The Blind Man by the Roadside

The Blind Man by the Roadside

Jesus, accompanied by His disciples, after a long journey, was about to enter the city of Jericho.
By the roadside, not far from the dwellings, sat a blind man begging for alms. That road, one of the most traveled by pilgrims, was certainly a well-chosen spot for the blind man to stretch out his hand to passersby.
At that moment, however, the alms he was about to receive would not only be great — it would be the greatest gift he could ever desire in his life.

Hearing the noise of the crowd passing by, he asked:
— What is this commotion? Who is passing?
— It is Jesus of Nazareth, they told him.

Jesus. That name was not unknown to him; on the contrary, he had heard of many miracles performed by Him.
He knew that Jesus, always kind and merciful, had restored the sight of several other blind men like himself.
Who knows if the hour of grace, the moment of healing, had now come for him as well?

Full of hope, he began to cry out:
— Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!
It was as if he were saying: Lord, You are the promised Messiah; You are the Son of God made man; You can heal me, You can give me back my sight.

Inwardly, this blind man saw far more than the poor blinded Jews around him. He showed a living faith, a firm trust, and great courage.
Although those who walked in front rebuked him, telling him to be silent — thinking he only wished to ask Jesus for alms — he continued to repeat:
— Jesus, Jesus, have mercy on me, for I am a poor blind man.

Our Lord, when He drew near, heard that sorrowful voice, stopped in the middle of the road, and said to those beside the blind man:
— Take him by the hand; bring him here. I wish to see him closely, to speak with him.

They brought the blind man to Him, and Jesus — although He knew perfectly well what the poor man desired — so that he might make a profession of faith in the power of God, asked him:
— What do you want Me to do for you? What is it that you ask?
— Lord, make me see, for it is so sad to be blind. I cannot see; I behold nothing of this world. Lord, make me see!

And Jesus, seeing the blind man’s living faith, exercised His power and His goodness, saying simply:
— See! Your faith has saved you.

And at that very instant the man opened his eyes and, astonished and moved to tears, began to see. Instead of running home to tell his family of the grace he had received, he remained beside Jesus and followed Him, giving thanks to God and blessing his Benefactor.

Then all the people who had witnessed the miracle also began to praise God.