THE HEALING OF THE BLIND AND LAME (MATTHEW 21:14) AND THE CALL TO PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS LIVING WITH DISABILITIES

Abstract

The text of Matthew 21:14 is part of a larger unit (Matt 21:12-17) which deals with the Temple cleansing. Jesus has dealt with those he wished to rebuke and now turns to the blind and the lame, who apparently either weren’t driven out of the temple court or now enter it to approach Jesus. According to 1 Samuel 5:8, “the Blind and the lame shall not come into the house (of the lord).” The blind, lame and the physically affected were not supposed to be in the Temple at all; there is an assumed link between sin and disease, and their presence is considered incompatible with holiness (cf. Lev 21:16-24). This article attempts to look at Jesus’ healing of the blind and lame in Matthew 21:14 as the fulfilment of the OT prophecies about the return of the glory of God and the challenges it poses for contemporary Christians. It argues that if properly understood, the rights of persons with disabilities would be respected, promoted and preserved