• Matthew 21:14 records Jesus healing “the blind and the lame” at the temple. However, Mark, Luke and John don’t mention this in their Gospels. Why? Well, nobody mentions every single detail when writing history/a biography—or else history and biographies would be very boring to read! But more importantly, every historian/biographer is attempting to make certain points and emphasise particular themes—and the Gospels do just the same.
  • The Gospels do not contradict each other, but they complement one another , in that amongst each of them recording many of the same events and sayings of Jesus they are very cleverly written, so that each writer has a slighter different emphasis or message in passages about the same events.
  • 21:14 is the final of five similar other mentions of Jesus healing in Matthew: 9:27- 31; 11:2-5; 12:22-23; 15:30-31 & 20:29-34. In each of these, the point is not just that Jesus is kind and compassionate, but they emphasise that the healings are evidence that he is the Messiah! The Old Testament predicted that the Christ would bring healing and wholeness e.g. Isaiah 35:5-6 predicts healing of the blind, deaf, lame and mute. Numerous of those who were healed knew that Jesus was the Messiah—that’s why they asked him to heal them.
  • Here is some of what happens: In 9:27 the blind men call Jesus, “Son of David” (i.e. the Messianic descendant of King David). Chapter 11 says that John the Baptist heard about “the deeds of the Messiah”, which include healing the blind and lame. In 12:22-23, when Jesus heals a blind and mute man the crowds say, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’. In Chapter 15, immediately before Jesus heals the lame, blind, crippled and mute, the Syro-Phoenician woman calls Jesus, ‘Lord, Son of David”. In Chapter 20, the blind twice call Jesus, ‘Lord, Son of David’. So, after all that testimony, if you don’t conclude that Jesus of Nazareth is the long-promised Messiah … there’s something wrong with you!
  • On Palm Sunday, the crowds acclaimed Jesus as the Christ. Jesus healing people was evidence that their words were true, and that the religious leaders simply did not actually believe the Scriptures (despite what they said). They were unbelievers of God and His word.
  • There is also another aspect to verse 14, though: the inclusion under the New Covenant (N.C.) of the ‘outsiders’. Under the Old Covenant those with physical defects (such as the blind and lame; Leviticus 21:17-23) were prohibited from making offerings in the Temple, because this would symbolically desecrate God’s holiness. But under the N.C., ALL may draw near to God, through Jesus, who has opened the way. So, Thank God for Jesus!

Cameron