The gospel of Mark is loaded with parables. One might say that the book itself is one big riddle. Mysteries abound, including such as the question of how to inherit eternal life (10:17), and the true identity of Jesus himself (8:27). For Mark, seeing / hearing / perceiving / understanding are the keys to the "secret of the Kingdom of God" (Mark 4:11-12). What exactly is the secret of the Kingdom of God? In the parable of the sower (ch.4:1-20), Jesus compares "people" with the "seed" that is sown. After explaining the parable to the disciples, he continues:
Mark 4:26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain - first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”
33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.
In Mark's gospel, Jesus often heals the blind and the deaf. Whether these stories truly happened or not, I believe they contain symbolism. Only the characters who can clearly "see" and "hear" Jesus are truly capable of understanding that he is the anointed one, whose mission is to die - and this is the way to the Kingdom of God. When Jesus heals the blind and deaf, I believe it is symbolic - Jesus is helping those characters understand who he is and what he came to do. The healing of the blind man at Bethsaida is one of my favorite examples:
Mark 8:22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 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?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25 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.
People? Trees? Hmmm, that's a weird vision. Surely it must mean something?
Well, you can't have a kingdom without people, right?
And remember - what did Jesus say the Kingdom of God is like?
It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.
Did Jesus give the blind man a glimpse of the Kingdom?
You decide!
Thanks for reading!
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