[Greek] τυφλός (typhlos), [Latin] caecus, [German] blind

[Greek] τυφλός (typhlos), [Latin] caecus, [German] blind: blind, not able to understand, short-sighted, opaque; 53 scriptural references

The Blind Leading the Blind: painting by Danish Renaissance painter Peter Bruegel (1568).

Background information:

The blind leading the blind:

1. This painting reflects Bruegel’s mastery of observation. This painting is based on Mt.15:14: the blind leading the blind.
2. Each figure has a different eye affliction. They hold their heads aloft to make better use of their other senses.
3. The first blind man falls into a pit. The leader of the group has fallen on his back into a ditch.
4. Falling into the pit means falling into destruction and ruin.
5. Because they are linked by their staffs, the leader seems to drag his companions down with him.
6. They pass along a path bordered by a river on one side and a village with a church on the other.
7. St. Anna’s Church, built around 1250, is depicted in the painting.

Greek Hellenism: This term means blind (unable to see), who walks away, blind to the future, intestines (caecum), blind alley (cul-de-sac), in the dark, inescapable, spiritual blindness, and choked with mud.

1. Man, wealth, power, ignorance, and pride all can be potential sources (causes) of blindness.
2. The blind man is often associated with comparisons and proverbial expressions.
3. Such proverbial expressions include ‘the blind leading the blind’ and ‘ignorance is likened to a blind man walking in the dark’.
4. Spiritual blindness is often juxtaposed with physical sight.
5. Physical blindness is often juxtaposed with intellectual understanding.
6. Gnosticism make references to those unable to receive gnosis as spiritually blind.

Old Testament: This term means blindness and to make blind (literally, figuratively, and metaphorically).

1. Blindness was a very severe handicap in Israel. The blind were specially protected by the laws of Israel.
2. It was implied that one, who misleads a blind mean, is to be cursed.
3. Spiritual blindness is not necessarily tied to physical blindness.
4. God sometimes uses blindness as a punishment for sin.
5. Old testament prophets make metaphorical and figurative references to blindness regarding judgment and salvation.
6. The curing of blindness is an important theme of eschatological hope. Blind watchers are without knowledge.
7. God Himself will be a guide on the way for those who seek to see.

New Testament: This term essentially means to be blind and unable to understand. Examples include literal blindness, inability (or refusal) to believe, blindness by God’s providence, blindness through God’s punishment, Gentiles, and spiritual blindness. For purposes of brevity, literal blindness will be excluded.

Lk.6:39: Jesus told them a parable, ‘Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit?'” (If the master is ignorant, foolish, and wicked, will the disciple be any different? One must be perfected by Christ. Falling into a pit means falling into destruction and ruin. Blind leaders can lead their followers into ruin.)

Mt.15:14: “Let them alone; they are blind guides (of the blind). If a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit.” (Jesus was seeking to uproot the Pharisees’ tradition of washing one’s hands before eating. Jesus stated that what comes out of the person is what defiles. The Pharisees are breaking God’s commandments for the sake of their traditions. The Pharisees are blind guides.)

Mt.23:16: “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.” (The Pharisees have inverted importance of oaths, revealing themselves to be blind guides. The Pharisees hold less meaningful oaths (gold) to be more important. They hold more meaningful oaths (temple) to be less important).

Mt.23:24: “Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel.” (The Pharisees expend great efforts on minor things. The Pharisees also neglect what is important.)

Mt.23:26: “Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.” (The Pharisees are more concerned for outer appearances while inner purity is ignored.)

Jn.9:39: I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind.” (Christ came into the world to give sight to those who are spiritually blind. To spiritually see is to discern the truth. The truth may seek to soften the heart of those who believe. The truth may also seek to harden the hearts of those who are spiritually blind, becoming more prideful, conceitful, blind, and ignorant, and obstinate.)

Jn.9:41: Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see’, so your sin remains.” (If the Pharisees were truly blind, they would have GENUINE CONSCIOUSNESS of their blindness. They would not be guilty of sin. Instead, the Pharisees have WILLFUL IGNORANCE AND CONCEIT. Because of their obstinance and hardness of heart, their sin remains.)

Peter’s blindness: “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall happen to you.”Mt.16:23  At first glance, Peter’s statement to Jesus sounds like a very reasonable statement. Peter is concerned about Jesus’ welfare. Jesus said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan!” Jesus stated that Peter was briefly possessed by Satan, who wanted to obstruct Jesus’ mission [in dying on the cross]. Peter was not aware of (or blind) to what he was actually saying to Jesus!

