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

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

In yesterday's reading, we read of a man blind since birth, whom Jesus has healed and whose sight was restored. Jesus made clay from His own spittle and the dust on the ground, put it on the man's eyes, and told him to wash in the pool called Siloam (which means "Sent"). Answering to the common belief that some personal sin must have produced the man's misfortune, Jesus told His disciples, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." Once again, a great sign or healing is cause for dispute, as the authorities in the temple dispute cause of the healing and its righteousness or goodness, and begin to question the formerly blind man. They once again criticized Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. Today, the story continues.

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." And so, the dispute escalates and the conflict continues. First, Jesus was attacked as a person who cannot be holy or righteous, because the healing occurred on the Sabbath. Next, the blind man himself must be discredited. So they call in the parents as witnesses to prove that this man was blind from birth. We have testimony over and over again, first of the blind man and now from his parents. The parents give their own version of testimony -- they will only go so far as to confirm he was blind since birth. But for any more, the authorities must ask their son. They are afraid of the temple authorities and their hostility toward Jesus and anyone who professes belief in Him. In some sense, the young man is on his own now. Christ's acts convey occasions of choice - for discipleship, or not. And, as such, they establish and create family and relationship through the action of the Spirit. As before, "the Jews" (as used in John's Gospel) refers to the religious authorities. All others in this story (including the blind man whose sight has been restored) are Jewish.

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." They call the healed man to testify, and - similarly to his parents - he sticks to what he knows. But what he knows will lead him further onto the path of faith. His truth and honesty serve his faith - something we should always remember about our own paths to faith. My study bible says that "Give God the glory" is an oath formula, used before giving testimony or before confessing guilt.

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. The healed man sticks to what he knows! The temple authorities are outraged that the conclusions the man keeps drawing toward are those that vindicate Jesus, and the sign of healing that has been performed. Finally, in their outrage, they cast the healed man out of the synagogue. So, the circle of family or community in some sense becomes fully drawn: his parents insist he must speak for himself, and the authorities also cast him out of the temple. We must remember that it is his honesty that has gotten him to this point. So it may be with faith in our own lives.

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." After the man has been cast out, and lost his community, so to speak, Jesus finds Him. And this is indeed the story of our salvation and inclusion in the Body of Christ. "Do you believe?" is the question that is posed when the man is alone and in front of Jesus. And the healed man comes to faith. This occasion of choice -- so apparent in the face of the action of Spirit or God in the world -- becomes the occasion of judgment, for which Jesus says He has come into this world. "For judgment I have come into this world," says Jesus -- and judgment splits us down the middle, to whatever side upon which we come down in how we respond to the actions of the holy in our midst. My study bible says, "Jesus' coming brought judgment 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." The light itself, a burning fire of holiness, becomes a test. Can we stand in the light or are we blinded to it by our own insistence that it cannot be so? But if we do indeed stand in that light, and allow it to pervade and illuminate us, it draws us out of the past and into community of its own.

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." The greater accountability of which my study bible speaks is here illustrated by Jesus' words to the Pharisees. Sin remains for those who claim they see and know better. Rejection is a powerful choice of separation.

As with the man called Legion, we have another illustration here of community, how it is shaped and reformed around the power of Christ. Those who are rejected for the power of holiness at work in their lives become a part of a different community, the Body of Christ, drawn to and created by Christ. At the point at which He asks, "Do you believe?" we are drawn into community or not. We may find we are cast out of the old and familiar, as with the ancient Israelites drawn out of the old and into the new land. Isaiah writes, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. In our conventional, worldly ways of thinking, the action of the holy doesn't make sense, doesn't fit. We must approach it with the eyes of faith, of spirit, of salvation. John's Gospel will always draw us to the Lord whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways. Can we live with that holiness, and that family and community it creates? Will we remain blind to its light, or learn to approach it and let it illumine our hearts? Do we let our own conventions stand in the way of its action, or do we make way for the light when it calls us to that choice?