A Blind Teacher Can Teach The Blind To See

A Blind Teacher Can Teach 

The Blind To See

by Dwight Cunkle

 

My first piano teacher was blind, Mrs. Fumigalli. Dad bought a piano and wanted we three kids to take lessons while providing a little income for this single mother. On Thursdays we would all eat his version of lasagna or spaghetti and I would try to convince Mrs. Fumigalli that I had practiced that week. She was not fooled. She was hard to understand with her thick Italian accent, and though blind she could not only “see” but correct my mistakes.

It never, ever occurred to me that Jesus could or would heal her blind eyes.

On the other hand, Blind Bartimaeus, on hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me" (Mark 10:47). He lacked eyesight, but he possessed “True Vision.” His experience of bitter darkness did not led him to despair, but rather to look forward to encountering Jesus. 

Bartimaeus refused to measure himself by what was lacking in his life. The fact that he had eyes which couldn’t see was a sign to him that he had been made to see. It filled him with expectations. His insight turned his life into one of hopeful vigilance..

He was looking for God, His Maker and “recognized” him in Jesus Christ when the Lord drew near. His blindness brought him to conviction of faith and action-calling out for healing, for faith is a way of seeing… seeing in a manner that goes beyond the eyes.

Is Jesus passing by? Does faith move us to cry out, "Jesus,  have mercy on me!" Jesus hears your cry. Jesus is calling you to come to him. "Take courage get up, throw off the cynic’s cloak or the prideful mindset that you have to try harder or do better. Ask Him what you will. " Bartimaeus threw aside his cloak sprang up and came to Jesus” (Mk 10:49-50).

Exchange those cloaks for what Christ says and gives you.

(based on an article in “The Magnificat” February 2013)