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Report a TypoJohn ◦ Chapter 9
1As Jesus was walking by, he saw a man who was blind from birth.2His disciples asked him, "Teacher, who broke God's law: this man or his parents, that God would punish him with blindness?"3Jesus answered them, "This man's blindness was not due to some act that either he or his parents committed, but because the world is infected with selfishness, and defects have entered the human body. God permitted this to occur so that his work of healing and restoration can be clearly distinguished from Satan's methods that destroy.4As long as minds are still open to receive and understand the light of truth, we must work to reveal the truth of God's character, methods, and principles. Minds are darkening and hearts are closing, so the work of revealing the truth will one day be of no avail.5While I am in the world, I am the light of truth, opening the eyes of everyone in the world who is willing to see."6After saying this, Jesus spat in the dirt, made some mud, and put it on the blind man's eyes.7"Go" he said, "and wash in the Pool of Siloam" (Siloam means Sent). So the man went and washed, and his vision was fully restored.8His neighbors and those who had seen him begging, asked, "Isn't this the same man who was blind and used to sit and beg?"9Some said he was; others said, "No! He only looks like the blind man." But the man himself insisted, "Yes! It is me. I am the man who was blind, but now I can see!"10"If you were blind, how is it that you are now able to see?" they demanded.11He joyfully proclaimed, "Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to wash the mud off in the Pool of Siloam, so I went and washed off the mud and immediately I could see!"12"Where is this man?" they asked. "I don't know," he replied.13The crowd that had gathered brought him to the Pharisees.14This was sure to cause a stir, because the day Jesus made the mud and cured the blind man was the Sabbath, and the Pharisees had all kinds of rules about what they thought was appropriate conduct on the Sabbath.15Therefore the Pharisees interrogated the man who had been blind. They asked him how he had received his sight. "Jesus put mud on my eyes," he replied, "and I washed, as he instructed, and now I see."16Some of the Pharisees were so biased by their own rules and false concepts of God that they said, "This man cannot be from God because he does not keep the Sabbath as we have determined it should be kept." But others, who were not so hardened, asked, "How can a person in rebellion against God do such miraculous healings?" So they were divided.17In frustration, those who believed that Jesus was not from God turned again to the man who had been blind, and asked, "What do you have to say about him? It was you he has healed." The man replied boldly, "He is an envoy of the Most High God!"18The Jewish leaders were unwilling to accept his answer and were looking for a way to deny the truth that this man had been blind and healed by Jesus, so they sent for his parents.19"Is this your son?" they asked. "Was he born blind? And how is it that he is now able to see?"20The parents answered, "This is definitely our son and he was certainly born blind, and has been blind his entire life until today.21But how he is now able to see, or who it is that has healed him, we have no idea. But you can ask him; he is old enough to speak for himself."22His parents said this because they were intimidated by the Jewish leaders who were angry and had started banning Jesus' followers from the temple and its services.23That is why the parents said, "He is old enough to speak for himself."24So the leaders summoned the healed man a second time and commanded him, "Give God the glory for your healing, because we know that this man, Jesus, is a rebel against God."25But the man was not intimidated (as his parents had been) and said, "Whether he is a rebel against God or not, I don't know. But one thing I know for sure: I was blind, and now I see–and Jesus is the One who healed me!"26Then they began their interrogation again in an attempt to confuse him and find some minor point with which to discredit the entire account. They said, "What did he do to you? How did he give you back your sight?"27He answered, "I have already told you, but you are so bent on denying the truth that you won't accept what I say." Then he added, hoping to put them on the defensive, "Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his followers also?"28Then the religious leaders became upset and hurled insults at him: "You are one of his followers! We are loyal followers of Moses!29We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this drifter, we don't even know where he's from."30The healed man answered without hesitation, "Now that's amazing! You say you don't know where he's from. I find that unbelievable. You claim to know about God and his workings, yet this man opened my eyes and you don't know anything about him.31We know that God does not support the requests of those in rebellion against him. He supports those who are in harmony with him and working for him.32No one has ever heard of someone opening the eyes of a man born blind.33If Jesus was not from God and blessed by God, he could do nothing like this."34When they heard this, their pompous self-importance was offended and they angrily retorted, "You are a homeless beggar who was born defective and accursed of God; how dare you lecture us on such matters!" And then they threw him out.35Jesus heard how the man had been treated by the religious leaders, and when he found him, asked, "Do you trust the Son of Man?"36"Who is he, sir?" the man asked; "Please tell me, so that I may put my trust in him."37Jesus said, "You have now seen him; in fact, I, the One speaking with you, am him."38Then the man fell down on his knees, and with praise and adoration in his heart, said, "My Lord, I give you my life and trust you completely."39Jesus said, "I have come to diagnose the true condition of the world. Those who realize they are blind and accept my Remedy–will see; but all who reject my Remedy, claiming they can see on their own — will remain blind."40Some of the Pharisees who heard what Jesus said, asked, "What are you suggesting? Are you saying we are blind too?"41Jesus said, "If you had not been enlightened with the knowledge of the true Remedy, you would not be guilty of rejecting it; but now that you claim to know the true Remedy and yet refuse to hear anything that disagrees with your own opinions — your condition remains terminal.