For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations

“Then they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out to the village. Spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, 'Do you see anything?'

He looked up and said, 'I see people – they look to me like trees walking'

Again Jesus placed His hands on the man's eyes, and he saw distinctly. He was cured and could see everything clearly. Then He sent him home, saying, 'Don't even go into the village.'”

(Mark 8:22-25)

God sees the one through the crowds.

He is the God who sees each one of us. Through the crowds, Jesus saw individuals in their places of need. He cares about our individual circumstances and desires for us to be made whole. He wants us to have the fullness of life. Sometimes that can look like a healing or cleansing. Over and over, the gospels demonstrate God's goodness in this way.

However, sometimes this can also look like Jesus seeing us in our disappointment and failure. This is how it looked for Peter when God saw him in his place of betrayal. Jesus turned and looked at Peter (Luke 22:60-62). Peter wept bitterly. But later, this proved to be for his benefit as he was restored and surrendered to God. In this place, He was then sent out (John 21:18)

God also saw Judas in his betrayal. He didn't keep him from this action, but in His love, set him free to make the choice for himself. Having received much, Judas in offense turned from and walked away from God seeking to betray Him. And God let him have His way.

Yet if Judas ever turned back and sought forgiveness from Jesus rather than allowing the cruelty of condemnation to over-take him in his place of remorse, I know without a doubt, it would have been available to him to. One author writes, “Meister Eckhart encourages us to remember that, when we return to God, even if our sins were as great in number as all mankind's put together, still God would not count them against us, but would have as much confidence in us as if we had never sinned.”

Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

“Don't you know I've always loved you, and I always will” sings in the background.

Jesus saw the rich young ruler in his attachment to money...

Jesus saw the Pharisees in their pursing the emptiness of religion and the hard heartedness that resulted from it.

Jesus saw the crowds that were hungry and had compassion on them – filling them all with bread and fish and with more left over.

God sometimes moves with compassion according to the hunger of the people. Once when I was praying for God's Spirit to be released in greater measure once, He spoke to me that He would come according to the hunger of the people. The lack was not from His unwillingness to pour out His Spirit but the lack of hunger for God in the people I was praying for.... they were filling themselves with so many other things.

God helps us to see clearly.

One commentary notes, “Jesus’ healing of the blind man in stages paralleled the disciples’ imperfect perception of Jesus. Like the man, they were no longer blind, but they could not see clearly either. Only the Holy Spirit could clear their vision.” [1]

Sometimes our healing comes in stages rather than healing us all at once. Perhaps it is all we can handle at once or all we are willing to receive.

Sometimes like the commentary notes that the disciples struggled with, our perception is imperfect. Jesus was constantly confronting the disciples for their inability to understand and get what was going on. An example is when Jesus told them to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 16:6-12). The disciples thought he was upset that they forgot bread. Rather they did not understand that He was speaking of religious pride.

Sometimes we are slow to hear and to see. It takes us awhile to get it. While this man was physically blind, sometimes we are spiritually blind and it takes God's power to come and help us to see clearly the forest from the midst of the trees we are standing in front of.

1 Cor. 13:12,

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”

God is good to us... really good.

Throughout the gospels, what is most evident is God's goodness to us. His actions are never inconsistent with His goodness. He is constantly working to call, set free, cleanse, heal, teach...

When John sent his disciples to confirm if it was really Jesus as John was facing His death, Matthew 11:4-5 says, “Jesus answered and said to them, 'Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.”

A.W. Tozer writes, “The goodness of God is that which disposes Him to be kind, cordial, benevolent, and full of good will toward men. He is tenderhearted and of quick sympathy, and His unfailing attitude toward all moral beings is open, frank, and friendly. By His nature He is inclined to bestow blessedness and He takes holy pleasure in the happiness of His people.”[2]

God is not looking down at us scrutinizing all our actions. Rather, His heart is filled with goodness and kindness towards us. He is generous, kind, considerate, gentle, meek, inclusive, merciful... These were characteristics that Moses saw as God let him see all His glory pass by in front of him.

“Show me Your glory” sings in the background.

He was full of love and good intentions to the people who encountered Him in the gospels. However, not everyone received Him. Some (often the proud) responded to Him in wanting to stone Him or crucify Him while others (often the poor), sought Him out.

A.W. Tozer notes that our own attitudes determine our reception by Him. He writes, “Though the kindness of God is an infinite, overflowing fountain of cordiality, God will not force His attention on us. If we would be welcomed as the Prodigal was, we must become as the Prodigal came.”[3]

I would also note that it is our own attitude that determines our reception of Him. If we believe He is an angry God who scrutinizes our every activity, we will hide and avoid Him wherever possible. Job proclaims in Job 7:19, “How long will it be before your eyes are turned away from me, so that I may have a minute's breathing-space?”

But if we believe that He is truly good and kindhearted towards us, we will move toward him in our places of weakness. We will be open to share ourselves in vulnerability, come into the light, and be healed.

Psalm 136:1 proclaims, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love is eternal.” (Also 1 Chron. 16:34)

His goodness helps us to trust... both Him and others.

Lord, I am learning more every day about Your goodness. It seems so never-ending. Thank you for your endless forgiveness and grace. Open our hearts wide to receive and draw us deeper into Your goodness. Give us eyes that see it clearly.

1. Radmacher, Earl D. ; Allen, Ronald Barclay ; House, H. Wayne: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nashville : T. Nelson Publishers, 1999, S. Mk 8:22-26
   
   
   2- 3. Tozer. A.W. The Knowledge of The Holy. Walker and Company. New York, NY. 1961.