Jesus, the blind man at Bethsaida, and me

 It all started when I asked Carolyn Howard to give a lesson in Relief Society.  The focus talk is "Behold, I am a God of Miracles" by Elder Ronald A Rasband.  She, in turn, asked me to share the miracle of Jesus healing a blind man at Bethsaida.  

It is found in:  Mark 8:22-26:

22  And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

The first thing that struck me initially is "Ooh, gross!  Why did Jesus use spit?"

So I have been thinking about that.  Here are my thoughts on that:  First of all, life has it's gross moments.  That is part of the nature of life on this earth.  

Next, even yucky things can have positive uses.  Jesus can literally make sweet lemonade from any sort of lemons.

Next, we don't know if spit had any sort of significance to this particular person.  Maybe that meant something to him.

Here's another one:  Maybe the blind man thought, "Well, I wanted you to help me to see and you put spit on my eyes?  This must not be a miracle because this isn't what I was expecting and this isn't how miracles are done.

Interesting also is that this miracle was a gradual process.  He put spit on his eyes, and put his hands on him and then he was able to see a little bit- people looked like trees walking around.  Then Jesus put His hands on the man's eyes again and then he could see.

It was a process.  I don't know why it wasn't done instantaneously.  Jesus' most well known miracles are this kind, but I submit that Jesus' most commonly used miracles are the gradual ones.  They are just harder to see.

I can see so many applications to this miracle in my life.

The one I think of is when I was dating Kevin.  He was a good guy and I enjoyed spending time with him but I didn't feel like we had much in common and I couldn't figure out why he kept asking me out because I didn't feel like he acted like he liked me that much.  I just thought, well I will keep going out with him until he stops asking.  At one time, he had even sent me a pie or flowers or something.  I didn't want to make a big deal out of it because I didn't want to lead him on.

Then, I heard through the grapevine that he felt bad that he had been taking me out and sent me flowers and I hadn't reciprocated.  Then I felt bad.  It is hard to read other  people's reactions or feelings and I must have misread how he felt.  Anyway, I felt so bad and was wondering what I could do.  I prayed about it in my evening prayers and decided I would invite him over and make dinner for him and then I could tell him thanks for taking me out, etc. but this is it.

Well, he came over and we had a great time.  I made dinner and we laughed and talked in the kitchen.  Then we he was leaving, it was actually our first kiss.  I didn't have the "thanks but no thanks" talk I was planning on after all.  Well, the answer to my prayer had a different ending and purpose than I thought.  I fell in love with Kevin and we eventually were married.

Here's the gradual miracle part.  My love story isn't what I was expecting or how I expected it to look.  So I almost missed it.  

Miracles are individual and given in a way that will most impact or help the person who is receiving it.  

Just like the Pharisees who didn't recognize Jesus when He came because they were expecting something different.

So this miracle in my life took a while to come about because Jesus needed to help me "see".  

That is how the miracle of Jesus healing the blind man at Bethsaida relates to me.

We need to look for the gradual miracles, which since they are gradual, are sometimes harder to see and we need to have God help us see the miracle if it comes or happens in a way that we aren't expecting.

Shelli's mirror quote

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, once said,

“If you are helpless, he is not. If you are lost, he is not. If you don’t know what to do next, he knows. It would take a miracle, you say? Well, if it takes a miracle, why not?

Boyd K. Packer, in Conference Report, Oct. 1970, 120. He was being quoted in this Ensign article: Amy M. Morgan, "What Mothers Can Learn from the Savior", Ensign, Mar. 2010, 12–15


Thanks Shelli!

Jesus is Mighty to Save

Once when I was working in Primary, in one of the Sharing Times, the children were trying to find in the scriptures all the names of Jesus. When we see other names Jesus is called by or ways He is described, it helps to give us a better sense of what He is all about.

I think of this because, once, when I was feeling discouraged about the "sins which do so easily beset me", Mary Keller in a Young Women lesson, gave a scripture where it says Jesus is "mighty to save." I had never contemplated that before. I know I am basically a good person, but I sometimes get discouraged with my ability to improve myself and become more like Jesus.

On that particular day, I was feeling that I just wasn't Celestial material and I didn't think I could make it. Then when I heard that phrase "mighty to save" I knew it was God wanting me to know that Jesus could do all things, even save me. I need to have more faith and trust in His ability to save me from my sins and shortcomings and weaknesses. This phrase really spoke to my heart and everytime I hear it, I am reminded of this experience and remember that a loving Heavenly Father gave me a reminder that Jesus would be able to save even me if I will allow Him to help me and if I keep going even when it seems hopeless.

I don't remember which scripture she was quoting that day, but here are some scriptures that contain that phrase:

Isa. 63: 1 1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

2 Ne. 31: 19 19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.

Alma 7: 14 14 Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness.

Alma 34: 18
18 Yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save.

D&C 133: 47
47 And he shall say: I am he who spake in righteousness, mighty to save.

I was just listening to the song Amazing Grace. It is such a beautiful hymn. It reminds me of something Bishop MacKay said at Youth Conference a few years ago. He helped us to understand what is meant by "we are saved by Grace". He said that in the Bible Dictionary it says grace is: the enabling power of Christ. So when it says we are saved by grace, it means that we are saved by the enabling power of Christ. This helps us to understand the statement, "We are saved by grace, after all we can do." This is also similar to Jesus being "mighty to save" so I thought I would include it in this entry.

Come Unto Me

I want to tell you about my experience with this scripture. I have heard it and thought it was a good scripture all my life, but the last few years it has taken on new meaning for me:

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

A few years ago I was feeling discouraged about my life and knowing I needed to improve but not seeming to be able to get myself going. The General Relief Society meeting was coming up and I knew it would be good. I knew it would be good for me to go, but in the back of my mind I was thinking, "I know I need something to help kick myself into gear, but if there is too much, I'll be so discouraged I won't feel like trying and I won't do anything. I was praying for help at the time, too.

So I went to the meeting and I was so shocked that the message was (at least what I took from it) that Jesus loves us and wants us to come to Him and He will help us. The Matthew 11:28-30 scripture was brought up.

I was amazed that of all the things I needed to know and do at the time, the message from my Heavenly Father was to Come Unto Jesus and let Him help you. I was even more astonished when at General Conference the next week this again was the message. This same scripture was quoted 4-5 times. I have further been astonished to see that this same scripture and the theme of "Come Unto Christ" has been quoted in every General conference. I will never look at this scripture in the same way. To me, it is a personal invitation to each one of us to feel and benefit from the great love and help of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.