As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,
“Son of David, have pity on us!”
Although these men were blind they were able to recognize in Jesus the royal and messianic Son of David. They approached him with faith by which they believed that Jesus could heal them. God had promised that "out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see". In Jesus this was being fulfilled.
We might say that the darkness of unbelief was actually deeper and more impenetrable than the darkness of physical blindness. Those who opposed Jesus claimed to have full vision and yet their minds were closed to the possibility of Jesus being who he claimed to be and who miracles such as the one about which we read this morning should have made clear. These two blind men knew they were blind and desired to see. Deeper was the darkness from which people refused to desire the light.
“Do you believe that I can do this?”
“Yes, Lord,” they said to him.
Then he touched their eyes and said,
“Let it be done for you according to your faith.”
And their eyes were opened.
For most of us Jesus has already opened our spiritual eyes to some degree and given us spiritual light by which to understand him and to interpret reality. Baptism is said to enlighten us. We are transferred from a kingdom of darkness into a kingdom of light (see Colossians 1:13). We read his word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (see Psalm 119:105). But we probably do not yet live entirely in the light. Our human weakness still makes us prefer the darkness at times, which in turn makes the light seem abrasive and harsh. We can in fact put the light under a basket (see Matthew 5:15), and, if we don't smother it entirely, render it ineffective. This means that, to some degree, and in ways that are often painful to admit, we too need Jesus to open our eyes just as did these two blind men. Do we believe he can do this? He has demonstrated he can. Those who live most fully in the light of Christ, the saints, are the most sane and spiritually satisfied people in the world. In them the healing remedies of Jesus have been tested and proven. Let us also believe so as to be healed.
One thing I ask of the LORD;
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.
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