The Messianic Secret (IV)

Sermon on Mark 8:22-26

Today’s passage is yet another sermon on the Messianic Secret. You can observe how this theme is present from the secretive way the blind man was healed. Jesus “took the blind man by the hand”. And he was “led outside the village” and after his healing, he was told not to “even go (back) into the village”. The man now lives in the outskirts of Bethsaida under a new identity. He is pretending to be happy doing his job, forming a family. But really, he is still waiting for Jesus’ permission to let him go back home. It’s such a sad story. If only he had met Jesus slightly later. Then he could be like the famous Bartimaeus in Mark chapter 10. Though they were both blind men who were healed by Jesus, their fates were totally different. Unlike this man who remained anonymous till this day, Jesus healed Bartimaeus in public, in “a large crowd” (10:46). The story of Bartimaeus was repeated both in Matthew 20 and Luke 18. Bartimaeus also went on to become a follower of Jesus. Same healing, yet different endings. Why?

The difference is because soon after the healing of Bartimaeus, Jesus entered Jerusalem. The true meaning of his Messianic identity would shortly be revealed on the cross, and hence there is no longer any need to be secretive. Similarly, in one and half weeks, we will begin the period of Lent where we will reflect on the death of Jesus Christ. This is why this is also my last sermon on the Messianic Secret. When we understand the mission of Jesus through his love and sacrifice, we will come to know him fully. But for now, if focusing only on the miraculous and the supernatural facet of Jesus, a messiah that is without the cross, signs and wonders can be rather misleading. This is why we read in Mark 8: 11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

Jesus was reluctant to use signs and wonders to prove his identity. Yet once again, we see that he was willing to heal this man in Bethsaida. Thankfully, it seems like his method of separating the man from his village might have worked. But why take the risk in the first place? I think the reason that I’ve shared last week, in the healing of the deaf-mute man still applies. [1] And the reason is because healing this blind man conveys the same two important messages. First, when the healing is interpreted literally, healing is understood as part of the signs of the ultimate redemption of God. Isaiah 35 proclaims the wondrous will of God to restore his broken people. Isaiah 35:5 reminds us “Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” When the followers see the blind healed, it prepares them for the ultimate redemption on the Cross. This is the literal interpretation of the healing.

Similarly as last week, this healing of the blind can also be understood as an allegory. The blindness is a metaphor for spiritual blindness. And when Jesus gives sight, it is a metaphor for spiritual understanding. How do I know that such an allegorical understanding of this miracle is intentional? This episode of the healing of the blind man is sandwiched between two episodes where Jesus enlightened his disciples out of spiritual blindness. Let’s read from the preceding passage.

Mark 8: 14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15 “Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
16 They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? ( This itself is a quote from Jeremiah 5:21) And don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.
20 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.”
21 He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

The disciples were blind to the identity of Jesus. They witnessed the feeding of the five thousand. But when Jesus spoke metaphorically of the difference between the Pharisees and Herod’s understanding of the Messiah, using bread and yeast as an analogy, they thought that Jesus was still concerned about food. Jesus rebuked them for their blindness and enlightened them. This is the same with the passage following our verses today.

Mark 8: 27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”
28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Peter might have stated Jesus’ identity correctly as the Messiah, but he merely interpreted it with human concerns. Jesus likewise healed his blindness, to enlighten him on the true mission of the Messiah. In short, the reason for Jesus healing this blind man is the same as the one discussed last week. Understood literally, it is a sign pointing to the ultimate redemption of God. Understood metaphorically, it is showing us the importance of gaining spiritual sight about Jesus from Jesus.

Today’s passage is the second of the two miracle stories found only in Mark. Like the other miracle story, today’s story also involves Jesus applying his saliva disgustingly on the man, this time on the eyes. Interestingly, the man did not see clearly the first time, and Jesus had to put his hands on the man’s eyes once more before he could see clearly the second time. I presume Jesus had to remove the slimy saliva before the man could see properly. (kidding) Yet, we see none of these details in the healing of the blind Bartimaeus later in chapter 10. Bartimaeus was healed simply with Jesus’ word. 10:52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Is it significant for Mark to burden us with these details of Jesus’ extra-strength long-lasting saliva? I believe we can be enlightened if we open our eyes to an interesting story about the Roman Emperor Vespasian, who was likely to be the Emperor during the time when Mark wrote his gospel.

The Histories by Cornelius Tacitus [2]
81. In the course of the months which Vespasian [3] spent at Alexandria, waiting for the regular season of summer winds when the sea could be relied upon, many miracles occurred. These seemed to be indications that Vespasian enjoyed heaven's blessing and that the gods showed a certain leaning towards him. Among the lower classes at Alexandria was a blind man whom everybody knew as such. One day this fellow threw himself at Vespasian's feet, imploring him with groans to heal his blindness. He had been told to make this request by Serapis, the favourite god of a nation much addicted to strange beliefs. He asked that if it might please the emperor to anoint his cheeks and eyeballs with the water of his mouth. A second petitioner, who suffered from a withered hand, pleaded his case too, also on the advice of Serapis: would Caesar tread upon him with the imperial foot? At first Vespasian laughed at them and refused. When the two insisted, he hesitated. At one moment he was alarmed by the thought that he would be accused of vanity if he failed. At the next, the urgent appeals of the two victims and the flatteries of his entourage made him sanguine of success. Finally he asked the doctors for an opinion whether blindness and atrophy of this sort were curable by human means. The doctors were eloquent on the various possibilities. The blind man's vision was not completely destroyed, and if certain impediments were removed his sight would return. The other victim's limb had been dislocated, but could be put right by correct treatment. Perhaps this was the will of the gods, they added; perhaps the emperor had been chosen to perform a miracle. Anyhow, if a cure were effected, the credit would go to the ruler; if it failed, the poor wretches would have to bear the ridicule. So Vespasian felt that his destiny gave him the key to every door and that nothing now defied belief. With a smiling expression and surrounded by an expectant crowd of bystanders, he did what was asked. Instantly the cripple recovered the use of his hand and the light of day dawned again upon his blind companion. Both these incidents are still vouched for by eye-witnesses, though there is now nothing to be gained by lying.

