Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
Study note
Encountering a man blind from birth, Jesus rejects the assumption that the blindness is punishment for sin, declaring instead that it exists so God's works might be displayed. Jesus makes clay, anoints the man's eyes, and sends him to wash in the pool of Siloam. The man returns seeing, causing confusion among his neighbors who debate whether he is even the same person. This miracle serves as a living illustration of Jesus' claim to be the light of the world.
1 As Jesus was walking along, he noticed a man who had been unable to see since the day he was born. And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
2 His followers asked him, "Teacher, why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sin, or because his parents sinned?" And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, "It was not because this man sinned, and it was not because his parents sinned. He was born this way so that God's amazing power could be shown through what happens to him." Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 "I need to keep doing the work that the one who sent me wants me to do while there is still daylight. Night is on its way, when no work can be done." I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 "For as long as I am here in the world, I am the light that shines for everyone." As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 After saying this, Jesus spit on the dirt and mixed it into a paste. He spread the mud over the blind man's eyes. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 Then he told him, "Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam" (Siloam means "Sent"). The man went, washed the mud off his eyes, and came back able to see! And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
8 His neighbors and people who always saw him begging started asking, "Is this the same man who used to sit and beg?" The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, "Yes, that is definitely him!" Others said, "No, it is just someone who looks a lot like him." But the man himself kept saying, "It is me! I am the same person!" Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 "Then how can you see now?" they wanted to know. Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He explained, "A man named Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. I did what he said, and I could see!" He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12 "Where is this man now?" they asked. He said, "I have no idea." Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
Study note
Because the healing occurred on the Sabbath, the Pharisees launch an investigation. They are divided -- some say Jesus cannot be from God because he does not keep the Sabbath, while others wonder how a sinner could perform such signs. The healed man's testimony grows bolder with each interrogation, progressing from calling Jesus 'a man' to 'a prophet' to defending him as being from God. His parents deflect questions out of fear of excommunication. Finally, the Pharisees expel the man for daring to teach them.
13 They took the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees. They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind.
14 It turned out that Jesus had made the mud and healed his eyes on the Sabbath day. And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
15 The Pharisees questioned him about how he had gotten his sight. He told them, "He smeared mud on my eyes, I washed it off, and now I can see." Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see.
16 Some of the Pharisees said, "The man who did this does not follow God, because he does not keep the Sabbath." But others argued, "How could someone who is a sinner do such powerful miracles?" They could not agree among themselves. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.
17 So they turned back to the blind man and asked, "You are the one he healed -- what is your opinion of him?" The man said, "I believe he is a prophet." They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet.
18 The Jewish leaders refused to believe the man had truly been blind and then healed. So they sent for his parents. But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.
19 "Is this truly your son?" they asked. "Is it true that he was born blind? Then how is he able to see now?" And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?
20 His parents answered, "We can tell you two things for certain: he is our son, and he was definitely born blind." His parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind:
21 "But we have no idea how he can see now, and we do not know who healed him. He is a grown man -- ask him yourself. He can answer your questions." But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for himself.
22 His parents gave this careful answer because they were scared of the Jewish leaders. The leaders had already announced that anyone who said Jesus was the Christ would be kicked out of the synagogue. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
23 Therefore his parents kept saying, "He is old enough to speak for himself -- ask him." Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him.
24 So the leaders called the healed man in a second time and told him, "Give glory to God and admit the truth. We know this man Jesus is a sinner." Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.
25 The man replied, "Whether he is a sinner is not for me to say. But I know one thing without a doubt: I used to be blind, and right now I can see." He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.
26 They asked him yet again, "What exactly did he do to you? Tell us how he opened your eyes." Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes?
27 He answered, "I already told you the whole story and you did not listen! Why do you want to hear it again? Are you thinking about becoming his followers too?" He answered them, I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples?
28 They hurled insults at him: "You can be his follower! We follow Moses!" Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples.
29 "We know that God spoke to Moses directly. But this man? We do not even know where he comes from!" We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.
30 The man responded, "Now that is truly something! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes!" The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.
31 "Everybody knows that God does not answer the prayers of sinners. He listens to people who worship him and do what he asks." Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
32 "In all of history, has anyone ever heard of someone giving sight to a person who was born blind?" Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
33 "If this man did not come from God, he could not have done anything like this." If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
34 They were furious. "You were born drowning in sin, and now you are trying to teach us?" Then they threw him out. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
Spiritual Blindness Revealed
Study note
After the man's expulsion from the synagogue, Jesus seeks him out and reveals himself as the Son of God. The man responds with immediate faith and worship. Jesus then pronounces a sobering verdict: he came into the world for judgment, so that the blind may see and those who claim to see may be shown as blind. When Pharisees ask whether they too are blind, Jesus tells them that their claim to see makes their sin remain -- a devastating exposure of self-righteous spiritual blindness.
35 Jesus heard that they had thrown the man out. When he found him, he asked, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
36 The man answered, "Tell me who he is, sir, so I can believe in him." He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?
37 Jesus said, "You are looking right at him. He is the one talking to you right now." And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.
38 "Lord, I believe!" the man said, and he fell to his knees and worshipped Jesus. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
39 Then Jesus said, "I came into this world to turn things around. Blind people will see. And people who think they can see fine will find out they are blind." And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.
40 Some Pharisees standing nearby heard this and asked, "Are you calling us blind too?" And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?
41 Jesus told them, "If you were truly blind, you would not be guilty. But since you keep insisting that you can see fine, your guilt stays right where it is." Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.