Gospel of Mark Bible Part 44: The Blind Man at Bethsaida [Bible Study]

Bible Study Title: The Blind Man at Bethsaida: How Christ Opens the Eyes of the Blind

Scripture Focus: Mark 8:22–26

“And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and pleaded with Him to touch him. And taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He was asking him, ‘Do you see anything?’ And he looked up and was saying, ‘I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.’ Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, ‘Do not even enter the village.’”

Introduction:

We often underestimate how deeply sin blinds the human heart. Last week we traced Jesus’ teaching on sin’s mastery, how those who yield to the desires of the flesh serve sin as a harsh ruler. Scripture exposes these desires plainly in passages such as Galatians 5:19–20, Ephesians 5:3–5, and Colossians 3:5–8, reminding us that these works of the flesh need no scholarly training to recognize. Sexual immorality, impurity, greed, idolatry, wrath, and similar corruptions are obvious because they stand in open rebellion against a holy God.

Today’s passage shows a different kind of blindness. Jesus arrives in Bethsaida, a town long hardened against repentance, where a blind man is brought to Him. What unfolds is the only miracle recorded in stages, not because the Lord lacked power, but because He intended to teach His disciples something vital about spiritual sight. Their physical eyes worked, yet their spiritual perception was dim. They saw, but not clearly. Many believers today know something of the Lord’s saving power, yet still walk with a clouded spiritual vision. Jesus uses this miracle to confront that very condition.

Bible Reading: Mark 8:22–26 slowly, noting the sequence of actions and the unusual two-stage healing.

1. Bethsaida: A Hardened TownJesus’ arrival in Bethsaida brings us near the region where He once fed the five thousand. Friends bring a blind man to Him, pleading for a touch, much like the friends who carried the paralytic in Mark 2:3. Yet Jesus does something deliberate and striking. He takes the man by the hand and leads him out of the village before healing him. After restoring his sight, He commands the man not to return into the town at all.

Why such secrecy? Because Bethsaida had already rejected overwhelming light. Jesus Himself declared, “Woe to you, Bethsaida” in Matthew 11:21, warning that their refusal to repent placed them under judgment. Since they hardened themselves against the truth, the Lord withheld further testimony. Even the results of this miracle were not to be displayed before them.

2. A Miracle in Two StagesWhen Jesus asks the man if he can see, the reply is puzzling: “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” The Lord touches him again, and then his sight becomes clear. This was not a correction of failure. It was instruction. Just moments earlier, the disciples had misunderstood Jesus’ warning about the leaven of the Pharisees. Though they saw Christ’s works, their understanding of His identity remained blurred.

By healing gradually, Jesus enacted before them their own spiritual condition. They saw truth, but dimly. They followed Him, yet struggled to grasp His mission. Many believers today live with this same half-sight. They know the gospel, but not the fullness of Christ’s authority over their lives. Their fruit, speech, and choices reveal vision that remains blurred.

Scripture records various healings of the blind, each accomplished differently: a touch in Matthew 9:27–31, a word in Mark 10:46–52, clay and washing in John 9:1–7. The variety teaches that Jesus heals as He wills, and His methods serve His larger purposes. Likewise, God answers prayer in differing ways. Some answers come swiftly. Some come slowly. Some come differently than we expect. Faith learns to trust the Lord’s ways, not merely His outcomes.

3. God’s Will for Your Spiritual GrowthScripture reveals three clear desires of God for your life. First, He wills that you repent and believe the gospel. “Not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Second, God desires your spiritual maturity. The Spirit urges believers to grow into the full stature of Christ, leaving behind immaturity and pressing toward holiness (2 Peter 3:18).

Third, the Lord wills that you participate in His mission. Christ commands His followers to make disciples, teaching them to obey His word (Matthew 28:19–20). As Paul wrote, “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2).

Growth, however, takes time. Jesus’ question to His disciples applies to us as well: “Having eyes, do you not see?” (Mark 8:18). Many remain spiritually immature not because God withholds growth, but because they resist obedience. James writes, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you…purify your hearts” (James 4:8). Purity begins with repentance, humility, and the renewing of the mind (“be transformed by the renewing of your mind” Romans 12:2).

When the heart is surrendered, the Lord removes the heart of stone and forms within us a heart that loves righteousness.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why do you think Jesus refused to let the miracle be seen in Bethsaida? What does this teach about the danger of persistent unbelief?

2. In what ways do believers today experience “partial sight” like the man after the first touch?

3. How does Jesus’ gentle handling of the blind man encourage you regarding your own spiritual growth?

4. Which of God’s three revealed desires for your life do you struggle with most: repentance, spiritual maturity, or making disciples?

5. How might you draw near to God this week in a practical, intentional way?

Application:

Spiritual sight always begins with repentance and faith. Every believer is healed from the blindness of sin only by the mercy of Christ. Yet clarity does not always arrive at once. Some remain stalled because they cling to sin. Others delay growth because they neglect God’s Word or resist obedience. Scripture warns that those who continue in stubborn sin remain alienated from the life of God (Ephesians 4:17–19).

If your vision feels clouded today, the invitation still stands. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind. Put on righteousness and holiness in Christ (Ephesians 4:20–24). Walk with Him, day by day, and your sight will sharpen.

Memory Verse:

James 4:8“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Closing Challenge:

Are you seeing Christ clearly, or are you still looking at truth as if through a blurred outline? Ask the Lord to give you the next touch, the next measure of clarity, the next step of obedience. Move toward Him, and He will meet you with grace. Each day you walk with Jesus, your sight grows sharper.

Endnotes:

1. Galatians 5:19–20, Ephesians 5:3–5, Colossians 3:5–8, 1 Peter 4:2–3, 1 Timothy 1:9–10, Romans 13:13–14, 2 Corinthians 12:20–21.

2. Matthew 11:21.

3. Mark 2:3.

4. Matthew 9:27–31, Matthew 12:22, Matthew 20:30–34, Mark 10:46–52, John 9:1–7.

5. 2 Peter 3:9; 2 Peter 3:18; Matthew 28:19–20; 2 Timothy 4:2.

6. James 4:8; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:17–24.

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