Why did Jesus use mud and spittle to cure the blind man? At other times he healed with a word or even a thought so what was different this time?
God made us creatures of flesh and spirit. Sometimes our physical senses have to be engaged just as much as our spiritual sense in order for us to get the message.
Jesus heals as a sign that He has come to heal us of the wounds caused by sin. But before He can do that we have to be open the fact that we are sinners. He came to us to help us to see, and then to be healed. And to make sure the message really gets through He reaches out to both our physical and spiritual natures.
He continues to do this today.
Many people today claim to be “spiritual” but not “religious.” They feel that the formal structure of the Church is an artificial construct imposed upon the purely spiritual Church Jesus intended. But history shows us that this is not how God works.
God prepared the world for a visible, universal Church when He established His covenant with the people of Israel. God led them through Moses and the Judges just as He continues to lead us through popes and bishops, the successors to the twelve apostles.
The sacraments take on visible signs for the same reason. God is eager to reach out to us, physically as well as spiritually, because that is how He made us.
Pax vobiscum
Peace to you all
4th Sunday of Lent