Why Did it Take 2 Steps For Jesus to Heal?

In Mark 8, Jesus takes two steps to heal the blind man, but why not just one? “And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to Jesus and implored Him to touch him. Taking the blind man by the hand, He brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I see them like trees, walking around.” Then again He laid His hands on his eyes; and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly. And He sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village,” (Mark 9:22-26 NASB1995).

The main issue with this passage is we do not get much context for why Jesus did this, but there are a few perspectives out there. Some have also believed this to be a sort of parable. We see this healing in between two events. Prior to the healing, the disciples are lectured for a lack of understanding and trust: “And they had forgotten to take bread, and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember, when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.” “When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.” And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?” (Mark 8:14-21 NASB1995). Mark ends with Jesus asking, “Do you not yet understand?”

We get our healing story, and then Jesus asks who he is to them: “Jesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am?” They told Him, saying, “John the Baptist; and others say Elijah; but others, one of the prophets.” And He continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” And He warned them to tell no one about Him,” (Mark 8:27-30 NASB1995).

To review, Jesus rebukes them for weak faith, heals the man, and then questions who they and others believe he is. Jesus may have been using the situation as a sort of parable of faith. At the moment, they are part-blind, they can see but a blur for they doubt him. Soon, they will know who he truly is with no doubt. He is the Christ our savior, the Lord almighty.

Another possible conclusion is that is may have been to make it more personal. It may have been to test the blind man's faith as people brought him to be healed by Jesus, it was not his personal decision. It is possible Jesus wanted the man to demonstrate his own faith. Jesus wanted the man to demonstrate his own personal faith in Jesus.

For whatever reason Jesus did this, we cannot be entirely sure, but I believe these two perspectives (or possibly they both may be true) give us a fair answer.

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