Focus: Out-of-Town Miracle

Text: Mk.8:23

"And he TOOK the blind man by the hand, and LED him OUT OF THE TOWN..."

In the city of Bethsaida a blind man was brought to Jesus, and the people pleaded with Him to touch him. But Jesus did the unusual. He took the blind man and led him away from the town and away from the crowd, and specially attended to him. The Lord Jesus Christ could have restored his sight right there in the crowd, but he chose to attend to him privately. Jesus will lead you to where He will meet your need. He will take you by the hand to the right spot. Your miracle will happen differently. Jesus leads and cures. He leads and saves. He leads and blesses.

Mark tells us of another instance where the people brought a man to Christ. He had issues with hearing and talking. He was deaf and lacked the vocal cord or the power of speech. Then we read, "And he took him ASIDE from the multitude…" (Mk.7:33). He took the blind man out of the town, and here, he took the deaf and dumb aside.

The lesson from the two stories is that the Lord Jesus Christ doesn't handle every person's problem the same way. Christ is the same, but His ways differ, one from the other. Every issue is not resolved in the crowd. Certain issues need personal attention. Christ took the two men away from the crowd. In fact, the word 'aside' in the Greek means 'private, unique, one's own, separate, individual, or exclusive.' The miracles of Jesus are never mass-produced, but individually crafted and configured, uniquely labeled, and personally delivered.

He calls His sheep by their individual names. In Isaiah 55:3, we read of "the sure mercies of David." These 'mercies' originate from God, but they have David's name on them. There are certain mercies of God that have your name on them.

You are unique in God's eyes. You don't belong to the crowd. Your blessing from God is branded and exclusive. Christ can deliver or heal you as He chooses and in any place of His choice. He can deliver you instantly or in the process of time. He can cure you miraculously or medically. He has reserved a sacred place to handle your issues and deal with your complications. He runs a mobile clinic and provides by-the-corner services for all of life's issues.

Follow Christ as He leads you to a corner or takes you out of town for your total makeover. The word 'restored' used for the blind man is 'apokathistēmi' in the Greek. It means 'to rearrange, reconstruct, reconstitute or reposition' a thing. It's a verb with a double prefix - apo, and kata, and then, histemi. Christ has infinite capacity to rearrange and reconstitute your life. He will restore your individual dignity and social significance. He cares about your spiritual wholeness and physical wellness. Go with Christ. Do not object. Miracle follows obedience. Christ still leads us for the out-of-town miracles. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter