The gospel writers were biblical scholars, so it is not surprising that the gospels use inclusio or “sandwiching” a key story within a larger parable. Jesus’ miracles in Mark 8:22-26 and 10:46-52 both have meaning and purpose but also function in the larger context. Both of these miracles involve Jesus curing a man of blindness and served to improve the disciples’ understanding of whom Jesus was. The surrounding text also has important meaning though, because this is where peter misunderstands who Jesus is. The healing of the blind man at Bethsadia, came immediately after the boat scene in which Jesus chastises the disciples for lack of understanding. The miracle serves as a set-up for peters dialogue with Jesus. It is clear that peter has some inclination to whom Jesus really is, however his rebuke that Jesus shouldn’t have to die, shows his understanding is incomplete (8:29). It is clarified further in Jesus miracle in 10:46-52, where a blind beggar called him son of David. This is the root of everyone’s misunderstanding, because they see Jesus as a Jewish prophet or messiah, not Son of God or Son of Man. It is presumed that because of the prevalence of past prophets, the people of this time expected him to be similar. the two miracles involving curing blindness, and their position in the text can be taken as symbolism for the disciples, or specifically peters, blindness. Past prophets such as Elijah or David did not show benevolence and divine power towards all.
Jesus’ benevolence is the key shift he’s trying to convey about the people of God and the kingdom. Political Judaism exclusionary foundations and maintained them through rules and rituals. However through these passages (9:33-37; 9:38-41; 9:42-48; 10:13-16; 10:17-31; 10:41-45) Jesus keeps reminding everyone that through belief in him all will be welcomed. But Jesus seems to be hammering this idea in them, because everyone at the time, including his disciples were heard headed. In 10:17-31, a man asked Jesus if he follows all of the commandments his whole life does that make him good? When Jesus obviously responds no one is good except God, he further asks what more he could do. Jesus has to specify to give all his possessions to the poor, and that money is directly in the way of the people entering the kingdom of heaven (10:23). He is so adamant about this because the conevntional norm was wealth acquisition was unequivocally good and had nothing to do with entering the kingdom of heaven because most of their prophets and role models were kings.