Mark is the only evangelist who recorded this miracle. It corresponds to the healing of the deaf man with the speech impediment (7:31-36), the only other miracle that Mark alone recorded. This is the only miracle in Mark that was not instantaneous; it happened gradually. Sight is a common metaphor for understanding. The disciples should have seen the deaf man as a picture of themselves unable to comprehend what Jesus said. This blind man also represented them in their inability to understand what Jesus showed them (cf. v. 21). Jesus could and would make them whole as He healed these two physically limited men.
8:22 As mentioned above, Bethsaida Julius stood on the northeast shore of the lake (cf. 6:45). Evidently friends of the blind man led him to Jesus.
8:23-24 Apparently Jesus led the man out of Bethsaida so He could establish a personal relationship with him (cf. 5:35-43; 7:31-37) and perhaps to avoid publicity (cf. v. 26). His willingness to follow Jesus demonstrated his faith. This was evidently one of only three miracles that Jesus did in private that Mark recorded. In all three cases, some disciples were present.
The English translations permit a rather unpleasant interpretation of what Jesus did, namely spitting in the man's face and placing His hands on his head or shoulders. The Greek text allows us to interpret the data differently. Probably Jesus applied a small quantity of His spittle to the man's eyes with His fingers. This action would have made it clear to the blind man that Jesus was restoring his vision. Perhaps the saliva told the man that this healing came out of Jesus' mouth (cf. Gen. 1:3, 6, et al.).
Jesus asked the man, "Do you see anything?"to get him to state what he saw for the disciples' benefit. Evidently the man had lost his vision; he appears not to have been blind from birth. He knew what trees looked like. Blindness from disease was and still is common in many eastern countries.
8:25 Why did Jesus heal the man gradually in stages? Perhaps He did so to show that He could heal in any manner He chose.195Perhaps the man was fearful, and Jesus healed him as He did to accommodate his needs.196Perhaps He did so to illustrate for the disciples that He chose to give spiritual perception one step at a time. Probably Jesus had more than one reason.
"Is this miracle paradigmatic of Jesus' struggle with the disciples? Is Jesus' earthly ministry stage one, during which time Jesus must contend with the disciples who are at once committed to him but afflicted with incomprehension? Is the time following Easter stage two, when Jesus shall have led the disciples, like this man, to see everything clearly'?"197
Mark was careful to record that the man "looked intently"(NASB). Human responsibility played a part in this healing as does gaining spiritual understanding. Nevertheless it is God who is ultimately responsible for the perception.
8:26 Probably Jesus gave this order to safeguard His mission (cf. 1:44-45; 5:43; 7:36). The man appears to have lived somewhere other than in Bethsaida.
With this miracle Jesus fulfilled another aspect of messianic prophecy. The divine Messiah would open blind eyes (Isa. 35:5-6).
