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 he 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 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. 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, Jesus has just passed out of the temple where the leadership sought to stone Him for declaring Himself equal to God, whom He has said is His Father. It is at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, where Jesus had debated with the authorities who by this time seek to have Him arrested. In yesterday's reading, He saw a man who was blind from birth as He passed by. His disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus told them that neither he nor his parents sinned, "but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Jesus spat on the ground, made a clay and put it on the man's eyes. He told him to go wash in the pool called Siloam (which means Sent). He came back seeing. The neighbors who knew him said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he." They asked, "How were your eyes opened?" He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight." Then they said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know." He was brought to the Pharisees who also asked him how his eyes were opened. He said, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them. They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."

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?" As we said in yesterday's reading, in all of the Bible, there isn't another healing of a man born blind since birth. This was considered something extremely extraordinary, as such affliction would have been considered the result of personal sin. The authorities find this too difficult to accept, they must discredit its possibility. So they call the parents to question them that he was really blind from birth. My study bible points out that his parents are called in, even though the age of legal responsibility was 13.

His parents answered them and said, "We know that he 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." The parents testify as to the blindness of their son, but they will say nothing more -- they are too afraid of the leadership. By now their open hostility to Jesus is no secret. Earlier in the Gospel, at the beginning of the readings about the Feast of Tabernacles, we're told that the people are afraid to speak openly for fear of the leadership, even though they debate about Jesus. So the parents say the son can speak for himself.

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." "Give God the glory" is an oath formula which was used before giving testimony or confession of guilt. The leadership accuses Jesus of being a sinner. They want the testimony of this man to help them say so. My study bible points out that earlier at the Festival Jesus asked them Himself, "Which of you convicts Me of sin?" and they didn't answer Him.

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." All acts of grace become an opportunity for choice. What are we going to believe? What are we going to accept? Here is the division: the blind man testifies. Ironically, my study bible points out, he is truly giving God the glory.

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?" As he digs into the truth, the formerly blind man riles the leadership. He asks them the obvious question, but it's not what they want to hear. He's not testifying the way they want him to.

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. Again the formerly blind man digs into the truth, following it to its logical conclusion, saying the obvious which no one else will say in front of the leadership. For his truthful testimony, he is cast out of the temple, out of community. They not only seek to accuse Jesus, but now "convict" the formerly blind based on the mere fact that he was born blind. They are outraged that their authority has been violated.

Jesus heard that they cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" To my mind, this next part of this story is stunning and tender. It's John's telling us about our relationship to this Savior. Jesus finds the man after he is cast out from the temple. Actually, in the Greek version I have, Jesus uses the title "Son of Man" here, something with which the formerly blind may have been familiar. But, either way, it is a question about his faith in the One who was prophesied, his truth.

He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" The formerly blind, a great stickler for truth, we now know, asks the direct question. In some way he is now a metaphor for all of us when we feel baffled by life, perhaps formerly blind, and looking for our way, the One to guide us.

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. Let us consider the man's experience of Jesus, his encounter. It is from the experience that he knows he can put his trust, his faith, in this Man.

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." The encounter with grace brings with it choice, and judgment. Those who claim they see are responsible for that choice. My study bible puts it this way: "Jesus' coming brought judgment by increasing the accountability of those who saw and heard Him . . . The brilliance of Christ's light becomes an illumination to some, but a blinding glare to others."

What is it to be accountable, responsible? Here we can see an indication of degrees of responsibility, degrees of choice. The Pharisees and all the leadership are particularly responsible for their choices in this scene, not only because they know and have been exposed to Jesus and the signs He makes of the presence of the Father, but also because they are experts in the Scripture. They know the prophecies. They are the leadership in the temple and are responsible for the religious welfare of the nation. They bear a special capability for faith, and a special responsibility for it. Therefore when confronted with Christ, they also bear a deep accountability for their response. The irony of the formerly blind man is that he is so alone. Born into sin, it is assumed by everyone else, and yet abandoned when he receives his sight, it is he who simply digs in to the truth, and will not let go of it. It is he who stands firm and who comes to faith. So Jesus' great presence in the world, the great gift of the Father who loves the world, becomes yet again a leveling force, something that turns our world somewhat upside down. The things to which the leadership clings: their authority and position and envy of Christ, all work to deny them their place with Him as He also comes for judgment. But the faith of the formerly blind places him by the side of Christ. Let us remember this scene, and let it play out for us when we're tempted by envy, when we can't open our eyes, when we're afraid of change, of God's shaking up our lives. Maybe, what we need to lose is our blindness.