Tag: Belief

Out of Gloom and Darkness, See

Out of Gloom and Darkness, See

Miracle: an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.

Many people today dismiss the possibility of miracles because they struggle to accept that God actively intervenes in human affairs. They may witness or hear about inexplicable phenomena, yet they cannot allow themselves to believe in the evidence of God’s hand at work in people’s lives. For these unbelievers, miracles are simply assurances that science will eventually explain.

For such people, there seems to be no hope, for no matter what the Lord says or does, they have made up their minds that they will not believe. Yet, even in our modern world, stories emerge that echo the divine intervention of ancient times:

Consider the incredible healing of Ema McKinley on Christmas Eve 2011, as reported by CBN News. Wheelchair-boundfor years with a debilitating condition that left her foot and hand crooked, Ema claims that after eight hours of intense pain, “Jesus literally entered the room” and healed her. The next day, she was reportedly walking for the first time since 1993, with her limbs straightened.

In March 2015, in Utah, officers responding to a car accident found a vehicle submerged in frigid water. They reported hearing a mysterious voice calling for help, even though the adult driver had been deceased for hours. Following the voice, they found an 18-month-old baby still alive in the backseat.

And in January 2015, we heard of John Smith’s Revival. A 14-year-old boy in St. Charles County, Missouri, fell through the ice and was submerged for 15 minutes. After medical workers had given up hope, his mother prayed over him in the emergency room, and he reportedly came back to life with no lasting brain damage.

These accounts, like many others, defy easy explanation. They invite us to reconsider our understanding of what is possible when the divine intersects with the human.

The Hardness of Bethsaida’s Heart

In Mark 8:22-26, we read about Jesus’ encounter with a blind man in Bethsaida. Bethsaida was a significant fishing village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, a place where Jesus performed many of his “mighty works” and miracles, including healing, feeding the five thousand, and walking on water. It was also the hometown of several of his disciples.

Yet, despite witnessing such powerful demonstrations of divine authority, the people of Bethsaida, along with those in Chorazin and Capernaum, largely remained unbelieving and unrepentant. This is why Jesus pronounced “woes” upon these cities, as recorded in Matthew 11:21-24: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago…”

What was it about Bethsaida that led to such a rejection of God’s power?

  • Hardness of Hearts: A willful rejection of divine truth, regardless of the evidence.
  • Familiarity and Complacency: They were so familiar with Jesus’ miracles that they lost their sense of awe and wonder. They became unimpressed, failing to celebrate God’s work for others because they constantly thought, “What has God done for me?”
  • Cultural and Religious Prejudices: While Bethsaida had a Jewish population, it was also a Roman city with diverse beliefs. Instead of embracing the gospel, some may have seen Jesus as a competitor to their traditions or worldviews.
  • Lack of Spiritual Discernment: Despite the physical evidence of miracles, many lacked the spiritual insight to understand Jesus’ true identity and the profound implications of His message. They didn’t truly “see” Him because they didn’t truly “know” Him.

Herein lies a crucial lesson: Being surrounded by unbelieving people, those with hardened hearts who willfully reject God and cannot recognize the movement and power of the Holy Spirit could be standing in the way of your miraculous breakthrough. Get out of Bethsaida!

The Two-Step Revelation

The first thing Jesus did when a blind man was brought to Him in Bethsaida wasn’t to heal him instantly, but to take him by the hand and lead him outside the village (Mark 8:23). This often overlooked detail is crucial, as the subsequent two-step healing—where Jesus touched him twice—often distracts us from the significance of where the healing took place. We get so caught up in wondering why it took two touches instead of one that we miss the profound context, essentially being blind ourselves to the deeper meaning within the text.

This two-stage healing is widely seen by commentators as a powerful symbol of the gradual and often incomplete spiritual understanding of Jesus’s own disciples. Their comprehension of Jesus’s identity and mission, much like the blind man’s sight, was restored progressively and often with difficulty. Jesus frequently used such moments as private teaching opportunities, helping His disciples recognize their own spiritual shortcomings as their faith developed. This miracle’s placement in Mark’s Gospel is key: it happens just before Peter confesses Jesus as the Messiah (Mark 8:29), yet immediately after, Peter rebukes Jesus for speaking of His coming suffering (Mark 8:31-33). This sequence strikingly highlights the disciples’ partial yet developing understanding.

Beyond the physical healing, the blind man’s journey also reflects a profound transition from spiritual gloom to dawning belief. When Jesus first touched him, he could only see “people; they look like trees walking around” (Mark 8:24). This wasn’t full clarity, but it was a tremendous leap from utter darkness to perceiving light and form. For a man who had lived in complete hopelessness, surrounded by a community that fostered skepticism and unbelief, even this partial sight was monumental. He had been willing to try anything, but his environment—a “Bethsaida” of worldliness and lack of faith—had undoubtedly infiltrated his spirit.

