Step 25

Not Seeing Things Clearly

About Mark: The text and explanation below show how this section is central to Mark's Gospel. It occurs at approximately the middle page of his Gospel. 

The spiraling structure of the series of events beginning at Mark 6:30 comes to its climax here, with Peter's recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, the Saviour long predicted in the Old Testament. This is the response Mark has been hoping his readers will make to the evidence placed before them. 

But recognising that Jesus is the Messiah is not enough. The Messiah in the popular mind was very different to the Messiah depicted in the Old Testament. Their selective images of the Messiah from the Old Testament, and their own political dreams, had created an expectation of a Messiah as a conquering king who would drive out the Romans. 

This was far from the role of the Messiah that the Old Testament predicted, or that Jesus would fulfil. And the disciples were as woolly in their thinking about this as everyone else. Unless they rightly understood the Messiah, they would mistake what was involved for the Messiah's followers.
 

Bible: Mark 8:22-9:1, Jesus Cures a Blind Man at Bethsaida 

22 They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Can you see anything?" 24 And the man looked up and said, "I can see people, but they look like trees, walking." 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Then he sent him away to his home, saying, "Do not even go into the village."

Peter's Declaration about Jesus 

27 Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" 28 And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. 

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." 34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." 1 And he said to them, "Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the kingdom of God has come with power."
 

Comment: NOT SEEING THINGS CLEARLY 

AT BETHSAIDA a man with seeing difficulties is healed. This is the only miracle of Jesus where several divine touches are necessary to give perfect vision. By placing a story of miraculous sight in a context of discussion about perception and sight (8:18-19), Mark hints at a subtle message he want us to receive. 

Clearly what follows shows that "seeing" the mission of Jesus the Messiah is a process of revelation requiring a number of stages. In the account of Peter's confession, there is one level of perception to view Jesus as "one of the prophets" (28), and quite another to view Jesus as Peter did, "You are the Messiah" (29). 

And there is still a further step to understand that "the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again" (32). Although Jesus immediately sets about helping the disciples to see this, this is a revelation that Jesus must reiterate again and again through the rest of the story. 

Peter's confession has been called the hinge of Mark's Gospel; everything leading up to this point has been written to show that Jesus is the Messiah; everything leading on from this point showing that the Messiah must suffer. The latter may account for the recurring instruction here not to tell anyone (7:36, 8:26, 30). The whole story about the Messiah must be seen. It is one thing to see Jesus as the Messiah, but we need a second touch to perceive that his mission calls for suffering, both for the Messiah (31-33) and for his followers (8:34-9:1).

That is why at one moment Peter speaks a divine truth (29) and the next moment voices a devilish lie (32). It is blurred vision, not yet seeing everything clearly (25), to view Christianity without a cross. In this manner the two-stages of emerging vision for the blind man have their parallel in the two-stage emergence of understanding of the disciples about Jesus and his mission. 

Discipleship today: "Taking up the cross" is a metaphor for an ignominious death. It means the same as "denying yourself" (34) with the added reminder that yielding the right of totally living your life for yourself, and totally living for God as Jesus did, may be scorned, derided, and rejected by others. 

But what of the alternative? "Gain even the whole world, and forfeit your life," or "lose your soul" as older versions said (36). How many people have found that living for the material world imperiled their lives, even destroyed their lives. It's a profound irony. Keep your life for yourself, and you'll lose it. Give up your life to God, and you'll preserve it (35). As ever, the choice is ours. Once again, Jesus confronts us with decisions about what we choose to live for.