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They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 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. Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village." (Mark 8:22-26)

"Jesus sent him HOME..." Mark 8:26

In this passage of Scripture, we read about a blind man who was brought by some people to Jesus who was at Bethsaida at that time. Jesus leads him from inside the village to outside the village, where he regains his sight. Once his sight is restored, Jesus sends him away to his home, saying “Don't go into the village.” Note the two-fold instruction of Christ:

a) Go home
b) Do not go into the village

Based on the above two instructions the following can be inferred regarding the blind man:

a) His home was not in the village. If it was, Christ’s two fold instruction would contradict itself.

b) He is quite able now to travel on his own from where he is presently (outside the village) to either the village or his home. This infers that he once had sight and is well acquainted with the respective routes.

c) Where he currently is, is neither the place where he has come from (village) nor the place he is destined to go (home).

Now for convenience sake, I want to depict the three locations we find in this story with alphabets:

Inside the village – A;
Outside the village – B;
Home – C.

I am a big believer in the plans God has for my life. Suppose God’s plan for me is to get to C, I have often wondered why God won’t take me directly from A to C. Why does He have to take me to B before he sends me to C? Why doesn’t He send me directly to C instead?

Well there is a principle I learn from this. Notice the word “led” i.e Jesus “led him outside the village" or rather from A to B. Interesting observation. So I see that it is not possible for me to deduce or interpret God’s plan for me based on where God is leading me today. God may seem like He is leading me to B today but that is not an indication of where God will eventually send me (C). Have you ever wondered how you can be a recipient of magnificent dreams and great promises, and yet in real life, where you are headed seems like a mockery of where you are apparently supposed to be?!!

During this process, bystanders may ridicule you being led to B and deep down you may have a hunger to convince them that God will eventually take you to C. When God’s plan for you is to prepare a table for you (C), He may not lead you to a hotel, but instead Shepherd you into the presence of your enemies (B)! (Psalms 23:5a, author’s paraphrase). When God’s plan for you is the Prime Minister’s palace (C), He may not train you in a school of politics, but instead lead you into a pit and then promote you to a prison (B). Do not be bitter towards the brothers that God may use to lead you there. They are just God’s generals executing the Master’s command to bless you. (Genesis 45:4-8) When the place you are being led to apparently seems to contradict God’s plan for you, always tell yourself –it’s not over yet! It’s not over till its over.

But why then is point B so important in our journey towards point C? At point A, I had all the support of the people around me whom I trusted and relied on. Christ leading me to point B detoxifies me from everything I trusted on and familiarized with for my existence, security and comfort. For most of us, this is brought about through a series of painful experiences that we rather not talk about. However, God will not spare the hurt because He is adamant that “His glory He will not give to another” (Isaiah 4:10, 11). Eventually, when I do see the dream come to pass, I will know as sure as I know my name, that it was not my heritage nor my ability nor the people in my life that brought me thus far. On that day, I will repeat after the Apostle Paul, “I am what I am by GRACE.”

“Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come
T’was grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me HOME ”

– John Newton 1725-1807

'Jesus sent him HOME ....' Mark 8:26

Nothing to say

Click here to read Luke 14:1-6

"...they had nothing to say" Luke 14:6

Jesus asks them a question in verse 3: “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” The Bible says that in response to this question “they remained silent.” In response to their silence, Jesus takes the man with the disease, heals him and sends him on his way. This obviously is indicative to the Pharisees and the experts in the law about what Jesus thought regarding the law that concerned the healing on the Sabbath. As if he were explaining His actions, he goes on to ask them another question: “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” The Bible says that in response to this question “they had nothing to say.” In other words, even if they wanted to respond, they could not. If experts in the law came to a point “where they had nothing to say” it obviously means that there was nothing in the entire law that they could quote to either add or subtract to what Jesus had said.

The exposition to why Jesus healed that man is summed up in this one question: “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” There are several truths about God that is imbibed in that one question. I would like to extract and expand on just three of out of the many:

Truth # 1

Imagine your son falls into a well. Now what could have been the cause behind his fall into the well? It could have been his mistake. It could have been a mishap. It could have been the result of an evil ploy by someone. You could perhaps think of several other reasons as well. However, there is one reason that can NEVER be true: You as the parent would have never purposefully done anything to make the boy fall into the well. In other words, Christ implies that the disease did not originate in God. O what a blessed assurance of His goodness! That God’s thoughts towards us are for our “welfare and not for harm.” (Jeremiah 29:11) God’s plans and thoughts for your life are to bless you and not to harm you.

Truth # 2

Imagine your son falls into a well. You will resort to every available means to rescue him out of it as soon as possible. Why? Because if you don’t, the loss is yours. The son’s hurt, is your hurt. The son’s struggle is your struggle. What Jesus was implying was that the disease bothered God as much as it bothered the man. O what a blessed assurance of His compassion! “When Jesus saw Mary weeping and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved….Jesus wept” (John 11: 33, 35). Let me paraphrase something I once heard Ravi Zacharias saying: “What touches me about Jesus is not that he wept. It is the fact that He knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead in a few minutes, yet still He wept.” The compassion of the Lord for you is never ending.

Truth # 3

Imagine your son falls into a well. Jesus asks the question “…will you not immediately pull him out” Only a person that is near the well, yet has not fallen into the well can pull him out. The Adamic nature in me caused me to fall. Christ was born into this world as the Last Adam, yet He did not fall. If He had fallen into the well also, He would have never been able to pull me out. O what a blessed assurance of His power! “Therefore he had to become like his brothers in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2: 17) The Gospel has the power to lift you from the well no matter how many times you’ve fallen.

A parent will pull his son out from the well because of his LOVE for him. A parent will consider the JOY when the son is eventually out of the well. A parent will exhibit PATIENCE in pulling the son out, even if it is a tedious process. A parent will abound in GENEROSITY to use whatever resources possible for the son’s rescue. A parent will stand by the son in FAITHFULNESS throughout the rescue and after the rescue. A parent will certainly treat the son with GENTLENESS if something like this were to occur. A parent will resolve to SELF CONTROL of any manner in order to help the son. Jesus’ initial question was “Is it LAWFUL to heal on Sabbath or not?”

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. There is NO LAW against such things” (Galatians 5:22, 23)

May the goodness, compassion and power of God fill your life (regardless of your falls) till every other tongue around you has “nothing to say.”