True Blindness

1-2 Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?”

3-5 Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do. We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s Light.”

6-7 He said this and then spit in the dust, made a clay paste with the saliva, rubbed the paste on the blind man’s eyes, and said, “Go, wash at the Pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “Sent”). The man went and washed—and saw.

Soon the town was buzzing. His relatives and those who year after year had seen him as a blind man begging were saying, “Why, isn’t this the man we knew, who sat here and begged?”

Others said, “It’s him all right!”

But others objected, “It’s not the same man at all. It just looks like him.”

He said, “It’s me, the very one.”

10 They said, “How did your eyes get opened?”

11 “A man named Jesus made a paste and rubbed it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ I did what he said. When I washed, I saw.”

12 “So where is he?”

“I don’t know.”

13-15 They marched the man to the Pharisees. This day when Jesus made the paste and healed his blindness was the Sabbath. The Pharisees grilled him again on how he had come to see. He said, “He put a clay paste on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “Obviously, this man can’t be from God. He doesn’t keep the Sabbath.”

Others countered, “How can a bad man do miraculous, God-revealing things like this?” There was a split in their ranks.

17 They came back at the blind man, “You’re the expert. He opened your eyes. What do you say about him?”

He said, “He is a prophet.”

18-19 The Jews didn’t believe it, didn’t believe the man was blind to begin with. So they called the parents of the man now bright-eyed with sight. They asked them, “Is this your son, the one you say was born blind? So how is it that he now sees?”

20-23 His parents said, “We know he is our son, and we know he was born blind. But we don’t know how he came to see—haven’t a clue about who opened his eyes. Why don’t you ask him? He’s a grown man and can speak for himself.” (His parents were talking like this because they were intimidated by the Jewish leaders, who had already decided that anyone who took a stand that this was the Messiah would be kicked out of the meeting place. That’s why his parents said, “Ask him. He’s a grown man.”)

24 They called the man back a second time—the man who had been blind—and told him, “Give credit to God. We know this man is an impostor.”

25 He replied, “I know nothing about that one way or the other. But I know one thing for sure: I was blind . . . I now see.”

26 They said, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 “I’ve told you over and over and you haven’t listened. Why do you want to hear it again? Are you so eager to become his disciples?”

28-29 With that they jumped all over him. “You might be a disciple of that man, but we’re disciples of Moses. We know for sure that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this man even comes from.”

30-33 The man replied, “This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! It’s well known that God isn’t at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of—ever. If this man didn’t come from God, he wouldn’t be able to do anything.”

34 They said, “You’re nothing but dirt! How dare you take that tone with us!” Then they threw him out in the street.

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and went and found him. He asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 The man said, “Point him out to me, sir, so that I can believe in him.”

37 Jesus said, “You’re looking right at him. Don’t you recognize my voice?”

38 “Master, I believe,” the man said, and worshiped him.

39 Jesus then said, “I came into the world to bring everything into the clear light of day, making all the distinctions clear, so that those who have never seen will see, and those who have made a great pretense of seeing will be exposed as blind.”

40 Some Pharisees overheard him and said, “Does that mean you’re calling us blind?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were really blind, you would be blameless, but since you claim to see everything so well, you’re accountable for every fault and failure.”

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi,(A) who sinned,(B) this man(C) or his parents,(D) that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.(E) As long as it is day,(F) we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”(G)

After saying this, he spit(H) on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”(I) (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.(J)

His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”(K) Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”(L)

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

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.(M) 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.(N) “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.”(O)

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?”(P) So they were divided.(Q)

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.”(R)

18 They(S) 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,(T) who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out(U) of the synagogue.(V) 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”(W)

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,”(X) they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”(Y)

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(Z) 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!(AA) 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”(AB)

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.(AC) 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God,(AD) he could do nothing.”

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth;(AE) how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.(AF)

Spiritual Blindness

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe(AG) in the Son of Man?”(AH)

36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”(AI)

37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”(AJ)

38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.(AK)

39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment(AL) I have come into this world,(AM) so that the blind will see(AN) and those who see will become blind.”(AO)

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”(AP)

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. John 9:39 Some early manuscripts do not have Then the man said … 39 Jesus said.

Jesús sana a un ciego de nacimiento

A su paso, Jesús vio a un hombre que era ciego de nacimiento. Y sus discípulos preguntaron:

—Rabí, para que este hombre haya nacido ciego, ¿quién pecó, él o sus padres?

—No está así debido a sus pecados ni a los de sus padres —respondió Jesús—, sino que esto sucedió para que la obra de Dios se hiciera evidente en su vida. Mientras sea de día, tenemos que llevar a cabo la obra del que me envió. Viene la noche cuando nadie puede trabajar. Mientras esté yo en el mundo, luz soy del mundo.

