Mark 8:22–26 Jesus Opens Our Eyes So That We Would See God

The Text

Mark 8:22–26 (CSB)
²² They came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him.

²³ He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”

²⁴ He looked up and said, “I see people—they look like trees walking.”

²⁵ Again Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes. The man looked intently and his sight was restored and he saw everything clearly.

²⁶ Then he sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

The Devotion

Again, when we read about the miracles of Jesus Christ, we have to think beyond, "Christ can open the eyes of the blind." We will not get what Christ is doing here until we realize that you and me, as the children of Adam, as born sinners, as all of us who have fallen short of the glory of God, are blind.

You and I might see the material world. But we cannot hope to see not just the spiritual world but all of absolute reality.

Remember what Christ said to John's disciples?

Isaiah 35:5 (CSB) Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Without God dwelling in our hearts, we are all born blind.

Look at how all unbelievers approach God and his word: they cannot believe it. Mostly because they cannot see it.

Look at how people in the church who refuse to see things in the Spirit: they approach the Bible with pure modern reasoning and wholly reject the supernatural.

And we end up reducing the Bible to, "That's your opinion and this is my opinion and somehow we are both right."

Truth is that God alone is right and where the Bible is clear, we must see it with unblurred eyes. When the Scriptures are unclear, then we fully, utterly depend on the Spirit to open our eyes and change our minds to understand God's will.

When we do not see the absolute reality of Christ, we will end up in hell because we will not see our real destination nor the path we are walking.

Listen, the Bible is clear: this is not on your effort but on the will of God.

Let me explain.

Christ has to open our eyes: we are not satisfied with anything we see in this life

Ecclesiastes 1:8-9 (CSB) All things are wearisome, more than anyone can say. The eye is not satisfied by seeing or the ear filled with hearing. 9 What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done; there is nothing new under the sun.

Let me ask you: are you satisfied? Are you content? Do you keep going after more money, more success, more work, more kids, more busybody, more gossip, more slander, more silly myths, more social media, more coffee, better cars, better house--more alcohol, better weed, more porn, better porn, more control of other people, more "justice", more doing the right things...

Haven't you tried it all? Did it satisfy you?

I have seen all the porn. I feel like I have. I have seen more porn then everybody in here put together times a million. Did you work in porn? I did.

At the end of it, all I saw was the void and the darkness and emptiness and despair. It didn't satisfy my heart and my soul. And I kept digging further and further into hell until Jesus saved me.

Until you see this, you will not want to see the light of Christ. In the light of Christ, your sins and my sins are exposed and we now see how far really are--but it is only then we can see just how good Jesus is.

Christ has to open our eyes: if not, we run straight to hell

Matthew 5:29 (CSB) If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

If Christ did not say this, then I wouldn't dare such a strong statement.

Here's the real kicker: the Bible does declare that certain sins are not outright and obviously destructive:

1 John 5:16-17 (CSB) If anyone sees a fellow believer committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, he should ask, and God will give life to him—to those who commit sin that doesn’t lead to death. There is sin that leads to death. I am not saying he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that doesn’t lead to death.

You know what we don't have to figure out: which sins I can dabble in that don't lead to my destruction here on earth. God makes that clear.

Colossians 3:5-8 (CSB) Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, God’s wrath is coming upon the disobedient, and you once walked in these things when you were living in them. But now, put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language from your mouth.

Revelation 9:20-21 (CSB) The rest of the people, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands to stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see, hear, or walk. And they did not repent of their murders, their sorceries, their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

These things led to certain destruction and death here.

All sins, without the bloodshed of Christ, will led to hell.

Christ has to open our eyes: in that moment, we are not destined for hell

Psalms 16:10 (CSB) 10 For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay.

To his people, to the ones he has saved, to the ones who have received the gift of repentance, we are saved out of hell and death and decay.

But the Christian knows that this new life is more than a free "get out of Hell" card.

Christ has to open our eyes: so that we can NOW see the will of God

1 Corinthians 2:7–12 (CSB)
⁷ On the contrary, we speak God’s hidden wisdom in a mystery, a wisdom God predestined before the ages for our glory.

⁸ None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, because if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

⁹ But as it is written, What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived— God has prepared these things for those who love him.

¹⁰ Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.

¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

¹² Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.

Christ has to open our eyes: now we get to worship him, sing to him, see and fear him

Psalm 40:3 (CSB) He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and they will trust in the LORD.

In other words, we get to obey him.

Until he open our eyes, even the good things we have done were sinful acts against him--Isaiah 64:6 makes this abundantly clear. Because all of the good acts we do outside the glory of God are infected with our own sin: pride, lust, idolatry, rage, etc..

Until we are in Christ, all of our good acts are a waste--trash in the sight of God.

We need Christ in order to good. We need God to obey God and not ourselves.

Christ has to open our eyes: this is the gospel commandment

Psalms 34:8 (CSB) Taste and see that the LORD is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in him!

Christ has instructed all of us to repent of all of our sin and turn to him and enjoy him forever.

We want good. Go to the only God that is good. See him. Taste his goodness.

Christ has to open our eyes in order to see the goodness of God and then be counted as righteous in his site

Matthew 6:22-24 (CSB) “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness!

People buck against the either or statements of Paul and I have heard so-called ministers reject Paul's epistles. Paul clearly states either you are in the flesh or in the Spirit--there is no in-between (Romans 8). But for us to reject Paul is the reject the preaching ministry of Christ Jesus.

In other words, if Christ opens your eyes, your whole body will be full of light because Christ is the light of men. If you remain blind, you will be filled with darkness because that is what you are born with and that is what you keep choosing to do every moment of your life.

Repent for the kingdom of God is near, here, and forevermore.

Christ has to open our eyes: how else are we to see the face of God

Psalms 11:7 (CSB) For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds. The upright will see his face.

Christ has to open our eyes: how else are we going to be perfectly satisfied

Psalms 17:15 (CSB) But I will see your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied with your presence.

There is no other way. I've tried. There is nothing at the end of everything.

Christ says, "Come to me, all of you who are heavy burden and I will give you rest."

Christ has to open our eyes: how else are we going to see the goodness of God

Psalms 27:13 (CSB) I am certain that I will see the LORD’s goodness in the land of the living.

Christ has to open our eyes: how else are we going to have life

Psalms 36:9 (CSB) For the wellspring of life is with you.By means of your light we see light.