Q: #528. How many times did Jesus heal the blind?
A: Jesus healed quite a few blind people. We are shown 8 specific people who were given their sight, and we have two more instances where we aren’t told how many people Jesus restored sight to. Following is a list of the 8 who were healed:
#1. (Mt 9:27-31) Jesus gave sight to “two” blind men.
#2. (Mk 8:22-26) Jesus gave sight to a blind man in Bethsaida by spitting on his eyes.
#3. (Mt 12:22-23) Jesus gave sight to a man who was demon possessed, and blind and mute.
#4. (Lk 18:35-43) Jesus gave sight to a blind man while coming into Jericho. ***
#5. (Mt 20:29-34) Jesus gave sight to “two” blind men when leaving Jericho. One was named Bartimaeus (Mk 10:46-52) ***
#6. (Jn 9:1-41) Jesus gave sight to a blind man by putting clay on his eyes, and then having him wash it off in the Pool of Siloam.
***Note: Some believe #4 and #5 refer to the same event.
In addition to these, we have two instances where an unknown number of blind people were given sight by Jesus in (Mt 15:29-31) and (Mt 21:14).
What is “fascinating,” and that I had never noticed before, is that while a number of men performed healing miracles in the Bible (Old and New Testament), ONLY Jesus healed the “blind!” This certainly has to have some significance! I believe it is likely a parallel to the fact that only Jesus can turn darkness into light (from a spiritual standpoint: see: Acts 26:15-18, 1 Pet 2:9, Jn 1:5-9).
Jesus quoted (Isa 35:5-6) and (Isa 61:1-2) in (Lk 4:17-21) and (Lk 7:18-23) to show that healing the blind was one of the signs that was prophesied of the Messiah.
***Note: We see in (Acts 9:12,17-18) that Paul’s sight was restored when Ananias laid his hands on Paul, but I do not see this as a “miracle.”
