13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.
15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” 18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” 20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.”
22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” 25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” 28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. ~ JOHN 9:13-34
Today, we continue in the story of the man born blind. All that the healed blind man knew of the Lord Jesus was His name. He had heard His name, but he knows nothing more about Him. This underscores the fact that nothing happens to us, it happens for us. In this man's case, his blindness happened to him so that He would be able to experience the Lord Jesus. Ninety percent of life is how we respond to the ten percent that happens to us.
Then a trial ensues for this changed man. What a picture for us. Be reminded there are two things in the scripture that causes our faith in the Lord Jesus to grow: trials which cause us to turn to Him, and the spoken word of God which is what is needed for a deepening personal relationship to take place. No wonder this man faces a trial with the religious leaders.
Now, when the Lord Jesus healed the blind man, in the eyes of the religious leaders, He broke the Sabbath. Spitting on the ground violated the Sabbath because it was work, and work was forbidden on the Sabbath.
According to v.18-21, the Jews did not believe that the formerly blind man had been blind and had received his sight, until they called his parents, and asked, "Is this your son?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind."
In v.22, we read "His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue." This man's parents were very careful how they told their version of this story, fearing the religious leaders would prevent them from worshipping in the temple.
According to v.24-27, the formerly blind man's parents are fearful, but the healed man is not! The religious leaders summon the healed blind man again to appear before them. These religious leaders are not seeking truth. In fact, they have already reached a conclusion. So, they are seeking evidence to discredit the story of the formerly blind man and the Lord Jesus.
Perhaps, one of the most often quoted verses in the Bible is found in v.25, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" No one can take away a person's personal testimony. This guy did not know much, but what he knew, he was not giving up, based upon what he did not know. This man's eternal ability to see was conditioned upon his inability to see for a time.
Then, in v.26, the religious leaders ask the same questions again, trying to bully the man into saying something against the Lord Jesus. But the once blind isn't intimidated. Rather, he accuses the Pharisees of not listening, and, he suggests that maybe they are inquiring again because of spiritual interest in becoming Jesus' disciples.
Then in v.28-29, we see the religious leaders respond to his sarcasm by insulting him. Then, they say too much: "we don’t even know where he comes from." (v.29). Their problem is that more and more of the people are believing in the Lord Jesus. Not even in the Old Testament was one born blind ever healed to see again. And, they see Him as a nobody. The faith of the people informs them that they know better.
In response, the once-blind man, can't resist pointing out in v.30-33 the faulty logic of these blind religious leaders. His logic: Jesus healed my eyes. God doesn't listen to sinners (so Jesus can't be a sinner). If Jesus isn't from God, He couldn't do such a miracle. (Therefore Jesus is from God!)
To this they replied in v.34, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out." These religious leaders were not in a pursuit of truth, they were in pursuit of power steeped in selfish gain. They were not willing to acknowledge their blindness. On the other hand, those who acknowledged their blindness, who know their inadequacy in themselves, and are convinced they need God are granted sight by the One who seeks out the blind.
