18 Having eyes, do ye not see? and having ears, do ye not hear? and do ye not remember? 19 When the five loaves I did brake to the five thousand, how many hand-baskets full of broken pieces took ye up?' they say to him, 'Twelve.' 20 'And when the seven to the four thousand, how many hand-baskets full of broken pieces took ye up?' and they said, 'Seven.' 21 And he said to them, 'How do ye not understand?'
22 And he cometh to Bethsaida, and they bring to him one blind, and call upon him that he may touch him, 23 and having taken the hand of the blind man, he led him forth without the village, and having spit on his eyes, having put 'his' hands on him, he was questioning him if he doth behold anything: 24 and he, having looked up, said, 'I behold men, as I see trees, walking.' 25 Afterwards again he put 'his' hands on his eyes, and made him look up, and he was restored, and discerned all things clearly, 26 and he sent him away to his house, saying, 'Neither to the village mayest thou go, nor tell 'it' to any in the village.'
27 And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, to the villages of Cesarea Philippi, and in the way he was questioning his disciples, saying to them, 'Who do men say me to be?'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 8:18-27
Commentary on Mark 8:11-21
(Read Mark 8:11-21)
Obstinate unbelief will have something to say, though ever so unreasonable. Christ refused to answer their demand. If they will not be convinced, they shall not. Alas! what cause we have to lament for those around us, who destroy themselves and others by their perverse and obstinate unbelief, and enmity to the gospel! When we forget the works of God, and distrust him, we should chide ourselves severely, as Christ here reproves his disciples. How is it that we so often mistake his meaning, disregard his warnings, and distrust his providence?
Commentary on Mark 8:22-26
(Read Mark 8:22-26)
Here is a blind man brought to Christ by his friends. Therein appeared the faith of those that brought him. If those who are spiritually blind, do not pray for themselves, yet their friends and relations should pray for them, that Christ would be pleased to touch them. The cure was wrought gradually, which was not usual in our Lord's miracles. Christ showed in what method those commonly are healed by his grace, who by nature are spiritually blind. At first, their knowledge is confused; but, like the light of the morning, it shines more and more to the perfect day, and then they see all things clearly. Slighting Christ's favours is forfeiting them; and he will make those who do so know the worth of privileges by the want of them.
Commentary on Mark 8:27-33
(Read Mark 8:27-33)
These things are written, that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. These miracles of our Lord assure us that he was not conquered, but a Conqueror. Now the disciples are convinced that Jesus is the Christ; they may bear to hear of his sufferings, of which Christ here begins to give them notice. He sees that amiss in what we say and do, of which we ourselves are not aware, and knows what manner of spirit we are of, when we ourselves do not. The wisdom of man is folly, when it pretends to limit the Divine counsels. Peter did not rightly understand the nature of Christ's kingdom.