< John 9 >
1 As Jesus was passing by, he saw a man born blind.
2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, why was this man born blind? Was it him who sinned, or was it his parents?”
3 Jesus replied, “It wasn't because the man or his parents sinned. But so that what God can do may be shown in his life,
4 we have to keep on doing the work of the one who sent me as long as it is still daytime. The night is coming when no one can work.
5 While I'm here in the world I am the light of the world.”
6 After he'd said this, Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud with the saliva which he put on the man's eyes.
7 Then Jesus told him, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam” (which means “sent”). So the man went and washed, and when he went home he could see.
8 His neighbors and those who had known him as a beggar, asked, “Isn't this the man who used to sit and beg?”
9 Some said he was, while others said “no, it's just someone who looks like him.” But the man kept saying, “It is me!”
10 “So how is it you can see?” they asked him.
11 He replied, “A man called Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go and wash yourself in the Pool of Siloam.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see.”
12 “Where is he?” they asked. “I don't know,” he replied.
13 They took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees.
14 Now it was the Sabbath when Jesus had made the mud and opened the blind man's eyes.
15 So the Pharisees also asked him how he could see. He told them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “The man who did this can't be from God because he doesn't keep the Sabbath.” But others wondered, “How could a sinner do such miracles?” So they were divided in their opinion.
17 So they went on questioning the man. “What's your opinion about him, then, since it's your eyes he opened,” they asked. “He's surely a prophet,” the man replied.
18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe that the man who had been blind could now see until they had called in the man's parents.
19 They asked them, “Is this your son whom you say was born blind? So how is it that now he can see?”
20 His parents answered, “We know this is our son who was born blind.
21 But we've no idea how he can see now, or who healed him. Why don't you ask him, he's old enough. He can speak for himself.”
22 The reason his parents said this was because they were afraid of what the Jewish leaders would do. The Jewish leaders had already announced that anyone who declared that Jesus was the Messiah would be thrown out of the synagogue.
23 That was why his parents said, “Ask him, he's old enough.”
24 Once more they called in the man who had been blind, and told him, “Give God the glory! We know this man is a sinner.”
25 The man replied, “Whether he's a sinner or not, I don't know. All I know is that I was blind and now I can see.”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 The man replied, “I already told you. Weren't you listening? Why do you want to hear it again? You don't want to become his disciples too, do you?”
28 They shouted abuse at him, and said, “You're that man's disciple.
29 We're disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this person, we don't even know where he comes from.”
30 The man answered, “That's incredible! You don't know where he comes from but he opened my eyes.
31 We know that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he does listen to anyone who worships him and does what he wants.
32 Never before in the whole of history has anyone heard of a man born blind being healed. (aiōn )
33 If this man weren't from God, he could do nothing.”
34 “You were born totally sinful, and yet you're trying to lecture us,” they replied. And they threw him out of the synagogue.
35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he went and found the man, and asked him, “Do you trust in the Son of man?”
36 The man replied, “Tell me who he is, sir, so I can put my trust in him.”
37 “You've already seen him. He's the one speaking with you now!” Jesus told him.
38 “I trust you, Lord!” he said, and he kneeled in worship before Jesus.
39 Then Jesus told him, “I've come into the world to bring judgment so that those who are blind may see, and those who see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were there with Jesus asked him, “We're not blind too, are we?”
41 Jesus answered, “If you were blind, you wouldn't be guilty. But now that you say you see, your guilt remains.”
