"I Once Was Blind...'till Someone Spit On Me. Amazing"

S-Mark 8:23-25, "He 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? He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly"

O-This is a fun passage of scripture. A man is blind and the people around him were moved with compassion and led him to Jesus. Jesus then uses spit to bring about a miracle...gross. I mean, come on, that's a little strange. Imagine being led by some people who are saying that a man can make you see, and when you finally get to the man of God, the picture of love, the healer of the world-he spits on you.

Now I don't know about you, but if I was him, I would be confused and a little upset to say the least. And there's no way (yes I know that you aren't supposed to start sentences with "and", but I'm trying to be conversational. Don't be a grammatical pharisee.) that I would get spit on and say with smiling lips, "oh, thank you Lord for choosing to save me with your symphony of sanctifying saliva! Yes spit on me! And if need be, hock-a-loogie and make me whole!". I just don't see that happening. He must have been confused. I mean read it! Jesus doesn't even say hello. He just takes him by the hand, out of the city-during that time I'm sure the blind man is saying how much He's heard about Jesus, maybe He's a little embarrassed, and afraid because He's following someone He just met...based on the testimony of those who knew Jesus earlier. And after a while Jesus stops, faces him, (the man prepares himself for a miracle, "This is finally it!", and then...)...spit-on-eyes. Such a weird scripture.

However, in reading this I notice that Jesus not only did something that would be offensive, unexpected, and strange ( kind of like when we get saved, we are asked to repent and come to the cross in brokenness and humility)...Jesus put His hands on him and asked, "what do you see?". This reminds me of someone who truly is getting saved and giving their life to God. When we come to God, it usually begins from the testimony of others. After we are guided to the hand of Christ, He immediately takes us out of our city-asking us to walk away from our old life (old culture/mindsets), for the purpose of seeing something different. This blind man is then, in a sense, baptized, with a new life and a new vision. He is now born into the kingdom, he "looks up", and is asked what he sees. His answer is people-however, it's a little fuzzy. Jesus touches Him again, and it becomes clear.

A-My application is that I think that when I am led by Jesus, He will lead me away from the mindsets that keep me blind, and lead me to clarity of vision and purpose. I am going to seek God to give me clarity of vision in the next four weeks for this season of my life-because now, I see that my vision is people, but I'm not quite sure what to make of that. I need Him to touch me again and again.

P-Dear God, help me to be led by you, out of my old mindsets, and to not be afraid of any crazy thing thing you may ask of me or do to me :) I trust that you have your hands upon me and know what you are after in my life.

I can see clearly now the rain is gone. I can see all obstacles in my way...I forgot the rest, but I do know it's gonna be a bright, bright sunny day :)

That song is appropo. (You're welcome Ryan.)