“He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.” (Mark 8:23)
Jesus sometimes did things in unexpected ways. Obviously, He could have healed the blind man on the spot, right where he stood, without so much as lifting a finger. That He did not do so provides us with a valuable leadership lesson.
It is important for leaders to understand that it is not immediate results which count, but also the long-range impact the results will have.
Most Bible commentators think that Jesus was teaching His disciples that they were like the blind man who had been partially healed. They saw Jesus dimly…not clearly…and they needed greater illumination from the Holy Spirit in order for their spiritual vision to clear.
Leaders of today, too, shouldn’t be shocked that their followers are slow to grab the big picture. They must repeatedly and intentionally find moments when they can “teach by example” the overall mission of the organization.
It’s worth noting that Jesus is here responding to a need of the moment. This man’s friends brought him to Jesus. Healing a blind man wasn’t on the agenda…speaking from a purely human point of view…but Jesus understood that this “interruption” actually provided a powerful moment for demonstrating His power, His compassion, and His commitment to His overall mission. He was “on task” even though the incident might have seemed like a distraction.
Wise leaders, like Jesus, will calculate their actions to produce the greatest good and to teach the most powerful lessons.
–Some excerpts are taken from *More Leadership Lessons of Jesus*, by Bob Briner & Ray Pritchard.
Thinking Out Loud 