The story of Naaman in the Old Testament is hyperlinked to a story in the New Testament in which Jesus breaks the rules and performs a mighty miracle for a blind man. However, unlike the people the Lord healed for whom the Bible says He restored their sight, this man never had it — he was blind from birth. While it’s hard to imagine his plight, we can conclude that this unfortunate soul had never seen his parents or his family, nor had he beheld the sky, the birds, the trees, or even the city he lived in. To add insult to injury, because he was disabled, he couldn’t work, so he was forced to exist as a beggar. Although he had no choice in his situation, this precious child of God had grown accustomed to being ignored, marginalized, and discarded. While compassionate worshippers might have tossed him a coin before they commenced their Sabbath Day activities, he had become a fixture at the temple, and no one expected his life to amount to anything. That is, except for Jesus.

My friend, this story is a powerful reminder that before you met your Savior, you were blind from birth. You were not born with the ability to see your need for salvation or to heal yourself, but through the Lord’s abundant grace and endless love, He saw you when you were helpless and restored your sight. He didn’t walk by you and toss you a coin, He stretched out His hand and made you brand new. Since you’ve been given so much, He’s entrusted you with the honor of paying compassion forward instead of judging those who are marginal in the world’s eyes. Because you were once as blind as they are, you can affirm divine potential in people — even if their sin makes them unattractive — and extend the mercy and healing of Christ in the same manner it was extended to you.