The Life of Christ - 1884 Author:Bernhard Weiss Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. FBOM CAPERNAUM TO NAZARETH. ACCOMPANIED by His disciples, Jesus landed at Bethsaida (Mark viii. 22), where He had intended to go on the evening... more » following the feeding of the multitude (vi. 45). Scarcely had He arrived when a blind man was brought to Him with the request that He would heal him by the touch of His hand. It had indeed been always the case that Jesus' appearance was the signal for fresh petitions for aid, and He was ever ready and willing to help. On this occasion everything took place as in other days; but yet how great was the difference ! Whenever He saw the blind man, Jesus took him by the hand and led him out of the village (viii. 23). The ordinary guides and leaders of the people did not dare to accompany them. What could be the meaning of this proceeding ? In the first place, it was that divine aid might be accorded to a poor sufferer. Jesus wet the eyes of the blind man with spittle, and laid His healing hands upon him. Then taking away His hands, the blind man opened his eyes. Seest thou aught ? asked Jesus. And at that very moment by God's miraculous power the light of day began to dawn upon him. He began to see. As yet everything was indistinct and shapeless; but already he thought he could distinguish men; for he beheld forms moving about like trees in size. It is evident, therefore, that this was no case of one blind from his birth, the man must once have been able to see; he had some knowledge of the form of things, and his total blindness had only been produced by an affection of the eyes. Once again did Jesus lay His hands upon the eyes, and under the influence of the healing forces which flowed from them the power of sight was re-established. When the happy man now looked up it seemed to him as if his vision was suddenly able to penet...« less