A good friend of mine, an ex-colleague, has for a long time, had a problem with his eyes which has now made him almost blind. Yet during the thirty odd years I have known him, I have never ever heard him complain. While he might be losing his sight, he has never lost the ability to help others, especially his students, as he has opened their minds to new truths, giving them insights into different aspects of life. He is a truly remarkable man.
Jesus healed a number of people who were blind, but he also pointed out the blindness some didn’t recognise - their own blindness. The religious leaders of the day were often accused by Jesus of being blind - blind to the fact that many of the prophecies they taught about were coming true in him. He also saw them as blind guides to the people they led.
Do we have blind spots? Are there things we could, or even ought, to deal with but don’t because we turn a blind eye to them? Do we need a different sort of healing?
Healing, God’s healing, can be experienced in different ways: through the miraculous, through the skill of the medical profession, through being given a new perspective on life. My friend hasn’t been healed physically but has been given the strength to bear his disability and in doing so has given to many students, colleagues and friends an insight into a truly faithful and fulfilled life.