One day, I decided to wear my husband’s glasses and I realized that I could barely see. I said to him, isn’t it amazing how the same lenses that help your vision make my vision worse. In short, we look at life through different lenses, but the important thing is that the lenses help us to see clearly.

In the gospel of Mark 8:22-33, our Lord Jesus Christ grants his disciples the opportunity to see clearly through His lenses.

The Blind Man’s First Touch ““I see men like trees, walking.”

It starts with Jesus’ encounter with the blind man. The first touch of his eyes by Jesus only made him see humans like trees,

The Blind Man’s Second Touch “Saw Everyone Clearly”

It was after the second touch that made him receive a clear vision. I believe it was an imagery of how Jesus was going to open the eyes of his disciples that they may see as God sees.

The Disciples’ First Touch “Who do men say that I am?”

After the healing of the blind man, Jesus and his disciples  went on their way to Caesarea Philippi, on their way  Jesus asked them saying to “Who do men say that I am?” They responded as, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”. I believe this was Jesus first touch of the blind’s man eye asking him what he saw. Just as the blind man, they did not see clearly.

The Disciples’ Second Touch “But who do you say that I am?”.

The second touch was manifested when Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?”. Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”

Now! Their eyes could see clearly, to behold Jesus Christ as the Messiah. 

With the disciples’ new lenses, Jesus now was able to speak to them from the same visual perspective. “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.”

I believe, this was a heavy and tragic revelation for the disciples to accept that their friend, Lord, and their teacher would go through betrayal and crucifixion.

Beloved, sometimes we ought to know that not all difficult situations we face are the works of the devil. Sometimes it is God working things out for a glorious outcome.

Just like the olive, it has to go through the shaking, beating and pressing for the oil to flow.  – Jekalyn Carr (Gospel Musician)

Although Christ had opened their eyes, Peter still felt the need to close his. He went back to the comfortable way of seeing. It seems the lights penetrating the new vision was too much for him to contain. So Peter decided to rebuke Jesus. Jesus resisted Peter and He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not^[b]mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

By rebuking Jesus, Peter switched his lenses to see from a human perspective, not God’s perspective.  Beloved in Christ, God’s perspective is daring, it calls for us to be bold and courageous. Often times I feel that is how most Christians are viewing things from humanity’s perspective and not God’s.

Humanity vision and perspective is set on the pursuit of happiness, instead of the pursuit of the joy in the Lord, fellowship with God, doing God’s will, Obeying God’s word and living life for God’s glory. Humanity’s vision’s perspective seems attainable within human abilities, it makes humans feel good and comfortable and even worse it could lead us into evil works and dishonor God.

God’s vision and perspective lead us into eternal life, God’s will and God’s glory. It is filled with grace, mercy, love, truth, beauty, and honor unto God. Although all great and wonderful outcomes but the road is narrow, the journey is filled with trials and temptations but God’s grace and help sustain us. Peter almost missed it but he had Jesus to set him on the right track, today we have the Holy Spirit, God is with us constantly teaching, helping, leading, guiding and strengthing us to be mindful of the things of God and keep our eyes on Jesus.

Beloved in Christ, please let us pray that we will always be mindful of the things of God, that our hearts will be intertwined with God’s heart. May the Spirit of God give us the courage and boldness to pursue what we see through God’s lenses and stand in faith in Jesus Christ that all things are possible to those who believe. Always remember that Jesus Christ dearly loves you because He died for you 🙂