Spiritual Blindness: Growing in Spiritual Sight

In our previous blog post, we delved into three accounts of Jesus healing blind people.

These healing narratives hold profound lessons for us.

In this final post, we’ll look at the remaining two accounts of Jesus opening the eyes of the blind and what we can learn from each healing. 

God may heal us in stages

In Mark 8, we read the account of an unusual healing of a blind man. Instead of just commanding  the healing, Jesus “took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town” and spit on his eyes and laid hands on him (Mark 8:22-23).

After doing this, Jesus asked what he saw, to which the man replied, “I see men like trees, walking.” He could only see clearly after Jesus laid hands on him again (verses 23-25). 

Sometimes, God needs to separate us from those around us to get our attention and remove us from influences or distractions that prevent us from following Him.

Perhaps this blind man also had something known as visual agnosia, a condition in which a person can see but not interpret or understand what he or she is seeing.

When God calls someone, He gives them His Spirit to be with them, helping them to see spiritually. But for full spiritual sight, the Holy Spirit must be in the person. The healing of the blind man in Mark 8 may convey a similar lesson. Merely opening his eyes was insufficient for full vision. Therefore, Christ performed a second healing—a healing of the mind.

The miracle showed two stages of healing for sight. First, the sense of sight had to be healed so he could see, and then the mind had to be healed so he could mentally perceive what he saw. 

This is true for healing spiritual sight as well. 

When God calls someone, He gives them His Spirit to be with them, helping them to see spiritually. But for full spiritual sight, the Holy Spirit must be in the person. Jesus told His disciples that the Spirit “dwells with you and will be in you” (John 14:17). 

When the Spirit is with us, our eyes are open to see God’s truth. Then, if we accept God’s way of life and commit our life to Him through baptism, the Spirit of God enters us through the laying on of hands (1 Timothy 4:14; compare Acts 8:18; Hebrews 6:2). 

The healing of the mind begins, imbuing us with a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:6-7). We learn to put off our sinful conduct and live a righteous life (Ephesians 4:22-23; Romans 8:5-6). 

To learn more, read “Putting to Death the Old Man: What Does That Mean?” and “Laying On of Hands.” 

Growing spiritually

In John 9, we come to the last account we’ll explore. The healing of the man born blind is different from the other healing accounts. This miracle was about healing not just physical vision, but also spiritual vision. While this man’s physical eyesight was healed instantly (John 9:6-7), it took a while for his eyes to open spiritually. 

After he was healed, the man underwent a series of interrogations. First, neighbors and those who saw him regularly questioned him, asking, “How were your eyes opened?” He replied that “a Man called Jesus” had healed him (verses 10-11). 

While this man’s physical eyesight was healed instantly, it took a while for his eyes to open spiritually.  Later, when the Pharisees interrogated him, he identified Jesus as “a prophet” (verse 17) and “from God” (verse 33). He grew in understanding to the point that he finally shared a profound truth: “Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind” (verse 32). 

Indeed, the Old Testament does not document any miracles involving a person born blind. There are instances where people were temporarily blinded and later had their eyesight restored (2 Kings 6:18-20), but no record of someone born blind being given his or her vision. 

Not even the prophets Elijah and Elisha healed one born blind. 

It seems the miracle of opening the eyes was reserved for Christ alone, for He is the One who will open mankind’s eyes spiritually. It is, as this blind man said, a “marvelous thing” (John 9:30). 

Later, when Jesus met him again, Jesus asked, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” (verse 35). After Jesus identified Himself as God’s Son, the man believed and worshipped Him. His eyes were now spiritually opened to see and understand what He could not see on his own. 

Can you see?

Jesus went on to tell the blind man about the purpose of His coming: “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind” (verse 39). 

“Those who see” refers to those who claim they can see. We are all born spiritually blind, but to claim you can see when you are blind is a refusal to see yourself as you are, which is an attitude of pride. 

Those who are prideful and refuse to change will remain spiritually blind. The Pharisees, whom Christ identified as “blind guides” (Matthew 23:16), were offended that they were called blind (John 9:40). They saw themselves as the people’s spiritual guides, yet they could not recognize who Jesus was. 

Pride is an obstacle that everyone must overcome (James 4:6).

While we remain in this flesh, we will always have blind spots that prevent us from seeing. If we come to God in humility, seeking correction and spiritual vision, He will be faithful to heal our eyes and give us clear spiritual vision.

Photo: iStock.com/nobelio

Date Posted: September 2, 2024