Following after Jesus #75

After the feeding of the 4000 plus people in Mark 8, we find another event that appears only in that Gospel: 

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

Some obvious questions come to my mind when I read this passage. First of all: Why does Jesus take this man out of town? Why does he lay His hands on him, when at other times He would simply speak? Why did Jesus seem to have to do this miracle twice "to get it right"? And finally, why does He sometimes tell people to go tell others, while at others, like here, He tells him to not even go where he will see people? Jesus likes us to ask questions, if we are sincerely seeking to understand His will and His ways. I'm still sure I don't know all the answers, but we can draw some conclusions. Jesus is more and more pulling away from the mob scene that has developed when people here He is in town. He wants to be heard more than seen.  Notice also that the people who brought the blind mand begged Jesus "to touch him." Jesus did not always do things the way people asked; in fact, He often did things differently or in a different order, like forgiving people before healing their physical ailments. But Jesus is passing through quickly, so he wants these people to witness that it is indeed He Who heals this man.  As for the double touch, this is not because Jesus' first touch was "not enough"; it too was for the sake of this man and the ones who brought him. When Jesus healed other blind men, they did not get to see Him till after they had gone and washed their eyes. This time, Jesus will be leaving right away, and the man will have to get a good, clear look at the One Who healed him, to etch Him forever in his memory.  Finally, Jesus sends this man home, to start there to testify to His power, which is where we all should begin our witness for Jesus.