DMA: An Opportunity for Work of Mercy.
MAY 2012
Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?
THE CURE OF THE MAN born BLIND
JB JOHN Chapter 9
9:1 As
he went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.
9:2 His disciples asked him,
'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his
parents, for him to have been born blind?'
9:3 'Neither he nor his parents sinned,'
Jesus answered 'he
was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
9:4 'As long as the day lasts I must carry out
the work of the one who sent me; the night will soon be here when no one can
work.
9:5 As long as I am
in the world I am the light of the world.'
9:6 Having
said this, he spat on the ground, made a paste with the spittle, put this over
the eyes of the blind man.
9:7 and said to him, 'Go and wash in the Pool
of Siloam (a name that
means 'sent'). So the blind man went
off and washed himself, and came away with his sight restored.
9:8 His neighbours
and people who earlier had seen him begging said, 'Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?'
9:9 Some
said, 'Yes, it is the same one'.
Others said, 'No, he only looks like
him'. The man himself said, 'I am
the man'.
9:10 So
they said to him, 'Then how do your eyes
come to be open?'
9:11 'The man called Jesus' he answered 'made a paste, daubed my eyes with it and said to me, "Go and
wash at Siloam"; so I went, and when I washed I could see.'
9:12 They
asked, 'Where is he?' 'I don't know'
he answered.
9:13 They
brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees.
9:14 It
had been a sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened the man's
eyes,
9:15 so when the Pharisees asked him how he had come to see, he said, 'He put a paste on my eyes, and I washed,
and I can see'.
9:16 Then
some of the Pharisees said, 'This man cannot be from God: he does not keep the sabbath'.
Others said, 'How could a sinner produce
signs like this?' And there was disagreement among them.
9:17 So
they spoke to the blind man again, 'What
have you to say about him yourself, now that he has opened your eyes?' 'He is a
prophet' replied the man.
9:18 However, the Jews would
not believe that the man had been blind and had gained his sight, without first
sending for his parents and
9:19 asking them, 'Is this man really your son who you say
was born blind? If so, how is it that he is now able to see?'
9:20 His parents answered, 'We know he is our son and we know he was
born blind,
9:21 but we don't know how it is that he can see now, or who opened his
eyes. He is old enough: let him speak for himself.'
9:22 His parents spoke like
this out of fear of the Jews, who had already agreed to expel from the
synagogue anyone who should acknowledge Jesus as the Christ.
9:23 This
was why his parents said, 'He is old
enough; ask him'.
9:24 So the Jews again sent
for the man and said to him, 'Give glory
to God! For our part, we know that this man is a sinner.'
9:25 The
man answered, 'I don't know if he is a
sinner; I only know that I was blind and now I can see'.
9:26 They
said to him, 'What did he do to you? How
did he open your eyes?'
9:27 He replied, 'I have told you once and you wouldn't listen.
Why do you want to hear it all again? Do you want to become his disciples too?'
9:28 At
this they hurled abuse at him: 'You can
be his disciple,' they said 'we are
disciples of Moses:
9:29 we know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, we don't know
where he comes from'.
9:30 The
man replied, 'Now here is an astonishing
thing! He has opened my eyes, and you don't know where he comes from!
9:31 We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but God does listen to men
who are devout and do his will.
9:32 Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes
of a man who was born blind;
9:33 if this man were not from God, he couldn't do a thing.'
9:34 'Are you trying to teach us,' they replied 'and you a sinner through and through, since you were born!' And
they drove him away.
9:35 Jesus heard they had
driven him away, and when he found him he said to him, 'Do you believe in the Son of Man?'
9:36 'Sir,' the man replied 'tell
me who he is so that I may believe in him.'
9:37 Jesus said, 'You are
looking at him; he is speaking to you'.
9:38 The
man said, 'Lord, I believe', and
worshipped him.
9:39 Jesus said: 'It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those
without sight may see and those with sight turn blind'.
9:40 Hearing this, some Pharisees who were present said to him, 'We are not blind, surely?'
9:41 Jesus replied: 'Blind? If you
were, you would not be guilty, but since you say, "We see", your
guilt remains.
Michael
22 May
2012
MH230611