As Jesus was walking, he noticed a man who had been blind
since he was born. His disciples wanted to know, "Teacher,
why was this man born blind: was it because of something wrong he did or his
parents?"
Jesus answered, "This man didn't do anything to deserve
this and neither did his parents. This happened so God might show himself
working in this man's life. While there is daylight, I
must be busy with the work of the one who sent me. But night is
coming, when no will be able to work. While I am in this
world, I am the light of the world."
As soon as he said this,
he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. He smeared the mud on the blind man's
eyes and told him, "Go, wash this off in the pool of Siloam." (Siloam
means "Sent").
So the man hurried off, washed, and returned with full sight. The
people from the neighborhood who had seen him as a blind man asked,
"Isn't this that beggar?"
Others insisted, "That's him."
But there were others saying, "He only looks like that guy."
But the man told the people, "I'm that man."
Because of this, the people asked him,
"How were your eyes opened?"
He answered, "A man called Jesus
made some mud and put it on my eyes. Then he said to me, 'Go to
the pool of Siloam, and wash.' So I did what he said and now I can see."
Then they asked him, "Where is
this man?"
But the man replied, "I don't know."
The people took the man to the Pharisees.* Jesus had
done this on the Sabbath day, so the Pharisees again asked him questions to
investigate how he received his sight. The man told them, "He put mud on
my eyes, I washed, and now I see."
Some Pharisees said,
"It's obvious this man Jesus isn't from God because he breaks the Sabbath
law."
Others wondered, "How can a sinner do these kinds of signs?"
The group was divided over the issue, so they began to
question the man again, "What do you say about this guy, since he's the one
who opened your eyes?"
The man said, "He's a prophet."
Because he said this, some of the Jews doubted that this man
had even been born blind, much less that he had been healed. To settle the
matter, they called in his parents and asked them, "Is this your son, who you
say was born blind? Tell us how come he can see now?"
His parents answered, "We
do know this is our son, and we know he was born blind; but
we don't know how come he can now see or who opened his eyes. He's a grown
man. Why don't you ask him and let him speak for himself?"
His parents said this because they were afraid Jews would
carry out their threat to kick out of their synagogues anyone who testified that
Jesus was the Chosen One. That's why his parents said, "He's a grown
man. Why don't you ask him?"
The council called the man back in and commanded him, "Give
the credit to God. We know that this man is a sinner."
But the man answered, "I don't
know if he's a sinner. One thing I do know: I was blind, but now
I can see."
They asked again, "What did
he do to you? How did he open your eyes?"
He answered, "Listen, I told you
already, and you didn't pay attention. Why make me repeat myself? Or do you also
want to become his followers?"
Infuriated, they insulted him, "You're this guy's disciple, but we
follow Moses. We know God has
spoken to Moses. But this guy -- we don't even know where he comes
from."
The man answered, "How
amazing! You don't know where he comes from, but he opened my eyes.
Everyone
knows God doesn't listen to sinners. But, if anyone is a true worshipper of
God, and does what God wants, he listens to him. Ever
since the beginning of the world, no one has ever heard of someone opening the
eyes of someone who was born blind. If this man wasn't from God, he
could do nothing."
They retorted, "You were
born in total depravity, and you dare to lecture us?" So they threw him out.
When Jesus heard they had thrown him
out, he found him and asked, "Do you believe
in the Son of God?"
The man answered, "Who is he, Master,
so I can believe in him?"
"You have seen him, and he's the one speaking to
you."
He said, "Lord, I believe!"
and he worshiped him.
Jesus said, "The reason I came into this world was for
justice: that those who
can't see could see, and for those who see to become blind."
Some the Pharisees who happened to be with
him overheard him and asked, "Are we blind too?"
Jesus replied, "If you were blind, you're wrongs wouldn't
be held against you; but
you think you really do see. Therefore, you're not innocent."
*Pharisees were members of a Jewish sect who
had a very literal interpretation of the Jewish Law, elaborate traditions, and a
reputation for moral strictness. They were perhaps the most highly
educated and religiously intolerant group of Jesus' day.
