Day 11: A Second Touch

Mark 8:22-25

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.

Comments

No explanation is given here as to why this blind man received on the first attempt a partial healing rather than perfect sight. There is no indication Jesus was actually unable to heal him fully on the first try or that Jesus was in any way concerned by his lack of total success.

What stands out in this story is simply that a second touch made it possible for this man who had once been totally blind to now see everything clearly.

Reflection

To what extent did your first encounter with Christ bring wholeness and spiritual vision into your life? Have you had a “second touch” since that time?

Are you in need of (and open to) a second touch if you have not yet had one? Or a third? Or a fourth? Or maybe a hundredth?

Prayer

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who touches our lives with healing and hope again and again and again. Help us not be content with spiritual vision that sees people ‘like trees walking’ or anything less than your creation made in your image.