医治盲人

耶稣在路上看见一个生来失明的人。 门徒问耶稣:“老师,这个人生下来便双目失明,是因为他犯了罪呢,还是他父母犯了罪呢?”

耶稣说:“不是他犯了罪,也不是他父母犯了罪,而是要在他身上彰显上帝的作为。 趁着白天,我们必须做差我来者的工作,黑夜一到,就没有人能工作了。 我在世上的时候,是世界的光。”

耶稣讲完后,便吐唾沫在地上,用唾沫和泥抹在那盲人的眼睛上, 对他说:“到西罗亚池去洗洗!”西罗亚是“奉差遣”的意思。那盲人照着去做,回来的时候已经能看见了。

他的邻居和从前见他讨饭的人说:“他不是那个常在这里讨饭的人吗?”

有人说:“是他。”有人说:“不是他,只是长得像他。”

他自己说:“我就是那个人。”

10 他们问:“你的眼睛是怎么好的?”

11 他回答说:“有一位叫耶稣的人和泥抹我的眼睛,叫我到西罗亚池子去洗。我照着去做,眼睛就能看见了。”

12 他们问:“那个人现在在哪里?”他说:“我不知道。”

盘问复明的盲人

13 他们就把这个从前失明的人带到法利赛人那里。 14 耶稣和泥开他眼睛的那天是安息日。 15 法利赛人也查问他的眼睛是怎么复明的。盲人便对他们说:“祂把泥抹在我的眼睛上,我去一洗,眼睛就看见了。”

16 有些法利赛人说:“那个人不是从上帝那里来的,因为祂不守安息日。”有些人却说:“如果祂是个罪人,又怎能行这样的神迹呢?”他们就争论起来。

17 于是,他们又问那个盲人:“既然祂开了你的眼睛,你认为祂是什么人?”

他说:“祂是先知。”

18 犹太人不相信他以前是瞎眼的,现在能看见了,便叫来他的父母, 19 问他们:“这是你们的儿子吗?你们不是说他生来就瞎眼吗?怎么现在能看见了?”

20 他父母回答说:“我们知道他是我们的儿子,生来双目失明。 21 至于他现在怎么能看见了,我们就不知道了。是谁医好了他,我们也不知道。他现在已经长大成人,你们可以去问他,他自己可以回答。”

22 他父母因为害怕那些犹太人,所以才这样说,因为那些犹太人早就商量好了,谁承认耶稣是基督,就把他赶出会堂。 23 因此他父母才说他已经长大成人,叫他们去问他。

24 法利赛人又把那个从前失明的人叫来,对他说:“你应该把荣耀归给上帝[a]!我们知道那个人是罪人。”

25 他说:“祂是不是罪人,我不知道;我只知道从前我是瞎眼的,现在能看见了。”

26 他们就问他:“祂向你做了些什么?祂是怎样医好你眼睛的?”

27 他回答说:“我已经告诉过你们了,你们不听,现在又问,难道你们也想做祂的门徒吗?”

28 他们就骂他:“你才是祂的门徒!我们是摩西的门徒。 29 我们知道上帝曾对摩西讲话,至于这个人,我们不知道祂是从哪里来的。”

30 那人说:“祂开了我的眼睛,你们竟不知道祂从哪里来,真是奇怪。 31 我们知道上帝不听罪人的祷告,只听那些敬拜祂、遵行祂旨意者的祷告。 32 从创世以来,从未听过有人能把天生失明的人医好。 33 如果这个人不是从上帝那里来的,就什么也不能做。”

34 法利赛人斥责他:“你这生来就深陷罪中的家伙,居然敢教导我们!”于是把他赶了出去。

35 耶稣听说了这事,后来祂找到这个人,对他说:“你信上帝的儿子吗?”

36 他说:“先生,谁是上帝的儿子?我要信祂。”

37 耶稣说:“你已经看见祂了,现在跟你说话的就是祂。”

38 他说:“主啊!我信!”他就敬拜耶稣。

39 耶稣说:“我为了审判来到这世界,使瞎眼的可以看见,使看得见的反成了瞎眼的。”

40 有些跟祂在一起的法利赛人听了这句话,就问:“难道我们也瞎了眼吗?”

