At first, we might think this story is only about physical blindness. But it is also about another kind of blindness — the blindness of the heart.
The man in the Gospel could not see the world around him, yet Jesus saw him, had compassion on him, and healed him.
Meanwhile, the Pharisees could see with their eyes, but they could not recognise what God was doing. Their hearts were closed.
This Gospel reminds us that sometimes we, too, can be blind — and that we all long for the healing that only God can give.
This reminds me of one of my favourite TV shows, The Big Bang Theory. Maybe some of you prefer Home and Away or Married at First Sight, with all the drama and conflicts.
But in The Big Bang Theory, there is a character who reminds me of this Gospel — Sheldon Cooper.
He’s a brilliant scientist, very intelligent, but he thinks he is always right. He can be very blunt and struggles to understand other people’s feelings.
It’s almost like he cannot see beyond his own way of thinking. We sometimes describe someone like that as “my way or the highway”.
In a way, that is a form of blindness — not of the eyes, but of the heart or mind.
When we think we know everything, refuse to listen, or cannot see another person’s perspective, we are blind in a different way.
Here’s an interesting detail about today’s Gospel: the man born blind is never given a name.
Many people in the Bible are named, but he is not. Some scholars suggest this is intentional — because the story is meant to include all of us.
At different times, each of us longs for healing and light.
Last week, I was reminded of physical healing and the reality of ageing. Why? Our young adults’ group had a gathering.
We prayed, walked from the tennis courts to the new bridge while praying the Rosary and back, shared food — and then played tennis.
After years without much activity, my body ached from too much running. I could not sleep properly, and the next day I could hardly genuflect or kneel during the aged care masses.
We look for healing like that — physical healing, relief from pain, strength in our bodies— and that is good.
But the Gospel reminds us that the most important healing is spiritual healing. The blind man not only received sight, but he came to believe in Jesus.
His eyes were opened, but more importantly, his heart was opened.
And that is the kind of healing we all need.
Fr Novie Lim
St Mary’s Catholic Church parish priest
12°C