Jesus was on the verge of building a megachurch. The multitudes—thousands, perhaps more than ten thousand—were ready to make Him their king. But just when it looked like Jesus was about to fill the pews with hungry bellies, Jesus hit the brakes and said, “I’m not looking for consumer Christians; I’m looking for committed Christians. I’m not looking for bellies to fill; I’m looking for hungry hearts who want more than the world has to offer.”
In verses 22 through 26, Mark recorded the story of a blind man in Bethsaida, which was in a largely Gentile region, but excavations have found a significant, if not predominately Jewish population in the town. As such, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether the blind man was Jewish or Gentile, but for purposes of illustrating a powerful point in the Gospel, it doesn’t really matter what his race was.
At the age of 30, Jesus emerged from the small village of Nazareth in the region of Galilee; He was baptized by John; tempted in the wilderness; and then came to Galilee preaching that the coming kingdom of God is near. Jesus was one man from the obscure town of Nazareth, walking along the banks of the Sea of Galilee, calling only twelve men to follow Him, yet His message would change the world.
