The Blind See – Matthew 9:27-31

Do blind people see anything? Seems like a strange question, but it really refers to whether blind people see something with their minds rather than their eyes. People who have been blind from birth say they don’t see anything, not even black and they don’t dream in visions. People who have become blind may see things in their dreams and may have visual hallucinations that may take the form of recognizable shapes, random shapes, and colors, or flashes of light. This is the Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS), which may be permanent or temporary.

Jesus met, or we should perhaps say was stalked, by two blind men who were desperate to be relieved of their blindness. He tested their earnestness by not immediately responding to them.

And as Jesus passed on from there, two blind men followed him, crying aloud, “Have mercy on us, Son of David.” When he entered the house, the blind men came to him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, saying, “According to your faith be it done to you.” And their eyes were opened. And Jesus sternly warned them, “See that no one knows about it.” But they went away and spread his fame through all that district. (Matthew 9:27-31 ESV)

This is the second, or actually the third, of a third triad of miracles (while Jesus was going to perform the first miracle a woman got healing by simply touching his garment). In Matthew’s summary treatment of Jesus’ miracles he has done a triad then mentioned a challenge for discipleship afterwards and we have seen that twice.

Jesus’ question of the blind men highlights again how Matthew sees most miracles being done in response to faith in Jesus’ ability to heal.  This is not the same as faith in Jesus’ willingness to heal.  Sometimes today those who preach healing insist that we must know and believe that Jesus is going to heal us and not waver from that belief or we will not receive it.  Jesus didn’t ask that of these two men but whether they believed he could do it.  And according to their faith, it was done.  Paul believed Jesus could remove the thorn in his flesh but God didn’t, choosing instead to let it remain to accomplish His purpose (2 Corinthians 12).

Matthew doesn’t mind showing the blind men’s disobedience when it came to letting others know what Jesus did.  Jesus was trying to avoid crowds that would hinder his ability to spread the news of the kingdom freely from village to village.  He would get deluged with those wanting healing.  And that was a chance to display the power of the kingdom but could also stir up expectations that this was all Jesus was here for and particularly stir up desires to follow Jesus in overthrowing the Roman government.

Certainly, today, we are more disobedient when we don’t tell others about what Jesus has done in our lives. Has your blindness been removed by Jesus? How could we not tell others?