“22 Then they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?”
24 He looked up and said, “I see people — they look to me like trees walking.” 25 Again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and he saw distinctly. He was cured and could see everything clearly. 26 Then He sent him home, saying, Don’t even go into the village.”
Mark 8:22-26
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Recalling the lack of faith in Nazareth, where Jesus did few miracles, this account of the two-step healing of the blind man is yet another indicator that God does not just force Himself on us, but desires us to desire Him.
This blind man was brought to Jesus, he did not seek Him out. Those who brought him begged Jesus to heal him, this was not the request of the man himself. And so, Jesus honors the faith of the friends, but first secures the heart & faith of the man who needs Him.

As much as you and I would love to just flip a switch in someone else’s head sometimes, we cannot force faith on anyone. It’s not for a lack of power on God’s part, but the simple fact that He gave us free will to operate with, and that decision belongs to each and every individual. It is our choice to listen to God. It is our choice to follow after Jesus. It is our choice to seek Him out in times of trouble. It is our choice to live a life of thanksgiving. It is our choice to find our hope in Him. It is our choice to love Him, trust in Him and to receive the free gift of grace through Christ in faith. It is our choice to then live in obedience to Him, and to walk as Jesus walked.

This blind man apparently was skeptical. He didn’t seem to have a faith that was his own, just looking at the simple facts laid out in the narrataive. And so, as He always does, Jesus meets this man where he is and helps to stir faith in his heart. Where this man maybe lacked a working knowledge of Jesus, maybe lacked faith in God in general, we don’t know, what we do know is that this partial healing brought faith to life in His heart, and so Jesus then completes the miracle once the man understands and believes.

As we GoLove others for the sake of Christ, we will encounter people with some faith, no faith and lots of other stages in between, and we need to meet them where they are, just as Jesus would. We may have some relationships that need to be built and developed, and we may need to share more and more of our own story with Jesus with some people than we do with others. Don’t be frustrated when more is required in order to reach the heart of another human being for the sake of Christ. Faith and miracles are sometimes big and obvious, and other times, they are quiet, slow and subtle. Either way, God is honored and glorified when hearts are turned toward Him. Be patient in your work and service, and do that work that is required for any and every situation.