And he sent him away to his house, saying,
Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.
All Commentaries on Mark 8:26 Go To Mark 8
Bede
AD 735
In Marc., 2, 34: Knowing that the touch of the Lord could give sight to a blind man as well as cleanse a leper. It goes on, “And He took the blind man bythe hand, and led him out of the town.”.
Seeing indeed the shapes of bodies amongst the shadows, but unable to distinguish the outlines of the limbs, from the continued darkness of his sight; just as trees standing thick together arewont to appear to men who see them from afar, or by the dim light of the night, so that it cannot easily be known whether they be trees or men.
Or else, He leaves an example to His disciples that they should not seek for popular favour by the miracles which they did.
Or else, putting spittle into the eyes of the blind man, He lays His hands upon him that he may see, because He has wiped away the blindness of the human race both by invisible gifts, and bythe Sacrament of His assumed humanity; for the spittle, proceeding from the Head, points out the grace of the Holy Spirit. But though by one word He could cure the man wholly and all at once, still He cures him by degrees, that He mays hew the greatness of the blindness of man, which can hardly, and only as it were step by step, be restored to light; and He exhibits to us His grace, by which He furthers each step towards perfection. Again, whoever is weighed down by ablindness of such long continuance, that he is unable to distinguish between good and evil, sees as it were men like trees walking, because he sees the deeds of the multitude without the light of discretion.
