees suggests that he had not been born blind but had been blinded by accident or disease.

The man was not from Bethsaida, for Jesus sent him home and cautioned him not to enter that town. Now that he had been healed, why go to unbelieving Bethsaida where Jesus had been rejected? His job was to go home and spread the Good News of the kingdom, and to demonstrate its power by showing others what Jesus had done for him (see Mark 2:11; 5:34; 10:52). Should he not give another opportunity to the people in Bethsaida? Perhaps they would believe if they heard how Jesus had restored his sight. No, Bethsaida had been given adequate evidence, but still had refused to believe. It is a dangerous thing for anybody to reject the message of God and harden his or her heart in unbelief.

The disciples learned some valuable lessons on this trip, lessons that they would need to remember and apply in later years of ministry. We today need to learn these same lessons: (1) don’t seek after signs, but live by faith in His Word; (2) trust Jesus to meet needs; (3) avoid the leaven of false doctrine; (4) let Jesus work as He wills, and expect variety in His working.

The Fault of the Spiritually Blind, 8:10-13

(8:10-13) Introduction: spiritual blindness is a problem for every generation. Most men are spiritually blind (2 Cor. 4:4). They are blind to the “signs,” to the presence, mercy, care, and gifts of God to men. God is easily seen by men who openly and honestly seek the truth. He is seen in the world and happenings of life, in the merciful actions that often occur in life, in the care and love often experienced, and in the gifts of goodness to help a person get along in an antagonistic world. Yet, so few look for God and give thanks to Him for all He is and does. Man chooses rather to reject a personal God and to attribute the happenings and things of life to his own efforts (humanism). Why? There is one clear reason: if man acknowledges a personal God, he has to surrender his life to that God. Therefore, man challenges: “If there be a God, prove yourself, show yourself, give us a sign.” And all the while he expects no sign, and even if he saw one, he would deny it—all because he is spiritually blind to the truth.

What Jesus does in this passage is discuss the faults of the spiritually blind who want more signs.

1. Jesus crossed the lake (v.10-11).
2. They sought a sign (v.11).
3. They grieved the Lord (v.12).
4. They received no sign from the Lord (v.12).
5. They were left behind by the Lord (v.13).
6. (8:10) Jesus Christ, Opposition to: Jesus crossed the lake (Sea of Galilee) to the west side and to the lands close to Dalmanutha. As soon as He stepped off the boat, the religionists confronted Him. Note that Mark mentions only the Pharisees (Mark 8:11). Matthew says the Sadducees had joined forces with them in an attempt to discredit Jesus before the people.
7. (8:11) Spiritual Blindness—Signs, Seeking: the spiritually blind sought a sign. Note several things.
8. There is a sharp difference between man’s natural and spiritual senses. Man’s natural senses can be very sharp and discerning. He is skillful in drawing conclusions from his observations and experiences of the natural world. Weather is an example. However, when it comes to the spiritual senses, man is dead and undiscerning. He does not observe nor does he experience the spiritual world, not really. The signs of the times are an example.

The people of Jesus’ day had signs. They lived in critical times, times that foretold the coming of the Messiah. A thoughtful and genuinely spiritual person could see the signs. Some did, such as Simeon and Anna (Luke 3:25f).

Some of the signs were as follows.

1. The sceptre, that is, the lawgiver, had come from Judah (Matthew 1:2).
2. The weeks or ages predicted by Daniel were closing out.
3. The predicted return of Elijah, who was fulfilled in the forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist, had come and proclaimed the Messiah to be Jesus (Matthew 3:1-12).
4. The baby Jesus had been born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1).
5. Many throughout the world were expecting the coming of some great person, some Messiah (Matthew 1:18).
6. Many godly Jews were looking for the coming of the Messiah, God’s great Deliverer of Israel (Luke 2:25f).
7. The message and works of Jesus were great evidence, phenomenal miracles given by God to substantiate His claims.
8. The people of our generation and every generation since Christ have had signs.
9. There are the signs of the natural world, the marvels of which are being revealed every day. But men refuse to acknowledge the Creator to whom creation points (cp. Romans 1:20; cp. Romans 1:18-32).
10. There are the privileges of life, the beauty of the world, and the experience of God’s daily mercy. But men ascribe them all to natural happenings or to the laws of nature or to humanistic ability and evolution.
11. There is the Old Testament. But men, while perhaps appreciating some of its history, reject its prophetic promises of God’s Messiah and salvation.
12. There is conscience or consciousness of sin (inner thought). But men deny sin. They deny it even while experiencing guilt and wondering deep within what the truth really is.
13. There is Jesus Christ and His claim to be the Messiah, the very Son of God. But men reject and deny His claim. They reject and deny while extolling the morality and value of all else He taught.
14. There is the death and resurrection of Christ and its enormous effect upon so many down through the generations. But men deny a substitutionary death in behalf of men, and they deny the resurrection despite all the evidence validating it.
15. There are the changed lives of teeming thousands who proclaim that the living Lord has saved them from destruction and indwells their being. But men attribute such change to psychological causes.
16. The reason men are spiritually blind is because of their motive. The motive of the religionists was not open and honest, nor was it the motive of men seeking the truth. They were out to trick Jesus, to disprove His claim and discredit Him before the people. They were out to show Him to be an imposter.

