The blind man(beg) for dlms
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Answer:
The Healing of a Blind Man (Mark 8:22-26)
by Kelly R. Iverson
Mark 8:22-26 is one of the more striking accounts in all the Gospels. The healing of the blind man is the only canonical episode in which Jesus attempts to heal an individual but is not immediately successful. Although the man’s vision is ultimately restored, Jesus must provide a second healing touch to accomplish the miracle.
What else is happening around Mark 8:22-26?
Exploring the surrounding context can help us to understand a particular Bible passage. It is worth noting that Mark’s Gospel contains two episodes involving blind men (Mark 8:22-26, Mark 10:46-52). Even more noteworthy is that the two accounts bookend, or frame, a section of the narrative. Often referred to as the “way section”—since Jesus and the disciples are making their way to Jerusalem—the unit begins with the two-staged healing in Mark 8:22-26 and concludes with the healing of a blind beggar named Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. Not only is the section set off by two healings, it also incorporates three passion predictions (Mark 8:31, Mark 9:31, Mark 10:32-34). In each instance, Jesus reveals that he must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die. Following each prediction, the disciples fail to grasp Jesus’ teaching.
This intentional literary structure suggests that Mark has a rhetorical effect in mind. The healing accounts that frame the section, along with the repetitious passion predictions and misunderstanding, indicate that the episodes are best interpreted together.