Jesus Cures A Blind Man
As Jesus was passing along the road he saw a man who was born blind, and
the disciples asked him, "Master, for whose sin, his own or his
parents', was this man born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither for his own
sin nor his parents', but that God's power to heal may be shown in him.
We must do the work of him who sent me while day lasts; night is coming
when no man can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the
world."
When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made clay with the
saliva, put the clay on the eyes of the blind man, and said to him, "Go,
wash in the Pool of Siloam." So he went off and washed, and returned
able to see.
Then the neighbors and those who before had seen him begging said, "Is
not this the man who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is he." Others
said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man." So they said to
him, "How then were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man who is
called Jesus made clay and put it upon my eyes, and said to me, 'Go to
the Pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went away and washed, and I received
my sight." They asked him, "Where is he?" He answered, "I do not know."
Then they brought the man who had once been blind to the Pharisees. Now
it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the clay and opened his eyes.
Therefore the Pharisees asked him again how he had received his sight,
and he told them, "Jesus put clay on my eyes and I washed them and can
see." Then some of the Pharisees said, "This man does not come from God,
for he does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a sinner do
such wonderful deeds of healing?" And they could not agree among
themselves. So they asked the blind man once more, "What have you to say
about him, for it was your eyes that he opened?" The man replied, "He is
a prophet."
Now the Jews would not believe that he had been born blind and had
received his sight until they called his parents and asked them, "Is
this your son who you say was born blind? How is it that he now can
see?" His parents answered them, "We know that this is our son and that
he was born blind, but we do not know why he can now see nor who opened
his eyes. He is of age; ask him, he can speak for himself." His parents
said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already
agreed that any one who said that Jesus was the Christ should be put out
of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, "He is of age, ask
him."
So the Jews again called the man who had been born blind, and said to
him, "Give God the praise; we know that this man Jesus is a sinner." He
answered and said, "I do not know whether he is a sinner; one thing I do
know, that, although I was blind, I now see." So they said to him, "What
did he do to you? How did he give you your sight?" He replied, "I have
told you already, but you would not listen to me. Why do you want to
hear it again? Do you also wish to become his disciples?" Then they
reviled him and said, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of
Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this
man came from." The man answered, "This is strange! You do not know
where he comes from, and yet he gave me my sight! We know that God does
not listen to sinners but that he does listen to him who worships him
and does his will. Since the world began no one has ever heard of sight
being given to a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could
do nothing." They answered, "You were born wholly bad, and yet you would
teach us?" Then they put him out of the synagogue.
Jesus heard that they had put him out, and meeting him said, "Do you
believe in the Son of God?" He answered, "Who is he, sir? Tell me that I
may believe." Jesus said to him, "Not only have you seen him but he is
now talking to you." The man said, "Then I do believe, Master," and he
worshipped him, and Jesus said to him, "It is to right wrongs that I
have come to this world, that the blind may see and that those who see
may become blind." Hearing this, some of the Pharisees who were with him
said, "And are we blind?" Jesus replied, "If you were blind you would
not be guilty; but you say, 'We can see,' and so your sin remains."