THE LORD GIVING SIGHT TO THE BLIND (FROM C.A.C.'S NOTES)

^[p. 26] THE LORD GIVING SIGHT TO THE BLIND (FROM C.A.C.’S NOTES)

It has come before me that there is much instruction for us in the seven instances recorded of the Lord giving sight to the blind. It was held, I believe, by the rabbis that this was a miracle reserved to the Messiah, and though it was spoken of prophetically in the Old Testament there is no instance there of a blind man receiving sight. Nor is it recorded in the New Testament that anyone save the Lord ever performed this miracle. Paul being sent to “open their eyes” referred to his public service amongst the Gentiles in setting the truth of the position before them; it was not exactly doing a divine work in them, but bringing the truth to them so as to leave them responsible to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.

But the giving of sight to the blind as it was done by the Lord seems to speak clearly of a divine operation by which men become capable of apprehending what has been introduced into the world in the Person of Christ. The presence of light is not sufficient. There is a great deal of light in Christendom, for the Scriptures are there and much spiritual ministry of the truth, but the capacity to apprehend it in a spiritual way is lacking. When the Lord was here the whole light of God was here, but men did not apprehend it; they were blind and the precious realities which were present were hidden from them. And it is an exercising thing to consider that we may be in the presence of much spiritual light without having any spiritual apprehension of it. But there is great encouragement in the sevenfold witness of the record in the gospels that Christ, and Christ only, is the One who can give us sight, and who delights to do so.

When John the baptist sent to ask Him, “Art thou the coming one? or are we to wait for another?” the first proof that He gave was that John’s disciples were to report to him that “blind men see”. Every ray of divine light is in Christ, but we may be assured of this and yet feel how very little of it we have apprehended so as to have the continued joy of it in our hearts. We need His precious and divine service to enable us to see, and there is a direct and personal character about this so that we know that it is His own action and touch that has done it. He has not delegated this power or service to any other; it is in every case a personal transaction of Christ with the individual soul.

The first two persons are spoken of in Matthew 9: 27 - 31. This is in an interesting connection, for the whole of this chapter save the last four verses records what took place in “his own city”. This was, no doubt, Capernaum, to which city He had removed from Nazareth at the beginning of His ministry (Matthew 4: 12). It was a place of great light, so that the Lord could speak of it as having been raised up to heaven. It would represent a place specially favoured by God, and where special testimony was rendered to what was there in Christ. Emmanuel was there, having chosen to go to a people sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to make that “his own city”. So that there was a remarkably full presentation in Capernaum of what was there in Him. Forgiveness and power for helpless men, a call of infinite grace to sinners, the Bridegroom was there for the joy of those who were “sons of the bridechamber”; perfect healing for the woman with the issue of blood — a figure of the state of Israel in uncleanness — and the ruler’s daughter raised up from death. “And the fame of it went out into all that land”.

Now all this seems to be presented as having exercised attraction upon two blind men, and as having produced faith in their souls that Jesus could open their eyes. What marks these two men is that they come in faith. Jesus did not propose to do for them anything beyond what was according to their faith; He loves to be counted on, and to do all that He is counted on for. Now this raises the question as to how far we have been personally affected by what we know of God as ^[p. 28] having come near to men in Jesus — Emmanuel. Has it led us to desire the power of spiritual apprehension? Has it given us faith to count upon Him to give us ability to see all that is there to be seen? Do we read the gospels historically as so many wonderful incidents, or do we definitely seek from the Lord ability to see the greatness and glory of what was there in the Person of Jesus?

“He touched their eyes”. It is noticeable that in every instance of the Lord giving sight, save that in Matthew 12: 22, 23, He touched the eyes of the blind. I think the exception was because there the man was possessed by a demon, and there is no instance that I know of in which the Lord touched one who had a demon. He cast out the spirits with a word, we are told (Matthew 8: 16). In dealing with demons there was not the element of sympathy which is conveyed by a touch; they were dispossessed by the word of authority. So that when blindness was directly traceable to the presence of a demon we can understand why there was no touch. But in every other instance there was a touch of personal contact.