He opened his eyes and said, “I see people, for they are walking like trees.”
This answer is unique in the Gospels, because it shows a moment of partial healing. The man’s sight had been opened, but it was not yet clear. This teaches that Christ’s work sometimes proceeds gradually, not from a lack of power, but for a formative purpose. He could give perfect sight in a single instant, but He chooses this course in order to show the nature of the path of spiritual restoration. Many people, when they first come to know the truth, still understand it dimly. They see that there is light, but they do not yet distinguish objects with full clarity. Seeing “people like trees” symbolizes the state in which a person is no longer in complete darkness, yet still does not have clear spiritual discernment. This is comforting for those who, at the beginning of their faith, are still confused. Christ’s work does not stop after the first touch. He who has begun will also finish.