After the feeding of the four thousand, “the Pharisees came out and began discussing with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, tempting Him” (8:11). Groaning in His spirit, the Lord Jesus said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly I tell you, No sign shall be given to this generation” (v. 12). This time the Pharisees did not come to accuse or find fault but came to seek a sign. Like many today, they pretended to be spiritual. However, the Lord knew their heart, and he refused to give them a sign.
Today certain Christians are sincere. They have received the Lord’s particular healing, and they have become those who can feed others. But meanwhile some are pretenders, hypocrites. They pretend to seek spiritual signs; they pretend that their purpose is spiritual.
In 8:14-21 the Lord Jesus goes on to warn His disciples concerning the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. In verse 15 the Lord says, “Watch! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” In the Bible leaven signifies evil things (1 Cor. 5:6, 8) and evil doctrines (Matt. 16:6, 11-12). The leaven of the Pharisees was their hypocrisy (Luke 12:1), and the leaven of Herod was his corruption and injustice in politics. The Lord warned His disciples to beware of these two kinds of leaven, the Pharisees’ leaven of hypocrisy and Herod’s leaven of injustice.
In 8:16-21 we see that the disciples did not understand the Lord’s word concerning leaven. They were occupied by the thought of bread: “They reasoned with one another because they had no bread” (v. 16). When they heard the word “leaven,” they immediately thought of bread, because they realized that they had not brought an adequate supply with them in the boat. We today are often like the disciples: we may hear a message, but we do not interpret it correctly.
In 8:22-36 we have the healing of a blind man: “And they came to Bethsaida. And they bring to Him a blind man, and entreat Him that He would touch him.” This blind man signifies one who has lost his inner sight, one blinded spiritually (Acts 26:18; 2 Pet. 1:9).
Verse 23 says, “And taking hold of the hand of the blind man, He led him forth outside the village; and having spit in his eyes and laid His hands on him, He asked him, Do you see anything?” By taking hold of the blind man’s hand the Slave-Savior expressed His intimate and loving care in His humanity for the needy one.
The Lord took the blind man outside the village. This may indicate that the Slave-Savior would not let what He intended to do for this blind man be seen and known by the crowd, since He later charged him not even to enter into the village (v. 26). Spiritually, this may also indicate that the Slave-Savior wanted the blind man to have a private and intimate time with Him so that He could infuse him with the element that could recover his sight. All who are spiritually blind need such a time with the Slave-Savior.
For this further particular healing, the Lord then spit in the blind man’s eyes and laid His hands on him. Blindness is related to darkness (Acts 26:18). For sight there is the need of light. The Slave-Savior’s spittle may signify the word that proceeds out of His mouth, a word that conveys the divine light of life to the receiver for the recovery of his sight. The significance of such spitting of the Slave-Savior, plus that of His laying on of hands, was much richer than the significance of His touch. Those who wanted to help the blind man requested only the Lord’s touch. The Lord’s laying His hands on the blind man indicates His identification with him in order to transfuse His healing element into him.
When the Lord asked the blind man if he saw anything, he answered, “I behold men; I see them as trees walking” (v. 24). This may illustrate a person’s spiritual sight. At the initial stage of his spiritual recovery, he may see spiritual things like this blind man beholding men as trees walking. After a further recovery, he sees all things clearly as this man did.
Verse 25 says, “Then again He laid His hands upon his eyes, and he looked intently and was restored, and he saw all things clearly.” This may indicate that after we receive the complete healing of our eyes, we have a clear view concerning the things of God.
Verse 26 concludes, “And He sent him to his home, saying, Do not even enter into the village.” Throughout His ministry the Slave-Savior, as the Slave of God, did not like publicity.
In this message we have seen that the Slave-Savior took a further step to heal people particularly in their hearing, speaking, and seeing organs. After we have been healed in this way, we have the ability to see the things concerning God. In the next section, therefore, the disciples began to see Christ and to know Him.