Like Trees
“The man looked around. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.'”
Mark 8:24 (NLT)
This account of Jesus healing the blind man from Bethsaida offers a powerful lesson beyond the physical miracle: it is possible to see, but not clearly. The man began to recognize human shapes, but perceived them “like trees walking.” This image represents a spiritual reality of our time: many see people, but do not recognize them as individuals with souls, emotions, and value. In a society that depersonalizes and dehumanizes, we run the risk of losing compassion and treating others like objects. But Jesus calls us to see with clarity and feel with compassion.
• People are not trees—they are souls with eternal value
Every human being has a story, a need, a wound. They are not numbers, not statistics, not interruptions. They are children of God.
• We live in times where compassion is growing cold
Jesus warned that because of the increase of wickedness, the love of many would grow cold (Matthew 24:12, NLT). Now more than ever, we must protect the fire of God’s love within us.
• Jesus looked upon the crowds with compassion
“I have compassion for these people…” (Mark 8:2, NLT). That should be our attitude too: to see needs before flaws, and to respond with love before judgment.
• We need to ask God to heal our spiritual vision
Like the man who was touched a second time to see clearly, we also need Jesus to touch us again so we can see people the way He sees them.
• Seeing clearly transforms how we treat others
When I see clearly, I no longer treat people as obstacles or “things.” I treat them as Christ would: with dignity, gentleness, truth, and compassion.
“The man looked around. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.'”
Mark 8:24 (NLT)
Think About It:
- Am I seeing people through the eyes of Jesus, or have I become indifferent?
- What areas of my heart need a new touch of compassion?
- How can I show true love today to someone who has been treated like a “tree” by others?