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Mar 15, 2023 18:30pm

Prepare for Each Step

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In 2009, I had decided it might be time to leave the news business. I wanted something different, a career that would be beneficial and helpful to others. Through much research and self-reflection, I had decided I would look into going back to school for Physical Therapy. I met with an advisor and he showed me the classes I would need to take in order to be apply to the program.

“Physics is one of the main things you are missing.”

Worry filled me. Science and math were definitely not my strongest subjects.

“But, if you did well in College Algebra, you’ll get it.”

College Algebra was like a building block to get to Physics. It would be difficult to understand it without having the algebra class first.

This morning, we come to a passage in Mark 8 that is very interesting, and can honestly be a little confusing. Let’s read through and try to shed some light on the passage to gain a better understanding.

“And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 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. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.” (Mark 8:22-26)

Did you notice something unique about this miracle? It is the only recorded miracle that Jesus did in two steps and not immediately.

Jesus first spit on the man’s eyes and his vision is there, but blurry, not perfect. Jesus then puts his hands on the man’s eyes and when the man opened them, he could see clearly.

To understand why Jesus would choose to do this miracle in two stages, let’s look at the rest of the text to gain our context.

In the next portion of scripture, we see Jesus continuing His teaching. We won’t go into great detail today about them, we will save that for tomorrow.

Jesus first asks the disciples who others say that He is and then He asks His disciples who they say that He is. They recognize Him as the Christ, which is a title of Kingship as the Messiah. They know who He is but they don’t quite understand the magnitude of it.

Then, as we begin chapter 9, Jesus takes Peter, James and John up the mountain and is transfigured before their eyes. This revealed His divine nature.

Jesus couldn’t reveal this part of His nature before the disciples understood the first part, that He was the Messiah, the One God had sent, the King that would take away the sins of the world. That had to be the first step and the transfiguration the second.

The miracle in chapter 8 was a great way to show these disciples what they were about to encounter. They too would have their eyes opened in two steps so they could clearly see just who Jesus was.

Sometimes, I just want to jump straight to the finish line. It’s like wanting dessert before you eat dinner. Or jumping to the end of the book before you get through the first part.

Whether it is relationships, our faith in Christ, discipleship, Jesus instructs us that it comes in steps. We can’t jump straight to the end. There’s work to be done to get there. We are constantly learning, building and investing. And there is great joy in those moments that will prepare us for the joy that’s coming!

Side note: I decided not to do PT and the Lord provided a job that was better suited for me where I would help students figure out themselves how to become a PT and other medical professionals. Which in turn prepared me for my current job with Lifeword. God is always working in us, preparing us for that next step. Follow Him!