Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
As Jesus was walking along, he noticed a man who had been blind since the day he was born. When his disciples saw this man, they asked Jesus, "Teacher, why was this man born blind? Did he sin, or did his parents sin to cause this?" Jesus replied, "This man's blindness isn't because he sinned or because his parents sinned. He was born blind so that God's power could be shown through him. As long as it's still day, we must do the work that God sent me to do. Night is coming when no one will be able to work. While I am here in the world, I am the light of the world." After saying this, Jesus spit on the ground and mixed the spit with dirt to make mud. He spread this mud over the blind man's eyes. Then Jesus told him, "Go and wash yourself in the Pool of Siloam." The name Siloam means "the one who is sent." The man went to the pool, washed the mud from his eyes, and when he returned, he could see perfectly.
The Neighbors Question the Healing
The people who lived nearby and others who had seen him sitting and begging for money began questioning each other. "Isn't this the same man who used to sit here and beg?" they asked. Some people insisted it was definitely him, while others disagreed, saying, "No, it's not him—he just looks similar." But the man himself kept telling them over and over, "Yes, it's me. I am that same person." So they asked him, "Then how is it possible that your eyes were healed? How can you see now?" The man explained to them, "A man named Jesus mixed dirt with spit to make mud, then he spread it on my eyes. He told me to go wash in the pool called Siloam. So I went there, washed the mud off, and when I did, I could see." "Where is this man Jesus now?" they wanted to know. "I have no idea where he is," the man replied.
The Pharisees Investigate the Healing
The crowd brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. The day when Jesus had made the mud and healed the man's eyes happened to be the Sabbath day. The Pharisees questioned the man about how he had gotten his sight back. He told them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed it off, and now I can see." When they heard this, some of the Pharisees said, "This man cannot be from God, because he doesn't follow the Sabbath laws." But others argued back, "How could a man who sins do such miraculous signs?" The Pharisees were split and couldn't agree among themselves. So they turned back to the man who had been blind and asked him again, "What do you think about this man who opened your eyes?" The man answered, "He is a prophet."
The Parents Are Questioned
The Jewish leaders refused to believe that this man had truly been born blind and could now see. So they called for his parents to come and answer their questions. When his parents arrived, the leaders asked them directly: "Is this really your son? Are you certain he was born blind? If so, how can he see now?" The parents replied carefully: "Yes, we know without doubt that this is our son, and we know he was born blind. But we have no idea how he can see now or who gave him sight. You'll have to ask him these questions. He's a grown man and can speak for himself." His parents spoke this way because they were terrified of the Jewish authorities. The leaders had already announced their decision: anyone who acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah would be thrown out of the synagogue and cut off from their community. This threat hung over everyone like a dark cloud. So when pressed for answers about their son's healing, the parents quickly directed attention away from themselves, repeating: "He's old enough to answer for himself. Ask him."
The Man Defends Jesus
The religious leaders called the man who had been blind to come before them a second time. "Give glory to God by telling the truth!" they demanded. "We know this man Jesus is a sinner." The man answered them directly: "I don't know whether he's a sinner or not. But there's one thing I absolutely know for certain—I was blind, and now I can see!" They pressed him further: "What exactly did he do to you? How did he make your eyes work?" The man's patience was wearing thin. "I already told you everything, and you weren't listening. Why do you want to hear it all over again? Are you thinking about becoming his followers too?" This question enraged them, and they began hurling insults at him. "You're the one who follows him! We follow Moses. We know for certain that God spoke to Moses, but we have no idea where this Jesus even comes from." The man found their response absolutely amazing. "Now that's really something!" he said. "You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes so I can see. Everyone knows that God doesn't listen to sinners, but he does listen to people who worship him and obey his will. Since the beginning of time, no one has ever heard of anyone opening the eyes of a person born blind. If this man weren't from God, he couldn't possibly do something like this." The religious leaders were furious at being challenged by someone they considered beneath them. "You were born completely sinful," they shot back, "and you think you can teach us?" With that, they threw him out of the synagogue entirely.
Jesus Reveals Himself as the Son of Man
When Jesus learned that the religious leaders had kicked the man out of the synagogue, he went looking for him. When Jesus found him, he asked, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" The man answered, "Who is he, sir? Tell me, so I can believe in him." Jesus replied, "You have already seen him. In fact, he's the one talking to you right now." Then the man said, "Lord, I believe." And he bowed down and worshiped Jesus.
Spiritual Blindness
Then Jesus said, "I came into this world to bring judgment — so that people who are blind will be able to see, and people who think they can see will become blind." Some of the Pharisees who were standing there heard what Jesus said, and they asked him, "Are you saying that we are blind too?" Jesus answered them, "If you were truly blind, you wouldn't be guilty of doing wrong. But because you insist that you can see perfectly well, you remain guilty of your sin."