Seeing Love

“And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.””

Have you ever been so sure that you saw what you think you saw? Seeing is believing, right? Well, how about those times when you were wrong. When what you saw and what was happening were two different things. Isn’t it embarrassing? I mean, we are so sure that what we saw can only mean one thing. Funny how life can play little tricks on us. 

Now, let’s take it a step further. Isn’t it weird that two people can see the exact same thing and yet not see it the same way? In Mark 8:22-26 we see Jesus healing a blind person. In this passage Jesus is fixing a physical condition but many times in scripture Jesus refers to an idea that just because we have eyes doesn’t mean we can see. In those moments I believe Jesus is speaking deeper than the physical. 

What’s interesting is that in both cases, the gap between seeing and not seeing is bridged by God. Just like the blind man in this passage, we may have eyes but that doesn’t mean we can see. So then what does it mean to see? That my friends is the million dollar question. For the answer we must look to the One who has never been blind in any way, Jesus. A group of people bring the blind man to Jesus and beg Jesus to heal him. Then Jesus lovingly accepts the call for help. 

The sight lesson here is Jesus' ability to see the needs of the people instead of seeing them as needy people. Jesus knows all things, but He didn’t dig into their backstory to decide if they were deserving, rather He saw a need and filled it. Then, when He saw that the first healing wasn’t enough, Jesus didn’t send the man away. No, He healed him again. It’s difficult to get the full picture from this one passage but one thing we know is Jesus answers the call of those in need. 

How often have we seen a need and filled it with no questions asked, or have gone beyond what you expected? For those of us who have, I commend you. For the rest of us, maybe the problem isn’t about what we “think”, but about the way we “see”.

Prayer:
Jesus, help us to see people as You see them. To see them with the kind of love that goes above and beyond the call of duty. Then give us the courage to act on it and share it with the world. Amen.