Cecum: The cecum is a pouch at the beginning of the large intestine. This term comes the Latin intestum caecum, meaning blind intestine. The related Greek term is typhlon (enteron). Typhlitis is the inflammation of the large intestine. In a sense, this is the ‘blind gut’ or ‘cul de sac’ (bottom of the bag). The cul de sac, frequently found in subdivisions, is also called a blind alley, dead end, and road with no exit.

Satan’s influences: “pushing our buttons” by inserting into our minds seemingly reasonable ideas such as “I can do whatever I want”, “I know better”, “I can refuse”, “I have the right to do that”, “I can look at that”, “Everyone is doing that”. We do NOT need to be full-blown possessed to be subtly influenced by Satan!

Immigration:

1. The US government’s USAID massive govt spending programs and policies have been hidden from the American people since the Kennedy administration. DOGE is now shedding a light on this wasteful spending.
2. The questionable relationships of the US government programs, NGO’s, and charitable programs are now coming to light. Some of these expenditures have been use for questionable immoral and evil purposes.
3. The Trump administration and DOGE is now shutting the money supply to all these NGO’s and government agencies. Layoffs and firings are already happening.
4. The USCCB, focusing primarily on immigration issues, have lost sight of focusing on salvation of souls, abortion, pro-life causes, and the Eucharist.
5. As of late, Catholic and Christian donors have not been adequately informed by these charitable NGO’s of how this money is actually being used.
6. Many are not told or unaware of St. Augustine’s Ordo Amoris: the proper ordering of love within one’s sphere of influence.
7. Some seem to invert Ordo Amoris to elevate the immigrant (alien) importance to the person.
8. One does not have to be blind to see why these NGO’s, charitable organizations, USCCB are in an uproar. The money spigot has been turned off.

Conclusion:

Cecum, blind, blindness

In the New Testament, there is a lot of physical healing going on. The scribes and Pharisees were often spiritually blind. God may use blindness to demonstrate His providence or His punishment. Since the Gentiles did not follow the Law, the Jews often perceived the Gentiles as blind or ignorant.

Then I am talking about intestines and cul de sacs. I didn’t see that coming! ☺☺☺

Update: In recent times, our society now seems to be less influenced by the cultural blindness of wokeness and cancel culture.

Many woke people still naively judge the past by current moral standards. They fail to see (understand) that cultural moral attitudes necessarily change over time.

Many abortion supporters, only seeing that they have the legal “right” to have an abortion, are often blind to the moral consequences of killing the unborn. One wonders if they are also unaware or blind to the fact that they will have to answer to God.

We have some blind Modernist and synodal clergy, adapting to the culture, seeking to change doctrine, introducing heretical ideas, and restricting traditional practices.

The Synodalists, in their outreach to the LGBTQ community, have become blind guides in paying lip service to Church teachings. They are more concerned with the outward appearances of inclusion, tolerance, and false compassion. They have also lost sight of the inner aspects of sin, true compassion, and the salvation of souls. 

Paying lip service to Church teachings: If the Synodalists were truly following Church teachings, there would be MORE conversions away from the homosexual lifestyle (and less need for the LGBTQ “outreach.) But instead, this LGBTQ “outreach” increases! Then you have a pope who continually makes confusing statements, and clergy who question, ignore, or who seek to change these Church teachings.

Democrats and progressives are now protesting against efforts to stop wasteful and ideological government spending programs. These politicians evidently cannot see that this is a “bad look” for the American people.

Activist lawyers are now ruling that government heads to do not have the right to control spending. These lawyers are evidently blinded by their politics and desire for further political money laundering.

DOGE is also looking at other governmental agencies. The American people now seeing more wasteful spending hidden from the public for many years.

Democrats and progressives fail to see that Elon Musk has been officially appointed as a government official. These politicians’ efforts to claim a constitutional crisis is also a “bad look”.

The USCCB are creating new traditions when they engage in political ideology rather engaging in the salvation of souls.

How do Modernists respond to problems caused by Modernists policies ever since Vatican II? By implementing more Modernist “renewing” and “reforming” ==> more problems ==> more “renewing” and “reforming” ==> more problems ==> rinse and repeat. It is the blind (Modernists and Synodalists) further leading the blind (the most poorly catechized laity in generations). It is as if the Modernists and Synodalists are managing the decline of Jesus’ Church.

The Modernists are blindly seeking to further prop up an often lackluster or uninspiring Novus Order Mass by removing the TLM. Blinded by their Modernistic and synodal ideology, they seek to remove a liturgical worship that has existed for most of the Church’s existence.

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.” Hellen Keller