41 耶稣说:“如果你们是瞎眼的,就没有罪了。但现在你们自称看得见,所以你们的罪还在。”

Footnotes

  1. 9:24 这是古时叫人在上帝面前起誓说实话的惯用语,参见约书亚记7:19

醫治盲人

耶穌在路上看見一個生來失明的人。 門徒問耶穌:「老師,這個人生下來便雙目失明,是因為他犯了罪呢,還是他父母犯了罪呢?」

耶穌說:「不是他犯了罪,也不是他父母犯了罪,而是要在他身上彰顯上帝的作為。 趁著白天,我們必須做差我來者的工作,黑夜一到,就沒有人能工作了。 我在世上的時候,是世界的光。」

耶穌講完後,便吐唾沫在地上,用唾沫和泥抹在那盲人的眼睛上, 對他說:「到西羅亞池去洗洗!」西羅亞是「奉差遣」的意思。那盲人照著去做,回來的時候已經能看見了。

他的鄰居和從前見他討飯的人說:「他不是那個常在這裡討飯的人嗎?」

有人說:「是他。」有人說:「不是他,只是長得像他。」

他自己說:「我就是那個人。」

10 他們問:「你的眼睛是怎麼好的?」

11 他回答說:「有一位叫耶穌的人和泥抹我的眼睛,叫我到西羅亞池子去洗。我照著去做,眼睛就能看見了。」

12 他們問:「那個人現在在哪裡?」他說:「我不知道。」

盤問復明的盲人

13 他們就把這個從前失明的人帶到法利賽人那裡。 14 耶穌和泥開他眼睛的那天是安息日。 15 法利賽人也查問他的眼睛是怎麼復明的。盲人便對他們說:「祂把泥抹在我的眼睛上,我去一洗,眼睛就看見了。」

16 有些法利賽人說:「那個人不是從上帝那裡來的,因為祂不守安息日。」有些人卻說:「如果祂是個罪人,又怎能行這樣的神蹟呢?」他們就爭論起來。

17 於是,他們又問那個盲人:「既然祂開了你的眼睛,你認為祂是什麼人?」

他說:「祂是先知。」

18 猶太人不相信他以前是瞎眼的,現在能看見了,便叫來他的父母, 19 問他們:「這是你們的兒子嗎?你們不是說他生來就瞎眼嗎?怎麼現在能看見了?」

20 他父母回答說:「我們知道他是我們的兒子,生來雙目失明。 21 至於他現在怎麼能看見了,我們就不知道了。是誰醫好了他,我們也不知道。他現在已經長大成人,你們可以去問他,他自己可以回答。」

22 他父母因為害怕那些猶太人,所以才這樣說,因為那些猶太人早就商量好了,誰承認耶穌是基督,就把他趕出會堂。 23 因此他父母才說他已經長大成人,叫他們去問他。

24 法利賽人又把那個從前失明的人叫來,對他說:「你應該把榮耀歸給上帝[a]!我們知道那個人是罪人。」

25 他說:「祂是不是罪人,我不知道;我只知道從前我是瞎眼的,現在能看見了。」

26 他們就問他:「祂向你做了些什麼?祂是怎樣醫好你眼睛的?」

27 他回答說:「我已經告訴過你們了,你們不聽,現在又問,難道你們也想作祂的門徒嗎?」

28 他們就罵他:「你才是祂的門徒!我們是摩西的門徒。 29 我們知道上帝曾對摩西講話,至於這個人,我們不知道祂是從哪裡來的。」

30 那人說:「祂開了我的眼睛,你們竟不知道祂從哪裡來,真是奇怪。 31 我們知道上帝不聽罪人的禱告,只聽那些敬拜祂、遵行祂旨意者的禱告。 32 從創世以來,從未聽過有人能把天生失明的人醫好。 33 如果這個人不是從上帝那裡來的,就什麼也不能做。」

34 法利賽人斥責他:「你這生來就深陷罪中的傢伙,居然敢教導我們!」於是把他趕了出去。

35 耶穌聽說了這事,後來祂找到這個人,對他說:「你信上帝的兒子嗎?」

36 他說:「先生,誰是上帝的兒子?我要信祂。」

37 耶穌說:「你已經看見祂了,現在跟你說話的就是祂。」

38 他說:「主啊!我信!」他就敬拜耶穌。

39 耶穌說:「我為了審判來到這世界,使瞎眼的可以看見,使看得見的反成了瞎眼的。」

40 有些跟祂在一起的法利賽人聽了這句話,就問:「難道我們也瞎了眼嗎?」

41 耶穌說:「如果你們是瞎眼的,就沒有罪了。但現在你們自稱看得見,所以你們的罪還在。」

Footnotes

  1. 9·24 這是古時叫人在上帝面前起誓說實話的慣用語,參見約書亞記7·19

John and many people in his community are Jews. As a son of Abraham, his criticism of certain Jewish leaders is not a criticism of a whole people. He’s not stereotyping or making generalizations. “The Jews” he remembers in this passage are a corrupt group of power brokers who conspire against Jesus with the Romans to have Him crucified and who later have John’s own followers expelled from the synagogue. Their behavior may be compared to the behavior of those Israelites condemned by Old Testament prophets. Prophets have the duty—Jeremiah said he had “a fire in his bones” (20:9)—to speak for God and condemn hypocrisy and unbelief wherever it is found, especially when it’s found close to home. That’s what John’s doing when recalling this event.

