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As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out, “Son of
David, have pity on us!” Matthew 9:27
Picture these two men for a moment. Just before this passage, Jesus
had cured a leper, healed a Roman centurion’s servant, restored
Peter’s mother-in-law to health, made a paralytic walk, and stopped
a woman’s years-long hemorrhages. He had cast out demons, freeing
people from their oppression, and even raised a twelve-year-old
girl from the dead. This context is crucial as we imagine these two
blind men crying out, “Son of David, have pity on us!”
Word was spreading rapidly about Jesus and His miracles. In that
time and culture, blindness often led to a life of begging unless
family could provide. These men suffered greatly, from both their
physical blindness and from the marginalization that accompanied
it. Then they began to hear stories—one after another—about this
new rabbi, a prophet from David’s line, possibly the Messiah
everyone awaited. They heard of His miracles and immediately hoped
He could heal them too. So when Jesus was passing by, they didn’t
hesitate.
Although physical healings were not Jesus’ primary mission, these
acts were powerful expressions of His compassion and divine
authority. By healing, He brought peace and joy to troubled hearts,
but more importantly, He demonstrated that His words carried divine
authority. The Gospel of Matthew is arranged so that Jesus’ Sermon
on the Mount—a summary of His teachings—comes first. Then follows a
series of miracles. While these miracles were acts of love for
those He cured, they also serve to convince us today to listen to
and obey His word.
We are called to emulate the faith of these two blind men. We must
believe that Jesus is the answer to all our needs, the only one who
can heal our souls. We can see their physical blindness as a
metaphor for our own spiritual blindness. Just as they cried out
for physical healing, we must cry out for spiritual healing.
Reflect today on the disposition of these two blind men. Though we
know little about them, we do know they cried out to Jesus for
mercy and healing. Their prayer must become our prayer; their hope,
our hope; their passionate cry, our plea for mercy. The healing
they sought is mirrored in the healing we seek today, especially
through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is in this sacrament
that we find Jesus passing by, where we cry out for mercy and where
we are spiritually healed. Let us long for healing from our
spiritual blindness and cry out to Jesus with persistence,
following Him relentlessly in prayer. He will hear and answer
us.
My healing Lord, though Your many miracles show Your divine
power over nature, demons, and every illness—even death—the
greatest healing You offer is the healing of my soul from sin.
Please have pity on me, Lord. Heal the spiritual blindness I have
so that I may come to know You, follow You, and live according to
Your will. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Jesus healing the Blind by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND
2.0.
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