Matthew 21:14

KJV

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

KJV (with Strong's)

And {G2532} the blind {G5185} and {G2532} the lame {G5560} came {G4334} to him {G846} in {G1722} the temple {G2411}; and {G2532} he healed {G2323} them {G846}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Blind and lame people came up to him in the Temple, and he healed them.

Berean Standard Bible

The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.

American Standard Version

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Matthew 21:14 presents a poignant scene immediately following Jesus' cleansing of the Temple, where the blind and the lame, often marginalized in ancient society, approach Him within the sacred precincts. In a powerful demonstration of divine compassion and authority, Jesus responds by miraculously healing them, transforming the defiled marketplace into a sanctuary of restoration and reaffirming the Temple's true purpose as a house of prayer and healing. This act underscores His messianic identity and the profound accessibility of God's grace to all who seek Him.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is strategically placed within Matthew's narrative of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, following two highly significant events. First, the [Triumphal Entry](/matthew/21-1-11 "Matthew 21:1-11 - Jesus' Triumphal Entry") into Jerusalem, where Jesus is hailed as king, setting the stage for confrontation with religious authorities. Immediately preceding Matthew 21:14 is the dramatic [cleansing of the Temple](/matthew/21-12-13 "Matthew 21:12-13 - Jesus Cleanses the Temple"), where Jesus forcefully expels merchants and money-changers, quoting [Isaiah 56:7](/isaiah/56-7 "Isaiah 56:7 - My House Shall Be Called a House of Prayer") and [Jeremiah 7:11](/jeremiah/7-11 "Jeremiah 7:11 - Den of Robbers"). By healing the blind and lame directly after this act of purification, Jesus not only reclaims the Temple's physical space but also redefines its spiritual function, shifting it from a place of exploitation to one of divine encounter and compassionate care. This sequence highlights Jesus' authority over both religious institutions and human suffering.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** In first-century Jewish society, individuals with physical disabilities like blindness and lameness often faced severe social and economic marginalization. They were frequently dependent on charity, excluded from full participation in community life, and sometimes even considered ritually unclean or under divine judgment due to their infirmities. The Temple, while central to Jewish worship, had become a bustling commercial hub, particularly in the outer Court of the Gentiles, where money-changing and animal sales for sacrifices took place. Access for the disabled could be challenging, and their presence was often relegated to the peripheries. Jesus' act of welcoming and healing these individuals *within* the Temple courts was therefore a radical statement, challenging societal norms and religious prejudices, and demonstrating God's inclusive love for the vulnerable.
* **Key Themes:** Matthew 21:14 contributes significantly to several overarching themes in the Gospel of Matthew. It powerfully illustrates Jesus' **divine compassion and authority**, demonstrating His power over sickness and His heart for the marginalized, a theme consistent with His ministry throughout the Gospel (e.g., [Matthew 8:16](/matthew/8-16 "Matthew 8:16 - Jesus Heals Many")). The healing within the Temple re-establishes the **true purpose of the Temple** as a "house of prayer" and a place of God's redemptive presence, rather than a commercial enterprise. Furthermore, Jesus' actions serve as a profound **fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy**, particularly messianic expectations that the coming Messiah would bring healing and restoration to the blind and lame (e.g., [Isaiah 35:5-6](/isaiah/35-5-6 "Isaiah 35:5-6 - The Desert Blooms, The Blind See")). This verse thus solidifies Jesus' claim to be the promised Messiah, validating His authority through tangible signs.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **Blind (Greek, _typhlós'_):** This term denotes someone physically unable to see. In the biblical context, blindness often carries symbolic weight, representing spiritual ignorance or inability to perceive divine truth. Jesus' healing of the physically blind frequently parallels His opening of spiritual eyes, allowing people to recognize Him as the Messiah and understand God's kingdom.
* **Lame (Greek, _chōlós'_):** Referring to someone who is "halt" or limping, this word describes a physical inability to walk properly. Like blindness, lameness rendered individuals dependent and often excluded from active societal roles. Healing the lame demonstrated Jesus' power to restore physical wholeness and, symbolically, to enable those who were spiritually "stuck" or unable to "walk" in God's ways to move forward.
* **Healed (Greek, _therapeúō'_):** Derived from a root meaning "to wait upon menially," this verb specifically denotes relieving disease or curing illness. It emphasizes the comprehensive and restorative nature of Jesus' intervention. Unlike mere alleviation, _therapeúō_ implies a complete restoration to health, underscoring Jesus' divine power not just to alleviate suffering but to fundamentally transform the condition of those He touches.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple":** This clause highlights the immediate aftermath of Jesus' Temple cleansing. Despite the recent confrontation and the chaos Jesus had just disrupted, the most vulnerable members of society felt safe and drawn to Him. Their active "coming" (προσῆλθον, _prosēlthon_) signifies their faith, desperate hope, or perhaps simply their recognition of Him as a source of help. The location, "in the temple" (ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, _en tō hierō_), is crucial, as it transforms a space recently purified from commerce into a place of divine compassion and accessibility, open to those traditionally marginalized.
* **"and he healed them":** This concise statement underscores the direct, immediate, and complete nature of Jesus' miraculous intervention. There is no elaborate ritual or lengthy process; Jesus simply acts, and the healing occurs. The simplicity of the declaration emphasizes His absolute authority over sickness and infirmity, confirming His divine power and validating His messianic claims. This act is a tangible demonstration of God's kingdom breaking into the present reality, bringing wholeness and restoration.

