The Fourth Sunday of Lent

March 2, 2008

The blind man: “I Once Was Blind But Now I See”

John 9:1-41

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. ⁴We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, ⁷saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. ⁸The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” ¹⁰But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” ¹¹He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” ¹²They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

¹³They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ¹⁴Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” ¹⁶Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. ¹⁷So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.”

¹⁸The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight ¹⁹and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” ²⁰His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” ²²His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

²⁴So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” ²⁵He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” ²⁶They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” ²⁷He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” ²⁸Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” ³⁰The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. ³²Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. ³³If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” ³⁴They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.

Spiritual Blindness

³⁵Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” ³⁷Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” ³⁸He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. ³⁹Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” ⁴⁰Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” ⁴¹Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

Notes on John 9:1-41

Perhaps Jesus encounters the blind man in the outer courts of the Temple, where beggars habitually gathered. Illness and physical disability were attributed to sin; in this case, either of the man (prenatally) or of “his parents” (v. 2). Jesus dismisses the link between sin and illness; rather he says that this man’s impairment provides opportunity to do the works of God.

Jesus and his followers (“we,” v. 4) must do his mission while they can. A time is coming (from his crucifixion to his resurrection) when he, “the light of the world” (v. 5) will not be in the world, so he will be unable to “work” (v. 4, and the disciples will desert him).

Jesus takes earth (the substance from which human, Adam, was made), makes a “mud” (v. 6) poultice, and applies it to the man’s eyes. If he has trust enough to go to the “pool” (v. 7) and wash it off, he will have sight. He does; thus Jesus completes one of “God’s works” (v. 3). John draws attention to “Siloam” (v. 7) as meaning “Sent,” thereby alluding to Jesus as sent for the salvation of humankind – so washing symbolizes baptism.

Despite the man’s claim to be the one who was a beggar, those who know him are divided: some say “it is he” (v. 9) but others doubt: he only looks like the beggar. In vv. 10-22, the man confirms his cure as genuine. The Pharisees consider making mud on the Sabbath as breaking the Law (v. 14) so they examine the man. They too are divided (v. 16): between those who say Jesus can’t be from God (for he breaks the Law) and those who wonder how a Sabbath-breaker can perform miracles (which only one approved by God can do). So they question the man further, hoping that the dilemma can be resolved by discrediting the cure (v. 17). They ask: What do you say about his opening of your eyes? He insists that Jesus’ power is from God (“a prophet”).

The man’s parents swear that their son was blind from birth but say no more, for fear of being cast out of the community (vv. 18-23). The Pharisees invite the man to confess that he has deceived them in claiming to be cured (v. 24). (“Give glory to God” is an Old Testament formula inviting confession.) The man boldly asserts the fact of the cure and adds, ironically, if you listen to my story you may admit that Jesus is right! (v. 27)

They question Jesus’ authority: “we know” (v. 29) that the Law is from God, but Jesus is an upstart! The man ridicules their expert opinion (v. 30). God only listens to sinners who are penitent (v. 31). Jesus must be “from God” (v. 33) for no one has ever before performed such a cure (v. 32). For trying to teach the Pharisees a lesson, the man is evicted from the synagogue (“drove him out,” v. 34). Jesus invites him to express his faith shown by his conduct (vv. 35-38). He says he became human for two purposes: to give understanding, sight, of ultimate reality, and to punish those who think they “see” (v. 39) but don’t. The Pharisees are incredulous (v. 40). Jesus says: if you were ignorant of God’s ways (“blind,” v. 41) you would be considered sinless, but you make the unfounded assumption that you do “see,” so you are liable to be punished.

Reflection Questions

1. What lies behind the disciples’ question in v. 1? Curiosity? A trap? Compassion? How does Jesus’ answer address the man’s pain?
2. When you encounter someone who is physically damaged, how do you respond? Like Jesus or like the disciples?
3. When the Pharisees question the man, the crowd, his family etc. what are they truly looking for? What are they afraid to find out? Do they have an ulterior motive?
4. What does the man who was healed of his blindness “see” about Jesus that the investigators were unable to see (cc. 12, 17, 25, 27, 30-33)?
5. The blind man tried to explain his new faith by saying “I once was blind, but now I see.” How does that statement relate to your own religious faith? Who is the toughest person you know to explain your faith to? Why?
6. Do you find it hard to explain your faith to anybody? Everybody? Why?
7. When you invite someone to come with you to church this coming Easter, do you think they will come? Will they want you to explain your faith to them? What would you say if they asked?
8. Who have you thought about inviting who does not regularly go to this or any other church? (Hint: to give you courage, one idea is to write the person’s name on a piece of paper and stick it on your bathroom mirror so that you can look at it and silently pray for that person every morning. Eventually you will receive the courage to invite him or her to church.)

Prayer

O dear God, Redeemer and sustainer of all that is.

Keep us in your care. Open our eyes that we may see your face and never be afraid again. Open our mouths that we might tell others of the joy we feel in your presence and in the presence of your church. In the name of the Christ who healed blindness and created oneness,

Amen.