Glasses enable those whose eyesight is not clear to see plainly. Without them, objects appear distorted and it is difficult to see things as they really are. It is the same in regard to spiritual things. Without a true understanding of who Jesus is, it is impossible to clearly see spiritual reality. Unless we recognize Jesus, we cannot understand God’s will for our lives or for mankind. To illustrate this truth Mark tells us about a man Jesus healed.
In chapter 8, verses 22 through 26 of the Gospel which bears his name, he writes, He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him. He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything. He looked up, and said, “I see men; for I see them like trees walking.” Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.””
At first, this miracle seems very strange. Jesus could have healed this man instantly as He did many other people. Instead, Jesus chose to grant him sight in two stages. Why? Although Mark does not tell us the reason, we can learn it by recalling the previous incidents Mark recorded. Remember that Jesus had fed two large groups of people with just a few loaves of bread and a few fish. One of these groups contained about 5,000 men, the other 4,000. Even though the disciples witnessed Jesus’ creative act – making more than enough food from almost nothing – they did not grasp the fact that Jesus was far more than a miracle worker. He was actually God in the flesh, come to live among men. Mark records that hardness of heart prevented the disciples from understanding. It was as if they saw a little of the truth, but only dimly. Their vision was distorted by their own preconceptions and ideas of what God’s Christ must be like.
The disciples were not the only ones who had trouble seeing clearly. The religious leaders kept asking Jesus for a sign from heaven. Because they refused to see the signs Jesus had already given, they remained blind to spiritual reality. Jesus’ true identity remained hidden from them. When Jesus touched the blind man and asked whether he could see, the man replied that he could, but that people looked like trees. It was after he admitted that he could not see clearly that Jesus healed him completely. It is only when we confess our spiritual shortsightedness that Jesus will grant us further insight.
After this incident Jesus metaphorically asked the disciples about their spiritual vision. In verses 27 through 30 Mark writes, “Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others, one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” He commanded them that they should tell no one about him.”
To their credit, the disciples had a better understanding of who Jesus was than most people. Like many today, many of the people of Jesus’ day were more than willing to acknowledge that He was a prophet. They accepted that Jesus came with a message from God. However, Jesus was much more than that. Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ. For hundreds of years prophets had told the Jewish people that, one day, God would send the Christ to them. Who or what is this Christ? The word ‘Christ’ means ‘The Anointed One’. The Christ would not only be God’s spokesman as a Prophet, He would also act as the High Priest who offered a sacrifice to atone for man’s sin, and God would also give Him supreme authority to rule as King. To put it another way, the Christ would be a person whom God selected for the task of redeeming and judging mankind. Peter recognized Jesus as that person.
Unfortunately, the disciples’ spiritual vision was still not entirely clear, even though they acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ. In verse 31 through chapter 9, verse 1 Mark writes, “He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.” He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? For what will a man give in exchange for his life? For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his Father’s glory, with the holy angels.” He said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, there are some standing here who will in no way taste death until they see God’s Kingdom come with power.””
Peter’s idea of the Christ was very different than reality. Like many today, he thought that suffering, humiliation and death was beneath God’s Chosen One. But Peter was thinking in terms of worldly power and wisdom. He did not understand how God works. He did not realize that in order to give us life, it was necessary for the Christ to die. In speaking against the sacrifice which Jesus would make Peter became the mouthpiece of Satan.
Jesus extended the lesson: To seek safety was, in fact, to lose everything. It is possible to gain the whole world and still lose what is most important – your soul. The only way to save one’s life is to give it up for the sake of Christ and the Gospel. The only way to gain heavenly honor is to not be ashamed of Christ in this world. A true disciple must be willing to follow his Master’s example by going to the cross. In other words, he must be willing to sacrifice all for Christ, just as Christ would sacrifice Himself for mankind. Are we willing to give up all, including our life if necessary, in order to save our soul? Jesus began His ministry by proclaiming the Kingdom of God was near. Now He announced that some who were listening to Him would not die before the Kingdom of God came.