2. A BLIND MAN CURED AT Mark 8:22-26 22 And they come unto Bethsaida.--This is not the Bethsaida in which Peter, Andrew, and Philip had formerly lived, but another Bethsaida, afterward called Julias, which was situated on the east bank of the Jordan, just above its entrance into the lake of Galilee. This is evident from the fact that Jesus and the apostles had crossed from the west to the north-east side of the lake, to reach the place. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him.--This man had become blind by disease or some other cause as seen from verse 24. His friends brought him to Jesus to be healed by him. They had faith that he could do it. 23 And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village;--So as to guide him in walking. This shows his willingness to help the helpless. Why he took him out of the village the sacred writers have not told us. and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, Seest thou aught?--Why this was done no one knows. There was no peculiar power or medical virtue in these acts. The miracle is remarkable for its external applications similar to that of the deaf man. (Mark 7:33.) 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men; for I behold them as trees, walking.--He could see men walking, but indistinctly. This shows he was not born blind, or he would not have known how trees appear as distinguished from men but having lost his sight, when it was partially restored he received distorted vision of the men about him, so that they appeared tall and rough in their outline like trees. 25 Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked stedfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly.---The second touch of the hand of Jesus completed his restoration. Jesus adopted this method of cure to give variety to the manifestations of his power by showing that he could heal in part and by progressive steps, as well as by his more usual method of effecting a perfect cure at one word. This cure was not less miraculous than others, but rather more so: for it was really the working of two miracles, each effecting instantaneously all that was intended by it. His sight was completely restored. It was foretold that the Messiah should open the eyes of the blind. (Isaiah 29:18.) We have the account of several miracles of healing the blind. (Mark 10:46-52; Matthew 9:27-31; Matthew 15:29-31; John 9:1-7.) All go to show Christ to be the true Messiah. 26 And he sent him away to his home, saying, Do not even enter into the village.--Had he gone into the town seeing, or had told persons what had occurred, the whole population might have gone out in pursuit of Jesus, and thus the privacy which he was seeking to maintain would have been broken up.