One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself."

His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him." So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?" Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from." The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing." They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains."

- John 9:18-41

The story of the healing of the man blind from birth continues from yesterday's reading. Jesus made a paste of His spittle and dust and placed it on the man's eyes, and then told him to wash in the pool of Siloam, from which water is drawn for the Festival of Tabernacles that has just concluded. At that festival, Jesus had preached that He is the light of the world. The Pharisees, who had already been seeking to arrest Jesus, dispute the miracle, and whether or not Jesus has acted lawfully. See I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. In today's reading, this dispute continues.

I'll begin by repeating a note on the whole passage from yesterday's commentary: "Of all the miracle stories in the Bible, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth. This man is symbolic of all humanity: all need illumination by Christ, the Light of the world. This passage is also a picture of baptism, which is also called 'holy illumination.' This healing is the sixth sign of Jesus in John's Gospel. In the ancient Church this passage, along with chs. 3 and 5, was read on the Saturday night of Easter, when Christian catechumens were baptized. It reiterates the paschal themes of washing, illumination, healing, faith, conversion, and salvation."

But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself." My study bible notes, "The Jewish authorities again try to discredit the miracle by denying that this man was blind from birth. His parents are called in, even though the age of legal responsibility was 13." The authorities try to find witnesses that will back up their claims that this is not a true miracle, and that Jesus is not truly Who He claims Himself to be. How do we find witnesses, and what is it to witness? This is an important theme in this story - the authorities seek those who will back up their criticisms and accusations. But the parents will have nothing to do with this. As witnesses, they refuse to take any responsibility in this scene. They push their son, blind from birth, to speak for himself.

His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him." This is one way of responding when being called to witness. To say nothing out of fear, to stand by and let others do the speaking and witnessing.

So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this man is a sinner." My study bible notes, "With Jesus not present, the Pharisees harshly call Him a sinner-- but earlier when Jesus asked them face-to-face, 'Which of you convicts Me of sin?' (8:46), they answered by evading the question. Give God the glory is an oath formula, used before giving testimony or before confessing guilt. Ironically, the formerly blind man will indeed give glory to God (v. 38). The more he is pressed, the more tenacious he becomes in his belief." The Pharisees press all to testify, including an oath formula to coerce testimony. In some ways, we see the workings of spiritual life here: that which acts against to press a case may be the spur to deeper conviction.

He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." I think this is a very powerful passage out of the whole story. When pressed, the blind man digs deeper into what he knows to be the truth, and states what he truly knows with conviction: "that though I was blind, now I see." And this is how spiritual truth works, we dig to find the truth inside of ourselves, what we know, and we rest in that.

Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?" In their efforts to find flaws in testimony, the Pharisees begin to repeat themselves. The blind man responds with the obvious - do they want a repetition because they wish to become His disciples? At this point, the critics begin to make fools of themselves.

Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from." The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing." The Pharisees begin to note a division, a contrast, where there previously was none. They state that they are Moses' disciples, but they know nothing of Jesus. They are using the authority of Moses in a false testimony about Jesus. Yet, it is they who are the authorities in the temple. Once again, the blind man responds with the obvious, even according to the Pharisees' own Scriptural understanding. "If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."

They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out. For this, the blind man is cast out. Once again, we see division and contrast: Jesus has confirmed that to be born blind has nothing to do with whether or not his parents sinned. But now the blind man himself is condemned by the Pharisees as a witness. Their own authority, it seems, is paramount to them. To be born into a world of ailments and illness of every kind does not confer guilt - but rather the responsibility of dealing with a world beset with the consequences of sin, a fallen condition, and finding a righteous way through it. This is what the formerly blind man is doing by rooting himself in what he knows to be true.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind." Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we blind also?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remains." My study bible notes on this passage, "Having opened the blind man's eyes, Jesus also opens the eyes of his heart, offering spiritual illumination. The man, 'seeing' the divinity of the Son of Man, worshiped Him (v. 38). Jesus' coming brought judgment (v. 39) by increasing the accountability of those who saw and heard Him, but did not believe. The brilliance of Christ's light becomes an illumination to some, but a blinding glare to others (v. 41)." The context of witnessing and testimony is complete, and has delved now into spiritual understanding of what it is to be a witness, and what it is to deny that for which we are responsible. On either side of the testimony - even in a neutral corner - we are responsible for what we witness and how we respond when called to our own forms of testimony. Judgment, here, becomes a critical force, a component of the Good News that Jesus is here to preach.

What does it mean to witness something? To testify? Are there things in your life you'd rather not know? Are there choices on offer that give you an option to act in a loving way? Consider carefully how you respond. And more deeply, are you called to a life in your prayer, to live in a certain way? Continue going to that prayer, to find the way, to know what it is to serve in whatever way is yours - and be true to what you know. To refuse to see is to be blind indeed, in more ways than we know. One thing is certain, to be offered a choice is to know better - for which we then become responsible.