We may not always understand how God works, or why he works in the ways he does, but when he tells us to not “go back into the village,” we need to listen!
Scripture:
Numbers, chapters 28-29; Mark, chapter 8
Mark 8:22-26 (NLT)
When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and let him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?”
The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.”
Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Jesus sent him away, saying, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.”
Observations:
This passage has always baffled me. Why couldn’t the man see clearly the first time that Jesus laid his hands on him? Let’s be clear: the text does not give us a clear answer. I’ve heard many possible explanations, most of them relating to the man’s faith (or lack of it), but there is no indication of that in the passage. We can eliminate any lack of power on Jesus’ part, of course. It’s interesting that Jesus asks the man, “Can you see anything now?” after spitting on his eyes and laying hands on him. It’s almost as though Jesus anticipated that the healing was not complete yet.
The important point is not why the man couldn’t see clearly, but that Jesus did not seem to be surprised by it. Jesus didn’t say, “Oh, no, what happened?” He didn’t chastise the man for a lack of faith. Jesus doesn’t really have a reaction at all. He simply placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. I would suggest that Jesus recognized that in this case, the healing took a little more time.
“Don’t go back to the village”
It’s also interesting that Jesus told the man, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.” The man was in the village when Jesus arrived; there were people in the village who had brought the man to Jesus for healing. So why would Jesus tell him not to go back? Again, there is no answer in the text – but again, we can speculate. In this instance, though, there may be value to our speculation. It seems apparent that something about the people in the village might be spiritually harmful to the man.
The context of chapter 8 includes a brief encounter between Jesus and “the Pharisees” (see vv 11-13). They demanded “a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.” He responded: “I will not give this generation any such sign” (v 12). Perhaps Jesus recognized that the healing could be interpreted as a sign? Or perhaps Jesus was more concerned that Pharisees or others would harass the man, demanding more information and attacking him. (See John chapter 9 for a similar situation after Jesus healed a blind man.) Whatever the reason, it’s important for us to recognize that sometimes after Jesus has helped us, he tells us not to go back to where we were before!
Application:
Two applications stand out as I read this passage today. First, we are so conditioned to believe that God’s answers are always immediate and complete. This healing shows that such is not the case. We don’t know why his healing wasn’t immediate and complete, but it clearly wasn’t. We also know that Jesus wasn’t surprised by that. There are situations when God’s answer takes time for completion, but that doesn’t mean that God isn’t working. He is! We need to trust his work, and his timing, because we know that he is at work for our good in every situation.
Second, God expects an obedient response to his work in our lives. Don’t go back into the village. There are times when our circumstances and our environment have created or contributed to our problem. God doesn’t “fix” the problem just to send us back into the same mess! Now, there are times when God may send us back as a witness to others – but we shouldn’t assume that’s his plan. In fact, we should be very careful about assuming anything when it comes to God!
We don’t have to assume; God reveals himself and his will to us. From the beginning of time, God has demonstrated his desire to reveal himself to us. “Long ago God spoke many times and in many ways to our ancestors through the prophets. And now in these final days, he has spoken to us through his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2, NLT). God wants us to understand his will, and he has gone to great lengths to reveal himself to us. We need to listen!
Prayer:
Father, many times we read your word and find things that we don’t understand. Help us to trust you! If we need to know something, you have proven that you will show us. We know that you are at work in our lives, and we are grateful for the redemption and forgiveness that we have in Christ. Help us to recognize that you are working according to your timetable, and to trust you. Help us each day to walk in your way.
At times, we need to hear you tell us, “Don’t go back into the village.” When you tell us that, help us to listen and obey. And when you do tell us to go back, help us to recognize that you have work for us to do. However you lead us, help us today to do your will, that your kingdom may come in ever greater measure. Amen.
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