Description

Jesus’ question to a newly healed blind man—“Do you see anything?”—comes at the end of a long stretch of people not seeing what is right in front of them. In this episode on Mark 8:11–26 (with context from Mark 7), we watch the Pharisees demand a sign they’ll never accept, the disciples worry about lunch right after two miraculous feedings, and finally a blind man whose physical sight comes in stages—a living picture of how Jesus patiently brings us from spiritual confusion to genuine understanding. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why the Pharisees’ demand for “a sign from heaven” reveals hardened hearts that no miracle will ever persuade
• How Jesus exposes the danger of chasing signs themselves instead of the God who gives them
• The contrast between weather-reading skill and spiritual blindness: experts at reading the sky but unable to read “the signs of the times”
• What Jesus means by “the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod,” and how legalism and worldly compromise still seep into our hearts and churches today
• Why the disciples’ panic over forgotten bread shows how easy it is to miss the meaning of God’s past provision
• How the two feedings (five thousand Jews, four thousand largely Gentiles) reveal the Messianic banquet opened to all nations
• The strange, tender healing in two stages at Bethsaida—and how “I see people; they look like trees walking” mirrors our own half-clear faith
• The deeply personal way Jesus deals with spiritual blindness: taking us by the hand, drawing us aside, touching us again and again until we see clearly
• Practical ways to “remember the loaves” in our own lives—cultivating habits of remembrance so we don’t let petty worries eclipse God’s faithfulness

After listening, you’ll be invited to ask where you may be like the Pharisees—demanding proof on your terms—or like the disciples, preoccupied with trivial concerns while Jesus sits in the boat with you. You’ll come away with a clearer sense of how spiritual sight usually grows in stages, why Jesus refuses to leave us in our confusion, and how to respond to his question “Do you see anything?” with honest confession, expectant prayer, and renewed trust that he himself will open the eyes of your heart.

Series: Questions Jesus Asked

Start Strong: A New Believer’s Guide to Christianity is available now wherever books are sold.

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