Chapters 8 and 9 of the Gospel of Matthew are known as the “Miracle Cycle” of Matthew, because in them we find ten miracles in series of three miracles each. The fact that the Miracle Cycle follows immediately after the Sermon on the Mount and that both are framed by a summary statement in 4,23 and 9,35 is an indication that Matthew’s intention is to show, through such placement, that Jesus is the Messiah, in words (through the Sermon on the Mount) and in deeds (through the Miracle Cycle).
Many regard this story as a
doublet of the healing of blind Bartimaeus found in Mk 10:46-52. Matthew’s story, however, has the healing of
two blind men and does not name them. A similar story of the healing of two blind
men is found in Mt 20:29-34, and
since, in both cases, the one blind man of Mark has become two blind men in
Matthew, he pieces the story together with details and elements from his own
sources.
The story begins with the
blind men following Jesus. While on the one level, this will mean walking
behind Jesus, on the deeper level, it means that they are doing what disciples
are called to do. Their address for Jesus: “Son of David” (this is the first
time in the Gospel that Jesus is called “Son of David”) and “Lord” indicates
that they are believers. They have faith. Though physically blind, they are
able to see who Jesus is and see the extent of his power to heal them. This
faith is the reason why they receive their sight.
The command of Jesus to the
blind men not to tell anyone what he had done is disobeyed by them. While some
see the command as retention of Marks’ messianic secret (the Markan Jesus tells
some of those whom he heals not to make it known, since he does not want people
to mistake the kind of Messiah that he has come to be), others see it as an
illustration by Matthew that not everyone who says “Lord” obeys the will of the
Father manifested in Jesus. These have faith, they themselves say, but yet they
do not do.
Blindness is not only an
external ailment or limitation. The fox says to the Little Prince in Antoine
Saint De Exupery’s book “The Little Prince”: “It is only with the heart that
one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” There is,
thus, also blindness of the heart. As a matter of fact, in many cases,
blindness of the heart is worse than blindness of the eyes. Heart blindness
closes itself to another point of view. It is a blindness that refuses to look
anew at things, events, and people. It prefers the pessimistic and dark side of
life. Heart blindness can only be healed
when one turns in faith to God, manifest in his Son, Jesus.
Nice thought on blindness of heart!
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