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December 2, 2022The two blind men, whose sight Jesus restored, did not follow his instructions: “See that no one
knows about this.” But, as the Gospel says, “they went out and spread word of him through the
land.” Did these two men commit a sin by not following Jesus’ instructions or betray him by
spreading the word about their cure?
Can an 8 oz glass contain a gallon of water without spilling? Can a fire keep its light to itself?
Given the great gift of sight, the two men could not contain their joy. The Gospel does not say
how long the two men had been afflicted with blindness, which was considered God’s
punishment. According to the thinking of the time, anyone afflicted with illness was
judged as having sinned, or one of his family members or ancestors must have offended God.
In either case, God was punishing them due to sin.
The healing of the two blind men was a physical healing and a spiritual liberation. How could they have contained their joy? They were liberated from what was perceived as God’s judgement and, at the same time, restored their place in family and community. They would no longer have to desperately depend on alms, but they could now work and support themselves and their families. Moreover, the greatest of all these gifts, was that God truly loved them because Jesus’ gift of sight confirmed their faith: Jesus is the Son of David, which means, the Christ, the Messiah—a revelation that many did not see at the time. So, the water overflowed, the light burst—the joy of God’s love could not be contained. May we, too, give water to the thirsty, shine brightly—shout for joy in God’s love.
