Blindness is defined as the state of being sightless. A blind individual is unable to see. In a strict sense the word "blindness" denotes the inability of a person to distinguish darkness from bright light in either eye. (definition from www.medicinenet.com)
When Jesus healed the blind man from birth, He answered the blind belief of the people and inadvertently exposed the other kind of blindness among the Jewish religious authorities of that time.
The disciples asked Jesus if it was the blind man's fault or his parent's sin that caused his infirmity. But the Lord dismissed both old beliefs and emphasized that it is in accordance to God' plan so that "the works of God might be made visible through him". He then proceeded to heal the man.
The man, subsequently brought to the Pharisees, testified before them how he was healed. But the Pharisees, blinded by their lofty pride and position in the community has rejected the miracle by accusing Jesus a sinner for not keeping the Sabbath and the blind man for false declaration that he was born blind. Except for a few, Jesus has always been a threat to their self-righteousness and tightly-held-yet-misplaced authority that they failed to see the very fulfilment of the prophecies that their ancestors have foretold. They failed to recognize and understand His preaching and miracles of love right in front of their eyes!
In our present times, the world has also offered us a lot of blinding lights to spend our lives. There is fame. There is money. There is power. The endless pursuits of these vanities have sadly side-stepped a lot of people's true purpose and calling in life which is to love God and love others.
Hopefully, in this time of Lent, may we unplug ourselves from the temporal blindness offered by the world and set our sight towards a more meaningful and worthwhile lives. May we distinguish the Lord's light in whatever life-situation we are into and avoid the alluring darkness that can make us blind.
'Di nalalayo sa 'yo ang tunay na mundo
Marami sa ami'y nabubuhay nang tulad mo
'Di makita, 'di madinig, minsa'y nauutal
Patungo sa hinahangad na buhay na banal.
-Freddie Aguilar
God bless.
