Have you ever noticed that there is a pattern to the kinds of conditions and illnesses that Jesus heals in the New Testament? For example, on more than one occasion Jesus heals leprosy (Matt 8:1–4, Mark 1:40–45, and Luke 5:12–16), paralysis (Mark 2:1–2, Matt 9:1–8, John 5:1–17, Matt 3:1–6), he brings two people back from the dead (John 11 and Matt 9:18–26), and he restores hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind. Of all the perversions and illnesses known to the human condition, it’s striking to me that much of Jesus’s healing ministry is focused on a small collection of conditions. I think the reason for this is that these conditions are symbolic of various forms of spiritual healing and restoration. That is, the point of these stories extends beyond physical healing.
Leprosy, for example, isn’t just a disease, but also a symbol of a stigma, condition or circumstance that causes individuals to be estranged, marginalized, or disenfranchised from the worshiping community and ultimately from God. The message behind Jesus healing leprosy is that Jesus brings healing that removes barriers between God and people. Jesus offers healing that causes restoration for those who have been estranged. People who were on the outside can now return because of Jesus.
There is a sequence of miracles in Mark that all work together to communicate a single message (Mark does this often in his gospel). The sequence begins in Mark 7 with Jesus healing a deaf man. Immediately following this, Jesus feeds four thousand people with just seven loaves of bread (Mark 8:1–10). Then Jesus is on a boat with his disciples and they are hungry and complaining that they don’t have any bread. Jesus gets frustrated with them and rebukes them. Jesus says,
“Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8:17–21)
Through the repetition of several similar phrases here, it’s evident what Jesus is cofounded at their lack of perception. They just don’t get it. They lack spiritual perception and intelligence. This very point links up with the initial miracle in the sequence in which Jesus heals the blind man. He asks them (rhetorically):
“Do you not yet perceive or understand?”
“Are your hearts hardened?”
“Having eyes do you note see, and having ears do you not hear?”
“Do you not yet understand?”
This isn’t only a theme in this section of Mark, but we find it again and again throughout the New Testament. The phrase “Whoever has ears let him hear…” communicates the same point (Mark 4:9; Matt 11:15, 13:9, 13:43; Luke 8:8, 14:35, Revelation 2:29, 3:22, and more). The simple fact is that there are some who respond positively to Jesus and his teachings, and others who want to destroy him, and your relatioship to Jesus will greatly determine your worldview.
The point here is that some people are deeply perceptive and intelligent when it comes to spiritual matters (by God’s grace and indwelling of the Holy Spirit) while others are in utter darkness. Jesus, however, is willing and able to illuminate us to eternal, sustaining, and life giving truth by way of the Holy Spirit.
There are (at least) three conclusions we can derive from this. First, we shouldn’t be surprised at all to find strong and bitter division in the world. We’re seeing it more today than ever in my lifetime. The division is explained by the simple fact that some are completely blind while others have their eyes opened. This means that people see and value things very differently.
Second, do you realize that only Jesus can open the spiritual eyes and ears of individuals? There are many circumstances in which people’s perception can only be changed by Jesus. Facebook and Twitter rarely change people’s opinions. CNN, NBC, or Fox News, no matter how hard they try, cannot illuminate the hearts of humanity in an eternally meaningful way—only Jesus can.
Third, are your eyes open? Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to illuminate your heart? Can you hear Him when he speaks?