While walking along the road, Jesus saw a man who was blind since his birth.

Disciples: Teacher, who sinned? Who is responsible for this man’s blindness? Did he commit sins that merited this punishment? If not his sins, is it the sins of his parents?

Jesus: Neither. His blindness cannot be explained or traced to any particular person’s sins. He is blind so the deeds of God may be put on display. While it is daytime, we must do the works of the One who sent Me. But when the sun sets and night falls, this work is impossible. Whenever I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.

After He said these things, He spat on the ground and mixed saliva and dirt to form mud, which He smeared across the blind man’s eyes.

Jesus (to the blind man): Go, wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.

Siloam means “sent,” and its name reminded us that his healing was sent by God. The man went, washed, and returned to Jesus, his eyes now alive with sight. Then neighbors and others who knew him were confused to see a man so closely resembling the blind beggar running about.

Townspeople: Isn’t this the man we see every day sitting and begging in the streets?

Others: This is the same man.

Still Others: This cannot be him. But this fellow bears an uncanny resemblance to the blind man.

Formerly Blind Man: I am the same man. It’s me!

Townspeople: 10 How have your lifeless eyes been opened?

Formerly Blind Man: 11 A man named Jesus approached me and made mud from the ground and applied it to my eyes. He then said to me, “Go, wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.” I went and washed, and suddenly I could see.

Townspeople: 12 Where is this man who healed you?

Formerly Blind Man: I don’t know.

13-14 The townspeople brought the formerly blind beggar to appear before the Pharisees the same day Jesus healed him, which happened to be on the Sabbath Day. 15 The Pharisees began questioning him, looking for some explanation for how he could now see.

Formerly Blind Man: He smeared mud on my eyes, and I washed; now I see.

Some Pharisees: 16 God can’t possibly be behind this man because He is breaking the rules of the Sabbath.

Other Pharisees: How can such a lawbreaking scoundrel do something like this?

The Pharisees were at odds with one another about Jesus and could not agree whether His power came from God or the devil.

Pharisees (to the formerly blind man): 17 What do you say about this man, about the fact He opened your eyes so you could see?

Formerly Blind Man: I have no doubt—this man is a prophet.

18 Some of the Jews suspected the whole situation was a charade, that this man was never blind. So they summoned the man’s parents to testify about his condition.

Pharisees: 19 Is this man your son? Do you testify that he has been blind from birth? How therefore does he now see?

Parents: 20 We can tell you this much: he is our son, and he was born blind. 21 But his new sight is a complete mystery to us! We do not know the man who opened his eyes. Why don’t you ask our son? He is old enough to speak for himself.

22 The man’s parents were a bit evasive because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. It had been rumored that anyone who spoke of Jesus as the Anointed One would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 So they deferred the thorny question to their son, 24 and the Pharisees called on him a second time.

Pharisees: Give God the credit. He’s the One who healed you. All glory belongs to God. We are persuaded this man you speak of is a sinner who defies God.

Formerly Blind Man: 25 If this man is a sinner, I don’t know. I am not qualified to say. I only know one thing: I was blind, and now I see.

Pharisees: 26 What did He do to you? How did He give you sight?

Formerly Blind Man: 27 Listen, I’ve already answered all these questions, and you don’t like my answers. Do you really need me to say it all over again? Are you thinking about joining up with Him and becoming His followers?

Pharisees (berating him): 28 You’re one of His followers, but we follow Moses. 29 We have confidence that God spoke to Moses, but this man you speak of is a mystery; we don’t even know where He comes from.

Formerly Blind Man: 30 Isn’t it ironic that you, our religious leaders, don’t even know where He comes from; yet He gave me sight! 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does respond and work through those who worship Him and do His will. 32 No one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of any person blind from birth. 33 This man must come from God; otherwise, this miracle would not be possible. Only God can do such things.

Pharisees: 34 You were born under a cloud of sin. How can you, of all people, lecture us?

The religious leaders banished him from their presence. 35 Jesus heard what had happened and sought out the man.

Jesus: Do you believe in the Son of Man?

Formerly Blind Man: 36 I want to believe, Lord. Who is He?

Jesus: 37 You have seen His face with your new eyes, and you are talking to Him now.

Formerly Blind Man: 38 Lord, I do believe.

The man bowed low to worship Jesus.

Jesus: 39 I have entered this world to announce a verdict that changes everything. Now those without sight may begin to see, and those who see may become blind.

Some Pharisees (who overheard Jesus): 40 Surely we are not blind, are we?

Jesus: 41 If you were blind, you would be without sin. But because you claim you can see, your sin is ever present.