Man can be very intelligent and discerning within the natural world, yet very ignorant and blind to the spiritual world. Too often the reason is his motive. His motive is to discredit the spiritual world, whether by denying and disproving its existence or by minimizing its influence and authority.

If man truly admits the existence of a spiritual world or of a Messiah, then he must surrender and follow the Messiah as Lord, or he must reject the Messiah and await his condemnation. Man does not want to be put into such a position. He does not want a sense, a constant nagging of being condemned, nor does he want to change his life-style. So he closes his mind and says he will believe only if God gives him a personal sign, a miraculous sign, a sign from heaven. And all the while, he expects no sign, just knowing there will be none.

There are, of course, plenty of signs. It is a very simple matter to see God and the spiritual world behind the physical world. Any thinking man who is open and honest and seeking the truth will be touched by God. There is not a chance that God will not open the honest man’s eyes and heart so that he can see and know. Such an honest and seeking man can clearly see that the world shows a Supreme Designer, a Supreme Intelligence and Force, an eternal purpose, a first cause.

The problem is that natural man seeks justification for his worldly motives, desires, and life-style. He does not want to change his life and desires. He wants to do his own thing, to control his own destiny. In fact, man’s morality, desires, motives, and life-style determine his beliefs. Natural man wants to justify himself, prove himself and his thoughts right. He does not want to discover a heavenly world and a spiritual Lord who would demand righteousness and love, total giving and sacrifice. He does not want to be under a Lord who requires all he is and has to meet the needs of a desperate world.

3. (8:12) Spiritual Blindness: the spiritually blind grieved the Lord. There is no excuse for spiritual blindness. Evidence after evidence, sign after sign, work after work can be clearly seen to the honest, thinking man. Yet man continues to deceive his own heart, and he does it knowingly. Man knows that God is; he knows down deep within the quiet recesses of his heart. Yet he outwardly denies, deceiving himself. Such is obstinate unbelief, and obstinate unbelief is both irrational and inexcusable.

Jesus faced a sad fact. The men who were standing before Him were spiritually blind, but they were not ordinary secular men. They were religionists who had the enormous evidence of His life and miracles before their very eyes. Yet even they chose to keep their lives in their own hands and to deny the Son of God who loved them and came to save them.

4. (8:12) Spiritual Blindness—Signs, Seeking: the spiritually blind receive no sign from the Lord. There are seven reasons why “no sign shall be given this generation.”
5. The Jews refused to look at the signs of the times (chose to be spiritually blind) because they were wicked and adulterous. There were never enough signs or evidences to convince them, to change their lives, nor to lead them to turn to God.
6. The Jews were totally unjustified in seeking additional signs from Jesus. There had been sign after sign, miracle after miracle, work after work—enough to lead any man to the firm belief: “Truly, this man is the Son of God” (Mark 15:39; cp. Acts 2:22).
7. The Jews just did not believe. In fact, they did not want to believe. The result, of course, was what always happens to wilful unbelievers: they became obstinate in their unbelief.
8. The Jews did not understand the love and the faith of God, that is, the true religion of God. They failed to see what God was after: faith and love, not signs and works. God wants a man to simply believe and love Him because of who He is and because of what He has done and does do for man. The true religion of God is not a religion of works and signs, but of faith and love in Christ Jesus, His own Son.
9. The Jews sought a sign because they were an evil and adulterous generation. The reason was simple. They were apostates, going after the false gods of works and signs instead of seeking the God of faith and love. In seeking signs and works they were committing spiritual whoredom, turning from God and His Messiah to the false gods of signs and works. (Note: It is human reason that seeks signs and works and proofs. The spirit of man seeks belief and trust and love—the spiritual qualities that bind life together and make sense of life in all its facets.)
10. The Jews wanted signs of their own choosing, not the signs God had chosen to give. Men are always wanting
11. God’s great concern is not “signs from heaven,” signs outside man. God’s great concern is meeting people in their lives and hearts where they really need Him if they are to live abundantly and eternally. God wants to meet people in their sickness and sorrow, corruption and death. Meeting man in the areas of his need is an irrefutable sign given to every generation.
12. (8:13) Spiritual Blindness—Jesus Christ, Rejected: the spiritually blind are left behind by the Lord. Note the force of the words, “He left them.” They refused to believe despite all the evidence. Jesus had no choice. The decision was theirs. He had to turn and leave them.