July-August 2024 - Jesus Heals a Blind Man

Do you remember looking through an illustrated children’s Bible as a youngster? Can you recall the images that captured your attention and made the stories come alive? 

Jesus Heals a Blind Man is from The Precious Gift: Bible Stories for Children, published in 1917 and illustrated by British artist Arthur A. Dixon. It depicts a miracle that Jesus performed several times, and this illustration may refer to the healing of Bartimaeus who was blind (see Mk. 10:46-52 and Lk. 18:35-43). Dixon’s closely cropped composition zooms in on the two main characters, and his realistic style provides visual details not included in the text. 

We can readily identify Jesus as the central figure dressed in flowing white robes and see that he has stopped on a rough stone road where a man is seated. The seated man’s circumstances are emphasized by his simple dark tunic, bare feet, closed eyes, and a clutched cane. With only the slightest suggestion of movement, Jesus reaches down to touch the blind man’s unseeing eyes and miraculously restores his sight. 

While many of us have been taught to view this story as a commentary on our spiritual blindness, Jesus’ gesture reveals a foundational lesson about his character: he is both the all-powerful Son of God and a loving, compassionate, and gentle healer who is just and merciful.

Cover art courtesy of Image Asset Management. ©Precious Gift: Bible Stories for Children by T W Wilson (1910). Prints of cover art available from Superstock.com