The Messiah
Scripture Reading — Mark 8:22-30
“Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” . . . Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
Does it seem strange that the blind man in this story can’t see clearly after Jesus first touches him?
If that seems strange, what if I told you that Jesus has touched me many times, and I still can’t see perfectly?
I’m speaking of my spiritual sight. Jesus has touched my spirit over and over throughout my life. Because of that, I can see spiritual things much more clearly than at first. I am getting better all the time at seeing the difference between real joy and pleasure, between waiting to do something and procrastinating, and so on. And the more Jesus touches me, the better I can see. Yet my spiritual sight is not yet close to being perfect.
The people around Jesus also needed a lot of spiritual touches in order to see. This was most true as it related to recognizing who Jesus truly was. Some people thought he was John the Baptist or Elijah returned from the dead. They had the spiritual sight to see Jesus a little but not clearly. Only Peter’s eyes had been opened. “You are the Messiah,” Peter said.
Later on more people would see that Peter was right.
Dear Jesus, you are more than just a prophet or a wise teacher. You are the Messiah—the one who was anointed to take away our sins. Help us to see you clearly. Amen.
About the author — Scott DeVries
Scott DeVries has served as a church pastor and as a ministry coordinator in the Holland, Michigan, area. He currently works at facilitating connections between the more than twenty ministries and 1,100 churches of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. He has a passion for prayer, church organization, and studying the Scriptures in their original languages.
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