The Gospels record Jesus healing the sick and people with various afflictions; e.g., the dumb and mute, paralytics and many others with various afflictions. However, there were more blind people that Jesus healed than those with other physical afflictions: two blind men (Matthew 9:27-31), the blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26), Bartimaeus (Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43) and the man born blind (John 9:1-34). Physical blindness is a terrible affliction; in Jesus’ time, the blind could not earn a living and had to beg for alms. However, the Gospels talk about a different but more terrible kind of blindness – spiritual blindness.
In Matthew 23, Jesus denounced the hypocrisy of the scribes and the Pharisees; Jesus called them “blind” guides (cf. Matthew 23:16). They were spiritually blind because of their hardness of hearts; they can see Jesus who is the Truth, but they look away; they can hear the truth that Jesus says, but they would not accept it. The Gospels do not explicitly tell us that Jesus healed anyone of spiritual blindness; and part of the reason for this is because the cure for spiritual blindness equally depends on a person’s change of heart.
In Matthew 13, Jesus speaks of the necessity of this change of heart; He said, “For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them” (Matthew 13:15).
In today’s world, we can see many examples of spiritual blindness; Satan and his followers has convinced many people that what is good is evil and what is evil is good. Through lies and half-truths, they have confused people and have led them away from Jesus Christ and His Gospel. And because more and more people are being led away from Jesus Christ and His Gospel, many more hearts have been hardened to the notion that what is true and what is good has become a matter of personal opinion. St. Paul describes it this way: “The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they may not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (2Cor 4:4).” And also, “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart (Ephesians 4:18).”
At the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the crowds: “You are the light of the world… your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matthew 5:14, 16). It is by remaining faithful to the Lord Jesus and His word that we can become a light to those who are spiritually blind. We cannot force others to accept what is good and true, but through our perseverance in our faith in Jesus Christ and in the practice of our faith, we are fulfilling our destiny to be the light that shines through the darkness of this world.