Snapshot Series: "Spiritual Blindness"

Community Group Questions
1. Do you know someone who is spiritually blind to the truth of Jesus?
2. What have you done to try to help help them see the Truth?
3. Have you ever been blinded by the world or religion? Explain?
4. Have you ever had a time in your life in which you didn't understand why something happened but then it became clear some time after? Explain?
5. Do you feel that you are growing in your faith? Why?

Snapshot18 Mark 8:11-26 "Spiritual Blindness"

Not being able to see has to be one of the most discouraging things for person. That feeling leaves us helpless and hopeless.

In tonight's passage we see Jesus challenge the religious who were blind and they were trying to blind others and then Jesus shows that He can heal the condition of blindness.

We understand physical blindness can be difficult but there are greater consequences to Spiritual Blindness.

From this passage we see Spiritual Blindness...

• Ignores the Truth Vrs 11-13
The Pharisees were asking for a sign. They wanted to test Jesus. They did not believe He was from God or the Messiah. Basically what they were saying is "see you can't prove your own claim"

They demanded this sign, tempting him; not in hopes that he would give it them, that they might be satisfied, but in hopes that he would not. Matthew Henry

In the Old Testament a “sign” was not so much a demonstration of power as an evidence that an utterance or action was authentic and trustworthy BKC

The words this generation denoted the nation of Israel represented by those religious leaders. BKC

The issue that Jesus is dealing with here is that we do not test God and ask Him for signs. When Jesus was tempted by Satan he told Jesus to throw himself off the high place and Satan quoted Scripture "He shall give His angels charge of you". Then Jesus responds "not to put God to the test"

Do we do that sometimes?? "God if you really love make this or that happen". "God if you are real work out my problems". In a more subtle way and this is preached in what we call prosperity theology "God pour Your blessings on me and I will serve You" that is an ultimatum and should not be our motivation because what happens to our faith when that is not His plan?

We don't need specific signs nor does God have to prove anything to us. John 20:29 "blessed are those who have not seen yet believe"

The GOSPEL is all we need to know that He cares for and loves us.
Unfortunately many people ignore Truth. Many times when people ignore the truth they start to go against it.

• Leads others away from the Truth Vrs 14-15

Did you know that seeing things the wrong way can be very damaging? (When you are in middle school and you perceive that people are talking about you)
Beware of those who try to blind or blindside you.

Leaven= fermented dough that was left over from last weeks dough to add to the new dough. This would spread through the new dough.

Warren Weirsbe says Hypocrisy is the leaven of the Pharisees, and worldly compromise the leaven of Herod.

Two issues here are Religion and Worldliness
Religion- Thinking we can do something to get to God or earn acceptance from God is what the Pharisees were teaching.

Sometimes people get so stuck and so involved in religion that they are blinded to what Truth is and then they try to blind others as well.
This is why religion can be so blinding, people think they are doing fine because they are religious when in actuality they are far from God. In order to feel that they are on the right track they actually ignore the right track.

When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad, and that is my religion.
Abraham Lincoln
Did you ever meet someone who did not feel bad when the did something wrong? John Wilks Booth "Tell my mother I died for my country" In his diary he said " Our country owed all her troubles to him, and God simply made me the instrument of his punishment"

When we follow a man made invention of God and what He wants and how to get to Him it does not work.

Worldliness- Listening to what the world around us says about truth and right and wrong.
We start to believe and accept the things that the world promotes. We compromise and start calling sinful behaviors ok, or agreeing with the world's philosophies.

Worldliness is what makes sin look normal and righteousness seem odd. David F. Wells

Both of these things lead people away from the truth of Jesus

Jesus combats religion and worldliness by reminding them of Himself because Spiritual Blindness...

• Forgets the Truth Vrs16-21
Jesus in this passage is basically saying. "haven't you been paying attention?"
Vrs 17-18 He asks five questions

Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread?
Do you not yet perceive or understand?
Are your hearts hardened?
Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear?
And do you not remember?

Jesus heals spiritual blindness. Vrs 22-26

Vrs 23-24 this is very interesting because I think a theological point can be made here. Why is it that this man was healed in stages? His vision was blurry but then things became clear.

Andrew Knowles in the Bible Guide says "It is at this point in the account, with both the Pharisees and the disciples suffering from spiritual blindness, that Mark tells us of an unusual healing. Jesus cures a man of blindness, but in two stages. The disciples, too, are about to receive their spiritual sight in two stages. Very soon, Simon Peter will acknowledge that Jesus is the Messiah. But the disciples will still fail to see that being Messiah involves suffering and death. They won’t fully recognize Jesus until after his resurrection."

3 Applications for the 2 stage healing.

1. We trust in Christ for salvation and then after that other things start to become clear. That is why spiritual growth is important.

2. Knowing the Lord's will. There are times when we kind of see things and then clarification comes later. Have you ever had a situation in which things seemed very unclear and then clarification came. At that point you were able to look back and say "that is why that was going on"

3. We will not know all the mysteries of the Lord in this life.

1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

When Jesus comes in He heals our Spiritual Blindness so that we can see that He is the Truth and the Truth of Jesus will set us free.