As he moved from seeing nothing to seeing something, his faith grew, preparing him for complete restoration. Jesus performed two distinct miracles: first, the physical restoration of his sight, and second, a spiritual journey out of the pervasive influence of Bethsaida’s unbelief. Friend, that’s a message for you today: you might not be where you want to be, but God has already begun bringing you from darkness into His marvelous light!

Out of Gloom and Darkness, See Clearly

Verse 25 tells us: “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.” (Mark 8:25). And then, remarkably, Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village” (Mark 8:26). The command is clear: It’s time to come out of your Bethsaida. Open your heart to believing in the power of God.

He is still in the miracle-making business. As Isaiah 29:18 prophesied, “out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see.” In 2011, He picked Ema McKinley up and stood her up straight after a 20-year slump. In 2015, He pulled John Smith out of a frozen lake after being submerged for 15 minutes.

No matter what you are in need of, whatever it is, He can fix it for you. We spend too much time looking for the extraordinary, but we should learn how to thank Him for what He does in the ordinary. As the wise say, “He woke me up this morning. He started me on my way. I should have been dead and gone, but the Lord gave me a new day!”

It’s time to leave Bethsaida, and this time, never go back. With a made-up mind, we can truly embrace the words of the timeless hymn, “Amazing Grace” by John Newton:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,That saved a wretch like me.I once was blind, but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, And grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear, The hour I first believed!

Are you ready to leave your “Bethsaida” behind and truly see what God is doing in your life?

References:

News Reports :

  • Ema McKinley’s Healing: Reported by CBN News in late 2011/early 2012. Specific article details would require a search on CBN.com archives (e.g., “Ema McKinley healing CBN”).
  • Utah Baby Rescue (March 2015): Widely reported by various news outlets (e.g., “Utah baby car submerged mysterious voice”).
  • John Smith’s Revival (January 2015): Widely reported by various news outlets, often referencing SSM Health St. Joseph Hospital – Lake Saint Louis and Lake Sainte Louise in St. Charles County, Missouri (e.g., “John Smith Missouri ice miracle”).

Fingerprints

Fingerprints

My dentist is exceptional. More than a medical practitioner, my dentist has a warm persona that communicates a confidence that makes it easy to relax. If I feel any pain as a result of the work I trust that it was not done out of negligence or malicious intent.  This does not suggest that my dentist is incapable of making mistakes. Nor does it mean I am gullible, believing that everything my dentist does is sincerely for my benefit alone. In fact, I am reminded of my dentist’s shortcomings every time I rub my tongue against my porcelain crown.  Somehow when my crown was molded my dentist’s fingerprint hardened and became a permanent part of the crown. As a result the crown surface is not smooth.  If I had known that there was a fingerprint left on my crown I would not have allowed my dentist to complete the procedure. However, I was too numb from the Novocain to feel the rough surface and missed the opportunity to correct it.  By the time my feeling came back I hardly wanted to return to the Dentist Office.   I remember what the pain was like before I received my crown.  The fingerprint left by the dentist served as a reminder of how important it was for someone to acquire the skill necessary to stop the pain of another person.   It also reminds me that well trained practitioners sometimes leave evidence of mistakes in their work.   Nonetheless, I am a grateful that my dentist is a pleasant person with a warm spirit. Otherwise the permanent evidence of my dentist’s finger tattooed in my mouth would be extremely awkward.

In the same way my dentist is exceptional, are those who provide the biblical witness.  Authors of biblical text were exceptional practitioners of the written word during their time in history.  Apart from its social implications the Bible stands on its own as an exceptional collection of literature.  It will forever be considered a masterful work.  By no means does this conclude that the Bible, an anthology, is inerrant. There are places within the text that are evident of human error. Providing specifics would demand exhaustive explanations, which would redirect the intent of this writing.  Admittedly, one can identify mistakes, misunderstandings, ignorance and misinterpretations in the Bible.  Regardless of such, the Bible is still infallible.  Errant, but infallible; How could this be?   Even with the error of placing a fingerprint on my crown, my dentist accomplished what needed to be done.  Yes, the fingerprint is a mistake, but overall the crown works perfectly. The pain is gone and I understand the intent.  Infallibility, as it relates to the Bible, cannot be defined as something or someone incapable of making mistakes.  Instead, infallibility means the bible ultimately accomplishes what it intends.

The biblical witnesses intended to reveal that God intervenes in human history.  They want us to know that they encountered God. Biblical witnesses struggled with their divine experiences, failed miserably in some instances and triumphed in others.  The Bible is a mere fingerprint of human frailty observed among divine truths. Likewise, the Bible is a mere fingerprint of divine truths observed among human frailty. The fingerprints of human kind are interwoven with the fingerprints of the Divine. In essence, the Bible is an illustration of God and humans holding hands throughout history.

Now that some years have passed I have learned that my fingerprinted crown has served me well. The ridges left by my dentists’ error were not intentional but, they make it easier to shred food which makes for easier digestion. Though my crown is slightly flawed, according to human standards, it proves to work better than the dentist planned.  When we consider the fingerprints of the biblical witness we should remember that they are not without divine intervention. Even with our mistakes God can accomplish more than what we intended.

Read: Romans 8:28