Mark 8:23

And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. HE TOOK THE BLIND MAN BY THE HAND AND LED HIM OUT OF THE TOWN. Of the deaf-mute man it is merely said that "He took him aside" (); but this blind man He led by the hand out of the town, doing it Himself rather than employing another-great humility, exclaims Bengel!-that He might gain his confidence and raise his expectation. AND WHEN HE HAD SPIT ON HIS EYES - the organ affected. See the note at . AND PUT HANDS UPON HIM, HE ASKED HIM IF HE SAW OUGHT....

22-26 Here is a blind man brought to Christ by his friends. Therein appeared the faith of those that brought him. If those who are spiritually blind, do not pray for themselves, yet their friends and relations should pray for them, that Christ would be pleased to touch them. The cure was wrought gradually, which was not usual in our Lord's miracles. Christ showed in what method those commonly are healed by his grace, who by nature are spiritually blind. At first, their knowledge is confused; but, like the light of the morning, it shines more and more to the perfect day, and then they see all things clearly. Slighting Christ's favours is forfeiting them; and he will make those who do so know the worth of privileges by the want of them....

Verse 23. _AND HE TOOK THE BLIND MAN BY THE HAND_] Giving him a proof of his readiness to help him, and thus preparing him for the cure which he was about to work. _LED HIM OUT OF THE TOWN_] Thus showing the inhabitants that he considered them unworthy of having another miracle wrought among them. He had already deeply deplored their ingratitude and obstinacy: Matthew 11:21. When a people do not make a proper improvement of the light and grace which they receive from God, their _candlestick is removed _- even the _visible Church_ becomes there extinct; and the _candle_ is _put out _- no more means of spiritual _illumination_ are afforded to the unfaithful inhabitants: Revelation 2:5. WHEN HE HAD SPIT ON HIS EYES

LED HIM OUT OF THE TOWN - Why this was done the sacred writers have not told us. It might have been to avoid the collecting of a multitude, and thus to have escaped the designs of the Pharisees who were attempting to take his life, and chiefly on a charge of sedition and of exciting the people. On this account Jesus chose to perform the miracle alone, thus showing that while he did good, he desired to do it in such a way as to avoid the “appearance” of evil, and to prevent, at the same time, ostentation and the malice of his enemies. SPIT ON HIS EYES - Why this was done is not known. It was evidently not intended to perform the cure by any natural effect of the spittle. It was to the man a “sign,” an evidence that it was the power of Jesus. The eyes were probably closed. They were perhaps “gummed” or united together by a secretion that had become hard. To apply spittle to them - to wet t...

EXPOSITION MARK 8:1, MARK 8:2 The opening words of the first verse seem to imply that our Lord remained for some time on this, the north-east, side of the Sea of Galilee. THE MULTITUDE BEING VERY GREAT. The word here rendered "very great" is παμπόλλου, a word not to be found anywhere else in the New Testament. But according to the best authorities, the true reading is πάλιν πόλλου; so that the words would run, _when there was again a great multitude. _It has been supposed with some reason that, as an old ecclesiastical Lection began with this chapter, this may have led to the substitution of παμπόλλου for πάλιν πόλλου, in order to make the Lection more complete in itself, avoiding this reference to the context. In the origina

AND HE TOOK THE BLIND MAN BY THE HAND,.... Not for the sake of touching him, in order to heal him, as they desired, but to be his guide: AND LED HIM OUT OF THE TOWN; to shun all appearance of vain glory and popular applause, being willing to do the miracle in a private manner; and because of the obstinacy and unbelief of the inhabitants of this place, who were not worthy to be witnesses of such a cure; see Matthew 11:21; AND WHEN HE HAD SPIT ON HIS EYES; not as a cause of healing him; for whatever use spittle may be of to such that have weak eyes, it can have no causal influence upon, or be of any service, in a natural way, to a blind man to restore his sight unto him: AND PUT HIS HANDS UPON HIM; as he sometimes did, when he healed persons of any disorder: HE ASKED HIM, IF HE SAW OUGHT; any object whatever, whe

Mark 8:1. _In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: and if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness._ Why did they not ask their Master what he could do in such an emergency as that» After so much experience of his power as they had already had, it is wonderful that they did not refer the matter to him, and say, «Lord, thou canst feed the multitude; we beseech thee do it.» But they did not act so wisely; instead, they began questioning about ways and means. «From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wi...

AND HE TOOK Our Lord's action here is most significant, Having abandoned Bethsaida to judgment (Matthew 11:12). He would neither heal in that village, nor permit further testimony to be borne there (Mark 8:26). The probation of Bethsaida as a community was ended, but He would still show mercy to individuals. Compare (Revelation 3:20). Christ is outside the door of that church, but "If any man hear My voice," etc....

CHAPTER 8 __ 1. The feeding of the Four Thousand. (Mark 8:1. Matthew 15:32) 2. The Pharisees ask a sign. (Mark 8:10 .Matthew 16:1) 3. The Warning against the leaven of the Pharisees. (Mark 8:14 .Matthew 16:5 .) 4. The healing of the blind man. (Mark 8:22) 5. Peter's Confession. (M

THE BLIND MAN OF BETHSAIDA. This cure is described and wrought in a thoroughly popular manner. The use of spittle (Mark 7:33) was widespread in those days. A similar cure is attributed to Vespasian (Suet. _Vesp._ ch. 7). HNT adds a Greek parallel, Alcetas Halicus. The same being blind saw a vision. The god seemed to come to him and force open his eyes with his fingers, and he first saw the trees which were in the temple. To take this story as symbolizing either the education of the disciples (Loisy) or the conversion of Israel in two stages (Bacon) is to misunderstand the naï ve popular character of the gospel....