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While Passing On, Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

And while passing on, He saw a man blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying “Rabbi, who sinned— this one or his parents, that he should be born blind?” Jesus answered, “Neither this one sinned nor his parents, but it was in order that the works of God might be made-visible in him. We must be working the works of the One having sent Me while it is day. Night is coming, when no one can work. When I am in the world, I am the light of the world”. Having said these things, He spat on the ground and made mud from the saliva, and smeared its mud on the eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated “Sent”[a]). So he went away and washed, and came[b] [back] seeing. Then the neighbors, and the ones seeing him formerly— because[c] he was a beggar— were saying “Is not this the one sitting and begging?” Others were saying that “This is he”. Others were saying, “No, but he is like him”. That one was saying that “I am he”. 10 So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” 11 That one answered, “The man being called Jesus made mud and smeared it on my eyes, and said to me ‘Go to Siloam and wash’. So having gone away and washed, I received-sight”. 12 And they said to him, “Where is that One?” He says, “I do not know”.

The Pharisees Were Divided Over This Sign, Because It Was Done On a Sabbath

13 They bring him to the Pharisees— the formerly blind one. 14 Now it was a Sabbath on the day Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received-sight. And the one said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see”. 16 Then some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath”. But others were saying, “How is a sinful man able to do such signs?” And there was a division among them. 17 So they say to the blind one again, “What do you say about Him, seeing-that He opened your eyes?” And the one said that “He is a prophet”.

The Pharisees Question Whether He Was Blind, And Call In The Parents

18 Then the Jews did not believe concerning him that he was blind and received-sight— until they called the parents of him having received-sight. 19 And they asked them, saying “Is this your son whom you are saying that he was born blind? How then does he see now?” 20 So his parents responded and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees— we do not know. Or who opened his eyes— we do not know. Ask him. He has a mature-age. He will speak about himself ”. 22 His parents said these things because they were fearing the Jews. For the Jews already had agreed that if anyone confessed Him as the Christ, he should become put-out-of-the-synagogue. 23 For this reason his parents said that “He has a mature-age, question him”.

They Don’t Want To Believe Jesus Did It, So They Question The Man Again

24 Then they called for a second time the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner”. 25 So that one responded, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know. I know one thing— that being a blind one, now I see”. 26 So they said to him, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? You also do not want to become His disciples, do you?” 28 And they reviled him and said, “You are a disciple of that One, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses. But we do not know where this One is from”. 30 The man responded and said to them, “Why, in this is[d] the marvel[e] that you do not know where He is from, and He opened my eyes! 31 We know that God does not hear[f] sinners. But if anyone is a God-fearing one, and is doing His will— He hears this one. 32 It was not ever heard that someone opened the eyes of one having been born blind. 33 If this One were not from God, He would be able to do nothing”. 34 They responded and said to him, “You were born entirely in sins, and you are teaching us?” And they threw him outside[g].

Jesus Tells The Man, I Came So The Blind May See And The Seeing May Become Blind

35 Jesus heard that they threw him outside, and having found him, said “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 That one responded and said, “Who indeed is He, Sir, in order that I may believe in Him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and that One is the One speaking with you”. 38 And the one said, “Master, I believe”, and prostrated-himself [h] before Him. 39 And Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment— so that the ones not seeing[i] may be seeing, and the ones seeing may become blind”.

You Pharisees Are Thieves, Not Shepherds, So God’s Sheep Do Not Follow You

40 Some of the Pharisees heard these things— the ones being with him— and said to Him, “We indeed are not blind ones, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind[j] ones, you would not have[k] sin. But you are saying now that ‘We see’— your sin remains.

Footnotes

  1. John 9:7 The water was ‘sent’ to this pool from a spring outside the wall through an underground tunnel built by King Hezekiah.
  2. John 9:7 Or, went [home].
  3. John 9:8 Or, that.
  4. John 9:30 Or, In this is indeed the. The man is incredulous.
  5. John 9:30 Or, the amazing thing.
  6. John 9:31 That is, listen to and answer.
  7. John 9:34 That is, physically out of the temple; or, out of the synagogue, v 22.
  8. John 9:38 Or, gave-worship to.
  9. John 9:39 That is, the ones not having spiritual sight versus the ones claiming to have spiritual sight.
  10. John 9:41 That is, not having spiritual sight.
  11. John 9:41 That is, be guilty of sin against Me.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been born blind. His followers asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind—his own sin or his parents’ sin?”

Jesus answered, “It is not this man’s sin or his parents’ sin that made him blind. This man was born blind so that God’s power could be shown in him. While it is daytime, we must continue doing the work of the One who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

After Jesus said this, he spit on the ground and made some mud with it and put the mud on the man’s eyes. Then he told the man, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.” (Siloam means Sent.) So the man went, washed, and came back seeing.

The neighbors and some people who had earlier seen this man begging said, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”

Some said, “He is the one,” but others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

The man himself said, “I am the man.”

10 They asked, “How did you get your sight?”

11 He answered, “The man named Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 They asked him, “Where is this man?”

“I don’t know,” he answered.

Pharisees Question the Healing

13 Then the people took to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 The day Jesus had made mud and healed his eyes was a Sabbath day. 15 So now the Pharisees asked the man, “How did you get your sight?”

He answered, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and now I see.”

16 So some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man does not keep the Sabbath day, so he is not from God.”

But others said, “A man who is a sinner can’t do miracles like these.” So they could not agree with each other.

17 They asked the man again, “What do you say about him since it was your eyes he opened?”

The man answered, “He is a prophet.”

18 These leaders did not believe that he had been blind and could now see again. So they sent for the man’s parents 19 and asked them, “Is this your son who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?”

20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But we don’t know how he can now see. We don’t know who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the elders, who had already decided that anyone who said Jesus was the Christ would be avoided. 23 That is why his parents said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”

24 So for the second time, they called the man who had been blind. They said, “You should give God the glory by telling the truth. We know that this man is a sinner.”

25 He answered, “I don’t know if he is a sinner. One thing I do know: I was blind, and now I see.”

26 They asked, “What did he do to you? How did he make you see again?”

27 He answered, “I already told you, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his followers, too?”

28 Then they insulted him and said, “You are his follower, but we are followers of Moses. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”

30 The man answered, “This is a very strange thing. You don’t know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but he listens to anyone who worships and obeys him. 32 Nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 They answered, “You were born full of sin! Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out.

Spiritual Blindness

35 When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, Jesus found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 He asked, “Who is the Son of Man, sir, so that I can believe in him?”

37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him. The Son of Man is the one talking with you.”

38 He said, “Lord, I believe!” Then the man worshiped Jesus.

39 Jesus said, “I came into this world so that the world could be judged. I came so that the blind[a] would see and so that those who see will become blind.”

40 Some of the Pharisees who were nearby heard Jesus say this and asked, “Are you saying we are blind, too?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin. But since you keep saying you see, your guilt remains.”

Footnotes

  1. 9:39 blind Jesus is talking about people who are spiritually blind, not physically blind.