One of my favorite stories in the Bible is when they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Jesus had to lay his hands on the blind man twice. This miracle is so interesting and fascinating that I don’t think that I have ever heard a sermon on this miracle. Do pastors think that people might feel that something went wrong with the miracle that Jesus had to do it twice? Would it put doubts in people’s minds that maybe their conversion experience was only partial?
“And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. 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 asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “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. Mark 8:22-25
The first time the blind man was touched he looked at men and only saw partially. The second time that Jesus touched the man, the man looked intently at Jesus and saw clearly. How do we know this? Because the only way we will see clearly is if we look intently at Jesus. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” the Scripture says in John 1. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God, who became flesh and dwelt among men. He was crucified, died and was buried and rose again after three days. He lives today. When we become a Christian, His Holy Spirit comes and lives within us. The Holy Spirit enlightens His Word and when we look intently at His Word and abide by it then we see clearly. We must learn to sit at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to teach us through His Word and by His Spirit. If we are still receiving our food from other Christians then we will remain babies in Christ and won’t learn to eat of the meat of the Word of God that we might grow to maturity. When we look to men, even godly men, then we will only see partially.
But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25
When we look intently at the perfect Law of liberty, which is the Word of God, then not only will we grow to maturity but the Lord promises to bless us in what we do. The importance of God’s commands is punctuated by the greatness of His rewards. The Lord wants us to learn to live according to His Word and if we will do it then He promises to bless us in what we do. In other words, the Lord will give us success.
Instructions To A Young Life 