Read the Gospels in 40 Days
Christ makes the man who was born blind able to see.
9 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin: this man, or his father and mother, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither has this man sinned, nor yet his father and mother, but it is so that the works of God may be shown on him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day. The night comes, when no man can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 As soon as he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and rubbed the clay on the eyes of the blind man, 7 and said to him, Go and wash in the pool of Siloam (which, translated, means Sent). He went his way and washed, and came back seeing. 8 The neighbours and people that had seen him before, how he was a beggar, said, Is this not the man who sat and begged? 9 Some said, This is the man. Others said, He is like him. But he himself said, I am he.
10 They said to him, How were your eyes opened then? 11 He answered and said, The man that is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes, and said to me, Go to the pool Siloam and wash. And I went and washed, and received my sight.
12 They said to him, Where is he? He said, I do not know.
13 Then they brought to the Pharisees the man who a little before had been blind. 14 For it was the Sabbath day when Jesus had made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said to them, He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and do see. 16 Then some of the Pharisees said, This man is not of God, because he does not keep the Sabbath day. Others said, How can a man who is a sinner do such miracles? And there was disagreement among them. 17 Then they spoke to the blind man again: What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes? And he said, He is a prophet.
18 But the Jews did not believe concerning the fellow, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the father and mother of him who had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, Is this your son, whom you say was born blind? How then does he now see?
20 His father and mother answered them and said, We know well that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But by what means he now sees, that we do not know. Or who has opened his eyes, we do not know. He is old enough; ask him. Let him answer for himself.
22 His father and mother spoke such words because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had decided already that if anyone confessed that Jesus was the Christ, he would be excommunicated out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his father and mother said, He is old enough; ask him.
24 Then again they called the man who had been blind and said to him, Give God the praise. We know that this man is a sinner.
25 He answered and said, Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I am sure of: I was blind, and now I see.
26 Then they said to him again, What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?
27 He answered them, I told you already, and you did not hear. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to be his disciples?
28 Then they berated him and said, You are his disciple. We are Moses’ disciples. 29 We are sure that God spoke with Moses. This fellow, we do not know where he is from.
30 The man answered and said to them, This is a marvellous thing, that you do not where he is from, seeing he has opened my eyes. 31 For we are sure that God does not hear sinners. But if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, him he hears. 32 Since the world began it has never been heard that any man opened the eyes of someone that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could have done nothing.
34 They answered and said to him, You are altogether born in sin, and do you teach us? And they cast him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had excommunicated the man, and as soon as he found him, he said to him, Do you believe on the Son of God? 36 He answered and said, Who is it, Lord, so that I can believe on him? 37 And Jesus said to him, You have seen him, and he it is who talks with you.
38 And he said, Lord, I believe! and worshipped him.
39 Jesus said, I have come for judgment into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see, may be made blind.
40 And some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him, Are we then blind? 41 Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, We see. Therefore your sin remains.
Christ is the true shepherd, and the door of the sheep. Some say Christ has a devil and is mad. Some say he does not speak the words of a man that has a devil. Because he tells the truth, the Jews take up stones to cast at him, call his preaching blasphemy, and go about to take him.
10 Truly truly I say to you, he who does not enter into the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 He who goes in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep; 3 to him the porter opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he has sent forth his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him. For they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This similitude Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand the things that he was saying to them.
7 Then Jesus spoke to them again: Truly truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All, even as many as came before me, are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be safe, and will go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes not but to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come so that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 But a hired servant, who is not the shepherd, neither are the sheep his own, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep, and flees; and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep. 13 The hired servant flees because he is a hired servant, and does not care for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know my own, and am known by my own. 15 As my Father knows me, even so do I know my Father. And I give my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have who are not of this fold. Them also must I bring, so that they may hear my voice, and so that there may be one flock and one shepherd.
17 Therefore does my Father love me: because I put my life from me so that I may take it back again. 18 No man takes it from me, but I put it away of myself. I have power to put it from me, and have power to take it again. This commandment I have received from my Father.
19 And there was dissension again among the Jews because of these sayings, 20 and many of them said, He has a devil, and is mad. Why do you listen to him? 21 Others said, These are not the words of a man that has a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the Dedication, 23 and it was winter. And Jesus walked in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews came round about him and said to him, How long are you going to keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep. 27 As I said to you, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, 28 and I give to them eternal life. And they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father who gave them to me is greater than all, and no one is able to take them out of my Father’s hand. 30 And I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews again took up stones, to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shown you from my Father. For which of them would you stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, We do not stone you for your good works, but for your blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law: I say, you are gods? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God was spoken (and the scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you then say to him whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world, You blaspheme, because I said I am the Son of God? 37 If I do not do the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, then though you do not believe me, yet believe the works, so that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him.
39 Again they went about to seize him, but he escaped out of their hands. 40 And he went away again beyond the Jordan, into the place where John before had baptized, and stayed there. 41 And many people resorted to him and said, John did no miracle, but all the things that John spoke about this man are true.
42 And many believed on him there.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.