Spiritual Blindness: Opening the Eyes of the Blind

In our previous blog post, we showed how mankind became spiritually blind and how God must intervene to open our eyes to see vital spiritual truths. 

Being physically blind can be daunting. The world can be extremely dangerous for people who cannot see and must rely on their other senses. 

Fortunately for us, God has a plan to undo the blindness Satan has placed on mankind, to open people’s eyes “in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18). 

Jesus healed many blind people. The Gospel accounts record five specific examples, each imparting a lesson about opening eyes spiritually.

In this post, we’ll examine three of the five accounts and discover what they reveal about the healing of spiritual blindness. 

We are healed by faith

In Matthew 9, we read of two blind men who cried out to Jesus for mercy to open their eyes. He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They replied, “Yes, Lord,” and Jesus then opened their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be to you” (Matthew 9:28-29). 

Some may seek God’s physical healing, but the greater healing is spiritual, the opening of the eyes to see God’s truth and plan. It is one of Christ’s greatest miracles to open someone’s eyes to see spiritually.

Some may seek God’s physical healing, but the greater healing is spiritual, the opening of the eyes to see God’s truth and plan. It takes God’s power to perform this miracle and transform a person’s life. 

But this miracle can occur only if one has faith. We must believe that God can change our lives if we seek Him. For “without faith it is impossible to please Him.” As such, one must believe and “seek” Him (Hebrews 11:6). 

True faith then moves us to demonstrate it through our actions (James 2:18-20). It should lead us to change, grow and commit our lives to Him. Peter described a Christian who doesn’t grow as being blind (2 Peter 1:9). 

A Christian guided by faith will “live for righteousness” and have access to spiritual healing of the mind to think and act like Christ (1 Peter 2:24; Philippians 2:5; 1 John 2:6). 

To learn more, read “Walk as He Walked” and “2 Peter 1:5-7: Eight Character Traits for Spiritual Maturity.” 

Can you see the Kingdom of God?

In Matthew 12, Jesus healed a demon-possessed man, restoring his sight and speech. This naturally amazed those who saw it and caused them to wonder if Jesus truly was the “Son of David” (Matthew 12:22-23). 

But when the Pharisees heard it, they became jealous and accused Jesus of casting out demons by the “ruler of the demons,” Satan. Christ corrected them and said it could only be done by a power greater than Satan, by the “Spirit of God,” and stated that “the kingdom of God has come upon you” (verses 24-29). 

And, like the Pharisees, many today cannot recognize the Church Jesus founded. Today, we have thousands of churches preaching various doctrines, all claiming to represent Jesus.

But, sadly, most of these churches are spiritually blind. It takes spiritual sight to recognize the true Church of God. It takes a miracle of God to have our eyes opened to see the truth. Saul thought he was right, but it took Christ’s opening his eyes for him to understand the truth about himself and who Christ was. 

To learn more, read “Is Your ‘Jesus’ the True Jesus?” and “The Kingdom of God Is at Hand.” 

The need for persistence

When Christ was in Jericho, two blind individuals cried out to Him for mercy, addressing Him as “Lord” and “Son of David.” Despite the crowd urging them to be silent, they cried out louder. Moved by compassion for them, Jesus healed their eyesight (Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43). 

Mark’s account specifically mentions one of them, Bartimaeus, who became a disciple.

We all have trouble seeing in this world. When we look into the future, it can seem bleak. Fear, worries and anxieties can creep in and burden us with negative thoughts. 

To maintain their spiritual vision, Christians must persistently work on their relationship with God, calling on Him for help and guidance.

To learn more, read “Ask, Seek, Knock: What Is the Meaning of Luke 11:9-10?” and “Does God Answer Prayers Today?” 

Learning to see in a world of darkness

Navigating this world in blindness can be daunting and dangerous because it requires us to rely solely on our other physical senses.  

Being spiritually blind is equally dangerous. 

Spiritual blindness means we wander aimlessly without any real purpose, merely reacting to life’s circumstances and being shaped by them. 

We are all born spiritually blind and need God to miraculously grant us spiritual sight. This world is shrouded in darkness, but Christ is the light of this world (John 3:19; 8:12). 

If God is opening your eyes to see His truth, you will need to act in faith and grow in your knowledge and relationship with Him. God expects His people to put Him first and persistently seek His guidance to navigate this world toward His Kingdom.

Photo: iStock.com/webphotographeer

Date Posted: August 26, 2024