A bible scholar said, “The Blind Man of Alexandria is a story that served to help legitimate Vespasian’s claim to the imperial throne. The Blind Man of Bethsaida leads into Peter’s confession of Jesus as the messiah, but a messiah apparently misconceived in emperor-like terms. Even if this were mere coincidence it seems likely that Mark’s audience would hear one story in terms of the other, but it seems even more likely that there is no coincidence and that Mark deliberately shaped the Blind Man of Bethsaida with the Blind Man of Alexandria in mind.” [4]

In short, in detailing the healing process of today’s story, Mark was highlighting to his readers the contrast between Vespasian and Jesus. Both claimed to be the Messiah. Yet who is the true Messiah? Is it the one with power and influence? Vespasian brought peace to the Roman Empire. But he did this by brutally crushing the Jewish revolt in AD66-70. “In the end, thousands of Jews were killed and many towns destroyed by the Romans who successfully re-established control over Judea.” Or is the Messiah the one who sacrificed himself by dying on the cross? Paul says in Ephesians 2: 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

Allow me to give a short conclusion to this mini-series on the Messianic Secret in the gospel of Mark. If there is one application we can learn, one message we can bring home, it is the importance of knowing Jesus fully. We can be misled by false expectations of what the Messiah should be. We can be distracted by all the signs and wonders that are merely shadows of a full redemption. We are clouded by our personal bias, our hasty judgments and our spiritual dullness. Can you still see clearly? I have arranged for jars of Jesus’ saliva, new and improved formula, outside the hall. Apply it on your eyes three times a day. (kidding) But if that’s not to your liking, may I suggest that we spend time preparing our hearts in the coming period of Lent. One way to prepare would be to follow our daily scripture reading. At the very least, you should read through the gospel of Mark. We go through this process of the liturgical calendar year after year, because we know how critical it is to revisit the life of Jesus again and again. But nothing really goes in and sinks in unless we are ready to be receptive. This is why we have forty days before the actual day, Good Friday. Today, the Messianic Secret is no longer a secret. But revelation only comes when the time is right. We can prepare the way, but you have to prepare your hearts.

[1] Link for the sermon is: http://www.jubilee.org.sg/sermons/id/343/
[2] Tacitus, Histories 4.81
Chinese version taken from http://www.zbjn.com/show.aspx?id=3076&page=6
（81）维斯帕西亚努斯在亚历山大等待着夏天的风与平静的海洋这样一个例行季节的到来，就在这几个月里，出现了许多奇迹表明上天的眷顾和诸神对他的某种偏爱。亚历山大的一个由于失明而为人所熟知的普通人跪到维斯帕西亚努斯的面前，恳切要求维斯帕西亚努斯医治他的失明，因为塞拉皮斯神命令他这样做。这个最迷信的民族所最祟奉的神，就是塞拉皮斯。这个盲人请求皇帝俯允用唾液涂在他的面颊和眼睛上面。另一名有一只手残废了的人也因为受到同一位神的命令而请求凯撒用脚踏一踏这只残废的手。维斯帕西亚努斯起初嘲笑这些请求，并且以轻蔑的态度对待他们；然而当他们坚持请求的时候，他开始有了不同的想法。他一时里担心治不好病而自己丢面子，一时里在请求者的恳请和他的廷臣的谄媚之下又认为有希望能得到成功。最后他问医生们，这种盲目和这种残废是否为人力所能挽回，命令他们提出看法。对这两种情况，他们提出了不同的回答。他们说，在第一种情况下，视力并未完全损坏，如果视力的障碍消除的话，那个人是可以重新看到东西的。但在第二种情况下，是关节脱了节、变了位，如果在医疗上对它加以压力的话，他也是可以恢复正常的。这也许就是诸神的意旨，可能皇帝不过是被选来执行上天交付的任务罢了。但无论如何，如果能够治愈的话，这将是凯撒的光荣；如果失败的话，那末人们嘲笑的就只能是那些可怜的请求者了。因此，维斯帕西亚努斯既然相信他的好运可以做出任何事情来，而且不再有任何事情是不可信的，于是他就微笑着，在旁边侍立的人们的十分紧张兴奋的心情当中按照向他所请求的那样做了。那只残废的手立刻能转动了，而那盲人也立刻重新看见了光明。甚至现在，当谎言并不能取得任何报酬的时候，当时的目击者对这两件事实也还是津津乐道的。
[3] It is important to know Vespasian in light of his role in the Great Jewish Revolt: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespasian#Great_Jewish_Revolt
[4] Eve E (2008). "Spit in Your Eye: The Blind Man of Bethsaida and the Blind Man of Alexandria". New Testament Studies 54: 1–17