Two miracle stories in Mark act as bookends which work to provide insight into Mark’s view of Jesus. This Jesus is different from the Jesus that was understood by the disciples previously. This starts with Jesus healing a blind man and ends with him healing a different blind man. Mark is giving us an important view into the identity of Jesus. Mark uses this inclusio, and the verses between, as an attempt to reveal who Jesus really is. He is not a just a Messiah, nor just a “Son of Man” or even “Son of God”, but is all of these. Mark’s representation of Jesus’ in chapters 8-10 in which his suffering is made apparent, paints Jesus as the antithesis of the traditional Jewish and Roman view of “Sons of Gods” or “Divine Men”.
The inclusio here is depicting Jesus as different from other divine men. This is done in a number of ways. Mark’s narrative of Jesus in this section records instances of passion predictions and miracles, yet it is written that Jesus wanted the witnesses to keep quiet. Mark’s readers are therefore guided to understand the true identity of Christ as a new age Messiah.
The first miracle of the inclusio is said by some scholars to be a metaphor for the way that disciples and other persons in the Gospel of Mark see Jesus. They partially understand who he is, but not completely. In 8:22, a man is healed (not fully) by Jesus when Jesus spits in his eyes. Then he is fully healed when Jesus covers his eyes a second time. White argues that this is an allegory about how the disciples misunderstand Jesus as Messiah. They can only see parts of Christ, but not him in his entirety.
Mark proceeds to move through several verses in which explain the “true nature” of Jesus as a new messiah. Mark depicts this new messiah as being different from Roman and Jewish tradition. Mark’s Jesus is only fully understood by certain characters in the story — frequently women. These people are then rewarded by Christ as “models of faith” (White). He delights in the women in the story who show examples of unfaltering service and faith. Jesus defends the woman who washes his feet with oil — then — rebukes his doubting disciples.Whereas those in positions of power seem to only see parts of Jesus’ identity, never truly understanding who he is.
Marks passages ultimately help the reader to see a different picture of Jesus and what he is commanding. In 9:34-37 Jesus challenges the views of servants, and children by saying that the last will become first and that those who welcome children are welcoming God, too. This leads up to the last verse in Mark’s inclusio where another blind man is healed but this time Jesus says ” Go; your faith has made you well.” The Bible states that immediately the man regained his sight and followed him.
Throughout this passage, Jesus continuously rewards the faith of those he heals. Mark is creating a narrative in that not only is there a new Messiah, but the good news that Jesus comes to bring is that faith in him will not go without reward. It is written that Jesus’ rewards are available to the very bottom of society: gentiles, women, and children, homeless, etc. It appears that this may even be the focus and that the low-end of society receives Jesus and what he offers more easily than other members of society. Jesus has come to save the sick, poor, and marginalized as well as teach others to do the same. Ultimately Mark is depicting Jesus as a humble servant rather than a king — as many of the jews may have expected — or an almighty God as the Romans might have expected. Mark therein directs the audience to the conclusion that Jesus was more or less misunderstood.