I wrote once about how the larger context helps us to understand why Jesus took two tries to heal the blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26). I offered two theories that both fit the data.

1. To provide a picture, a living parable, of his two tries to heal the disciples’ spiritual blindness.
2. To provide a picture, a living parable, of the two stages of sight the disciples must go through to understand who Jesus is.

Here now is a clear piece by Benjamin Gladd arguing in favor of that second theory. He walks through the text, highlighting what is happening in Mark’s larger argument regarding the disciples. In the process, Gladd demonstrates how to read the story of the blind man contextually and carefully.

Check it out!