Dicho esto, escupió en el suelo, hizo barro con la saliva y se lo untó en los ojos al ciego, diciéndole:

—Ve y lávate en el estanque de Siloé (que significa “Enviado”).

El ciego fue y se lavó, entonces al volver ya veía.

Sus vecinos y los que lo habían visto pedir limosna decían: «¿No es este el que se sienta a mendigar?». Unos aseguraban: «Sí, es él». Otros decían: «No es él, sino que se le parece». Pero él insistía: «Soy yo».

10 —¿Cómo entonces se te han abierto los ojos? —le preguntaron.

11 Y él respondió:

—Ese hombre que se llama Jesús hizo un poco de barro, me lo untó en los ojos y me dijo: “Ve y lávate en Siloé”. Así que fui, me lavé y entonces pude ver.

12 —¿Y dónde está ese hombre? —le preguntaron.

—No lo sé —respondió.

Las autoridades investigan la sanidad del ciego

13 Llevaron ante los fariseos al que había sido ciego. 14 Era sábado cuando Jesús hizo el barro y le abrió los ojos al ciego. 15 Por eso los fariseos, a su vez, le preguntaron cómo había recibido la vista.

—Me untó barro en los ojos, me lavé y ahora veo —respondió.

16 Algunos de los fariseos comentaban: «Ese hombre no viene de parte de Dios, porque no respeta el sábado». Otros objetaban: «¿Cómo puede un pecador hacer semejantes señales?». Y había desacuerdo entre ellos.

17 Por eso interrogaron de nuevo al ciego:

—¿Y qué opinas tú de él? Fue a ti a quien te abrió los ojos.

—Yo digo que es profeta —contestó.

18 Pero los judíos no creían que el hombre hubiera sido ciego y ahora viera. Entonces llamaron a sus padres 19 y les preguntaron:

—¿Es este su hijo, el que dicen ustedes que nació ciego? ¿Cómo es que ahora puede ver?

20 —Sabemos que este es nuestro hijo —contestaron los padres—, y sabemos también que nació ciego. 21 Lo que no sabemos es cómo ahora puede ver ni quién le abrió los ojos. Pregúntenselo a él, que ya es mayor de edad y puede responder por sí mismo.

22 Sus padres contestaron así por miedo a los judíos, pues ya estos habían convenido que se expulsara de la sinagoga a todo el que reconociera que Jesús era el Cristo. 23 Por eso dijeron sus padres: «Pregúntenselo a él, que ya es mayor de edad».

24 Por segunda vez llamaron los judíos al que había sido ciego y le dijeron:

—¡Da gloria a Dios! A nosotros nos consta que ese hombre es pecador.

25 —Si es pecador, no lo sé —respondió el hombre—. Lo único que sé es que yo era ciego y ahora veo.

26 Pero ellos le insistieron:

—¿Qué te hizo? ¿Cómo te abrió los ojos?

27 Él respondió:

—Ya les dije y no me hicieron caso. ¿Por qué quieren oírlo de nuevo? ¿Es que también ustedes quieren hacerse sus discípulos?

28 Entonces lo insultaron y dijeron:

—¡Discípulo de ese lo serás tú! ¡Nosotros somos discípulos de Moisés! 29 Y sabemos que a Moisés le habló Dios; pero de este no sabemos ni de dónde salió.

30 —¡Allí está lo sorprendente! —respondió el hombre—: que ustedes no sepan de dónde salió y que a mí me haya abierto los ojos. 31 Sabemos que Dios no escucha a los pecadores, pero sí a los piadosos y a quienes hacen su voluntad. 32 Jamás se ha sabido que alguien le haya abierto los ojos a uno que nació ciego. 33 Si este hombre no viniera de parte de Dios, no podría hacer nada.

34 Ellos replicaron:

—Tú, que naciste sumido en pecado, ¿vas a darnos lecciones?

Y lo expulsaron.

La ceguera espiritual

35 Jesús se enteró de que habían expulsado a aquel hombre y al encontrarlo le preguntó:

—¿Crees en el Hijo del hombre?[a]

36 Él respondió:

—¿Quién es, Señor? Dímelo, para que crea en él.

37 —Pues ya lo has visto —contestó Jesús—; es el que está hablando contigo.

38 —Creo, Señor —declaró el hombre.

Y postrado lo adoró.

39 Entonces Jesús dijo:

—Yo he venido a este mundo para hacer justicia, para que los ciegos vean y los que ven se queden ciegos.

40 Algunos fariseos que estaban con él, al oírlo hablar así, le preguntaron:

—¿Qué? ¿Acaso también nosotros somos ciegos?

41 Jesús les contestó:

—Si fueran ciegos, no serían culpables de pecado, pero como afirman que ven, su pecado permanece.

Footnotes

  1. 9:35 Hijo del hombre. Alt. Hijo de Dios.