Commentary on the Gospel of
More than the healing that Jesus performed in favour of a blind person, the controversy that people raked on the legality of such an act caught more attention. The kind action itself took back seat and the uproar over it took upper hand. This reaction exposed the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who legitimised their power and position around the blind observance of the law. They considered any physical suffering like blindness is the result of sin and a curse from God. Jesus changed this curse into a blessing and communicated God’s love in healing the blind person. Jesus manifested the creative power of God that made everything out of nothing and who continues the work of restoration of creation. It was symbolic when Jesus used soil and spit for performing this healing action, resembling the original creation (cf. Gen 2:7).
While pharisees maliciously investigated and debated about Jesus’s actions, people were being healed and lives were restored. God continues his work, actions of love through Jesus. Jesus made it clear that even though God ordered sabbath rest, it was right and necessary to care for other’s needs even on the day of rest. Blind religion and spirituality put people and their needs behind the observance of the law. The blind man in the Gospel received physical sight and also regained spiritual sight. Jesus exposed the real blindness – inner and spiritual blindness- of the Pharisees who were stubborn and ignorant of God’s ways.
