This was written on June 30, 2009:

The other day, I was looking at the verses in Mark 8:22-26:

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. And He sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village."

One of the commentaries I have loaded in my Bible study software pointed out that Bethsaida, while being the hometown of Andrew, Peter, and Philip, was included in the Jesus’ list of towns (in Matthew 11:21) that had not repented after seeing His miracles (the feeding of the five thousand had taken place nearby—Luke 9:10-17) Perhaps that is why Jesus led the man out of the village. He would not allow them the privilege of seeing yet another miracle performed in their town.

Two things about this passage struck me. The first was that the man’s friends had brought him to Jesus. They were the ones that asked Jesus to heal him. It seems as if the man didn’t have faith of his own. And then, Jesus did not heal him all at once. Can you imagine the blind man’s building excitement when he began to see moving shapes? If he had begun with no faith, it surely must have grown substantially at this point! Jesus knew exactly what this man needed to experience. The second thing that struck me was that Jesus seems to have come to Bethsaida this time only to do this one miracle. He came to Bethsaida, healed the man, and then left for Caesarea Philippi.

Jesus comes to us as individuals, knowing what each of us needs to believe and trust in Him. Sometimes we do not have the necessary faith of our own to start with, but friends can come to Jesus on our behalf, and God honors their faith, building up our faith and trust in the meantime.