Every Woman's Bible Journaling Edition, Filament Enabled - Book - Page 35
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57 The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old.
How can you say you have seen Abraham?*”
58 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before
Abraham was even born, I Am!*” 59At that point they
picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus was hidden from them and left the Temple.
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who
had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples
asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’
sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power
of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry
out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us.*
The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But
while I am here in the world, I am the light of the
world.”
6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the
saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s
eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of
Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and
washed and came back seeing!
8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a
blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man
who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said he was, and
others said, “No, he just looks like him!”
But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same
one!”
10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”
11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made
mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to
the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and
washed, and now I can see!”
12 “Where is he now?” they asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied.
13 Then they took the man who had been blind
to the Pharisees, 14 because it was on the Sabbath
that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. 15 The
Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them,
“He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it
away, I could see!”
9
JOHN 9
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is
not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.”
Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do
such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division
of opinion among them.
17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man
who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your
opinion about this man who healed you?”
The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”
18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the
man had been blind and could now see, so they
called in his parents. 19 They asked them, “Is this your
son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”
20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son
and that he was born blind, 21 but we don’t know
how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is
old enough to speak for himself.” 22 His parents said
this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus
was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 That’s why they said, “He is old enough.
Ask him.”
24 So for the second time they called in the man
who had been blind and told him, “God should get
the glory for this,* because we know this man Jesus
is a sinner.”
25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”
26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he
heal you?”
27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once.
Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again?
Do you want to become his disciples, too?”
28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know God
spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this
man comes from.”
30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He
healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he
comes from? 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to
sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship
him and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began, no
one has been able to open the eyes of someone born
8:57 Some manuscripts read How can you say Abraham has seen you? 8:58 Or before Abraham was even born, I have always
been alive; Greek reads before Abraham was, I am. See Exod 3:14. 9:4 Other manuscripts read I must quickly carry out the
tasks assigned me by the one who sent me; still others read We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent
me. 9:24 Or Give glory to God, not to Jesus; Greek reads Give glory to God.
9:1-3 First-century Jews incorrectly assumed that physical
disabilities and illnesses were caused by sin (see also 9:34).
The disciples assumed that someone’s sin—the man’s or his
parents’—had caused him to be born blind, but Jesus corrected
this way of thinking.
9:7-38 Although the text uses this man’s physical disability to
describe him, his recorded actions give us the full picture about
his character. This unnamed man demonstrated incredible faith,
taking Jesus at his word and following his instructions without
question. After he became able to see, the man bravely refused
to lie about what had happened, even under great pressure
from the religious leaders. When Jesus sought him out later,
the man proclaimed his belief that Jesus was the Messiah and
worshiped him.
9:20-22 Knowing what had happened to their son, the parents
of the man born blind were fearful to testify to his healing. In the
Gospels, we often read stories about parents begging Jesus on
behalf of their children. But here, we read a story about parents
distancing themselves from their child, whom Jesus had healed.
In cultures where elders are highly respected, parents’ support
and blessing are essential to their children, even if they are old
enough to speak for themselves.