#### Literary Devices
Matthew 21:14 masterfully employs several literary devices. **Juxtaposition** is prominent, contrasting the Temple as a "den of robbers" (Matthew 21:13) with its immediate transformation into a place of healing and divine encounter. This highlights Jesus' power to purify and restore. **Symbolism** is also at play, as physical blindness and lameness often symbolize spiritual inability or brokenness in biblical literature. Jesus' healing of these physical ailments points to His greater power to bring spiritual sight and wholeness, enabling people to "walk" in His truth. Furthermore, the event serves as a clear instance of **Messianic Fulfillment**, as the healing of the blind and lame was a specific sign prophesied in the Old Testament (e.g., [Isaiah 35:5-6](/isaiah/35-5-6 "Isaiah 35:5-6 - Prophecy of Healing in the Messianic Age")) that would accompany the coming of the Messiah. Jesus' actions thus serve as irrefutable evidence of His divine identity.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 21:14 profoundly illustrates the nature of God's kingdom breaking into human history through Jesus. It reveals a God who is not distant or confined to ritual, but one who actively seeks out and restores the broken, the marginalized, and the suffering. Jesus' actions in the Temple demonstrate that true worship involves not just reverence but also radical compassion and the manifestation of divine power to bring wholeness. The cleansing of the Temple, immediately followed by acts of healing, signifies that God's presence purifies not only sacred spaces but also human lives, transforming them from states of infirmity and exclusion to wholeness and inclusion. This passage invites us to consider where God's healing presence is truly found and how His people are called to embody His compassion in the world.

* [Isaiah 35:5-6](/isaiah/35-5-6 "Isaiah 35:5-6 - The Eyes of the Blind Shall Be Opened")
* [Luke 7:21-22](/luke/7-21-22 "Luke 7:21-22 - Jesus' Works as Proof of His Identity")
* [Acts 3:6-8](/acts/3-6-8 "Acts 3:6-8 - Peter Heals the Lame Man at the Temple Gate")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 21:14 offers a powerful invitation for personal and communal reflection. It reminds us that Jesus' compassion extends to the most vulnerable, and His power is sufficient to heal all forms of brokenness—physical, emotional, and spiritual. Just as the blind and lame sought Jesus in the Temple, we are encouraged to bring our own infirmities, doubts, and burdens into His presence, trusting in His restorative power. This passage challenges us to examine our own hearts and communities: are we creating spaces where the marginalized feel welcomed and where true healing, both spiritual and physical, can occur? It calls the Church, as the contemporary "temple" where God's Spirit dwells, to be a beacon of hope and healing, reflecting Christ's radical inclusivity and compassion to a hurting world, prioritizing genuine care over commercialism or exclusion.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Jesus' immediate act of healing after cleansing the Temple redefine what we understand as "sacred space" or "worship"?**
* **In what ways might we, as individuals or as a church community, inadvertently create barriers that prevent the "blind and lame" (the marginalized, the hurting) from coming to Jesus?**
* **What "blindness" or "lameness" (spiritual, emotional, physical) do I need to bring to Jesus for healing today?**

### FAQ

**Why is it significant that Jesus healed the blind and lame specifically *in the Temple*?**

Answer: The significance of Jesus healing the blind and lame in the Temple is multi-layered. Firstly, it directly follows His forceful cleansing of the Temple, where He denounced its commercialization and declared it a "house of prayer" ([Matthew 21:13](/matthew/21-13 "Matthew 21:13 - Jesus Cites Isaiah and Jeremiah")). By performing miracles of healing immediately afterward, Jesus symbolically and practically reclaimed the Temple for its intended divine purpose: a place where God's presence brings restoration and where people encounter His redemptive power. Secondly, the healing of the blind and lame was a specific sign of the Messiah's coming, prophesied in the Old Testament (e.g., [Isaiah 35:5-6](/isaiah/35-5-6 "Isaiah 35:5-6 - Prophecy of Messianic Healing")). Performing these miracles in the heart of Jewish worship, the Temple, served as a powerful public declaration of His messianic identity to all who witnessed it, including the religious authorities who had just challenged Him. It demonstrated that true worship and God's presence are characterized by compassion, healing, and accessibility for all, especially the vulnerable.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 21:14 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in Jesus as the Great Physician, whose healing of physical infirmities foreshadows His ultimate work of spiritual restoration. The blind and the lame coming to Jesus in the Temple prefigures all humanity, spiritually blind and lame due to sin, coming to Christ for salvation. Just as He restored physical sight and mobility, He offers spiritual sight, enabling us to perceive God's truth, and spiritual wholeness, empowering us to walk in newness of life. His sacrifice on the cross, where "by his stripes we are healed" ([Isaiah 53:5](/isaiah/53-5 "Isaiah 53:5 - By His Stripes We Are Healed"), quoted in [1 Peter 2:24](/1_peter/2-24 "1 Peter 2:24 - By His Wounds You Have Been Healed")), is the ultimate act of healing, addressing the root cause of all human brokenness: sin. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus inaugurates a new creation where all tears are wiped away, and there will be "no more death or mourning or crying or pain" ([Revelation 21:4](/revelation/21-4 "Revelation 21:4 - No More Death or Pain")), a complete and eternal fulfillment of the physical healings He performed in His earthly ministry.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 35:5

¶ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Matthew 9:35

¶ And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Acts 10:38

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Matthew 11:4

Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:

Matthew 11:5

The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.

Acts 3:1

¶ Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, [being] the ninth [hour].

Acts 3:9

And all the people saw him walking and praising God: