Neighbor Groups: Restore Well-BeingSample

Total Restoration 

If someone spit in your eyes, how would you respond? Anger and confusion would probably only be the beginning. 

What if, to make matters worse, you were blind and didn’t see it coming? 

Now consider this: What if that spit brought healing to your vision and your spirit?

In Mark 8, we see that in addition to the physical and emotional healing Jesus brought, He also cared about spiritual wellness. As Jesus and His disciples arrived in a new town, they were greeted by people who brought a blind man to Him.

Jesus took the blind man with Him out of the town where it would just be the two of them. He could have healed the man publicly, without laying a finger on him. Instead, Jesus took him somewhere private as an act of love and compassion. 

Before laying hands on the man, Jesus spit in his eyes. When the man looked around, he said that he could see, but not clearly. The people he saw looked like trees.

Since the man was able to reference trees, it’s possible that he could see at an earlier point in his life. Some scholars think his blindness could have been caused by scarring, so Jesus’ spit would be soothing. And in the midst of this, trust was being built between the two.

Then, Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, completely restoring his sight. Not only was this man’s physical body healed, but Jesus built his spiritual health by giving him a greater trust in Jesus. 

In this experience, Jesus teaches us that His healing goes beyond our physical well-being. He cares deeply about our spiritual health, too. In healing, our faith is built and our trust in God is developed.

But that’s only part of the restoration. Time after time, we see God restoring dignity and providing purpose to those who have sinned, fallen short, or been victimized. 

Let’s go back to the Gerasene man. After Jesus heals him and provides for his needs, Jesus gives the man a purpose: Go home and tell everyone what happened.

Think about that. One minute, the man is crazed and demon-possessed, and the next, he’s sharing all that God has done for him. What a promotion! 

That’s the kind of life change and total restoration Jesus offers us—no matter where we come from or what’s in our past. 

Like the friends who brought the blind man to Jesus, we get to be a part of bringing people the good news that they’re created in the image of a God who loves them, created them, and has good plans for them. And like the Gerasene man, we get to share about the miraculous ways God has intervened in our story to bring redemption to our brokenness.  

Pray: Heavenly Father, thank You for working all things together for good. I praise You for the miraculous ways You have restored and redeemed my story. Show me how to share all that You’ve done for me with others, and help me live out Your goodness. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Challenge: Reflect on a time when a physical or mental healing built your spiritual health, too. Talk to someone about how that experience helped you understand more about Jesus.