The Blind in the Days of Jesus

By~MARK R. DUNN, Baptist Minister, Dallas, Texas~

BLINDNESS. Just the word can elicit an emotional reaction. Most of us can think of few things that would be worse than losing our vision and living in a world of darkness. Blindness has always been a most dreaded disorder. We should not be surprised to learn that blindness was common in the ancient world. The BIBLE frequently mentions blindness or lack of vision. Actually, the incidence of blindness in antiquity may have been proportionally higher be- cause the lack of knowledge of treatment for the eye conditions

~CAUSES OF BLINDNESS~

In antiquity, causes of blindness were manifold. Exposure to the harsh environment (sun, dust) of the Near East commonly caused blindness. Heredity provided a significant proportion of blindness. Several diseases rendered people blind; two of the most frequent were: an infectious inflamation associated with flies and blindness from birth–correlated with a gonococcal discharge contacted by a child during birth. Injuries also took a toll on eyesight. Finally, aging eroded sight. Some biblical examples of the aged blind are ISAAC(Gen 27:1), Eli (1 Sam.4:15), and Ahijah (1 Kings 14:4). Humans also induced blindness, typically as retribution. Occasionally
conquering kings blinded opposing leaders, which made them unfit to rule and dependent on the conquering king. An Old Testament example Nebuchadnezzar’s blinding of Judah’s king Zedekiah (Jer. 39:7; 52:11). The best known example of blindness retribution, though, probably comes from the Philistines’ blinding Samson (Judg. 16:21). People sought higher explanations for blindness. In the Old Testament. certain passages asserted God’s power to inflict blindness. Exodus 4:11 reads: “Who made the human mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” Deuteronomy 28:28 say: “The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness, and mental confusion.” Such passages led many persons to regard blindness as God’s punishment for sin. Two New Testament examples illustrate how commonly this conviction was held: the man born blind (John 9) and Elymus the sorcerer (Acts 13:6-11). Comparing these two, when Jesus healed the man who was born blind, the disciples questioned whether his blindness had been the result of his or his parents’ sin. No other possible explanation had come to their minds. Jesus assured them, though, that this blindness was not because of any sin. In the later story Paul clearly linked Elymus’s blindness with his sin against the Lord’s work.

~IMPLICATIONS OF BLINDNESS~

In Israel’s holiness-focused society, blindness disqualified religious leaders from temple service. Leviticus 21:17-18 commands: “None of your descendants throughout your generations who has a physical defect is to come near to present the food of his God. No man who has any defect is to come near; no man who is blind, lame, facially disfigured, or deformed.” To those today encouraging handicapped persons to serve in every possible way, this regulation seems harsh. Yet in a system anticipating the perfect sacrifice for sin, notable similarities (Matt. 9:27-31; 10:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43). First, the blind men approaching Jesus demonstrated their faith in his saving power. Second, they pled for mercy. Third, they called Jesus Son of David.” This title occurs fifteen times in the New Testament, all in the Synoptic Gospels. The majority of these occurrences came on the ups of Jesus’ followers–but none of which were close associates. Seven were spoken by the blind men in these two healings. The lesson is remarkable: wittingly or unwittingly, these blind men used a title that pointed to the character of Jesus’ ministry, connecting Jesus to Isaiah’s prophecy of a Messiah descended from David. The story of Jesus healing a man born blind (John 9) underscores this past point. Jesus’ disciples asked if the man’s blindness was caused by the sin of the man or his parents.Mentioning the parents pointed to a view that parental sin was visited on the children. Jesus said the man was born blind so God’s work could be seen in the man’s life. Then, Jesus healed the man, emphasizing His claim to be the Light of the world (v. 9:5). This point is further stressed by the blind man’s coming to recognize Jesus’ divinity
(vv. 35-38). Once blind, now this man saw what the Pharisees could not see–his receiving physical sight has instructed his spiritual sight.

~JESUS AND SPIRITUAL BLINDNESS~

Jesus persistently exposed spiritual blindness. He called the Pharisees “blind guides” (Matt. 15:14; 23:24), utilizing biblical imagery associating blindness with the spiritual condition of being unable or unwilling to discern and heed the will of God. Such a view fits the Pharisees in John 9. The climactic biblical comment on spiritual blindness comes from John 1:5: “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it” (NIV). The enemy is till at work today. The reason that persons still cannot understand that light is because “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor. 4:4, NIV). Blindness: the condition remains a most dreaded physical ailment. Yet, the collective biblical discussion of blindness delivers marvelous insight regarding the spiritual healing God offers to those who will respond with faith. Who were the blind in Jesus’ day? Certainly the sightless who groped about in destitution and whom Jesus readily received and cured. More significant, however, the blind of Jesus’ day were those without spiritual sight whom Jesus endeavored to cure.

~BLINDNESS TODAY~

Our society frantically resists the encroachment of blindness. Individuals spend billions of dollars each year on corrective lenses and surgical procedures designed to rescue or preserve eyesight. Yet each year 50,000 Americans will become blind and an estimated 1.1 million Americans are legally blind. Worldwide, blindness effects 42 million people. One estimate places the current cost for a lifetime of support of one blind person in the United States at $916,000. Aid, though, is typically available from government, charitable, and private sources.