Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
[1] As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. [2] And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” [3] Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. [5] As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” [6] Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud [7] and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
[8] The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” [9] Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” [10] So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” [11] He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” [12] They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
[13] They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. [14] Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. [15] So the Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” [16] Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them. [17] So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
[18] The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight [19] and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” [20] His parents answered, “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. [21] But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” [22] (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.) [23] Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
[24] So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” [25] He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” [26] They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” [27] He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” [28] And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. [29] We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” [30] The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. [31] We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. [32] Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. [33] If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” [34] They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
[35] Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” [36] He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” [37] Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” [38] He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. [39] Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” [40] Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” [41] Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
Something I’m asking the Lord
about is how the word judge is used and intended across John-
John 3:17 “God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.”
John 3:17 ERV
https://bible.com/bible/406/jhn.3.17.ERV
Comparing to John 8
(3 sections)
“He looked up again and said to her, “Where did they all go? Did no one judge you guilty?” She answered, “No one, sir.” Then Jesus said, “I don’t judge you either. You can go now, but don’t sin again.””
John 8:10-11 ERV
https://bible.com/bible/406/jhn.8.10-11.ERV
“You judge me the way people judge other people. I don’t judge anyone. But if I judge, my judging is true, because when I judge I am not alone.
The Father who sent me is with me. I have much more I could say to judge you. But I tell people only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he speaks the truth.””
John 8:15-16, 26 ERV
https://bible.com/bible/406/jhn.8.15-26.ERV
“Jesus said, “I came into this world so that the world could be judged. I came so that people who are blind could see. And I came so that people who think they see would become blind.””
John 9:39 ERV
https://bible.com/bible/406/jhn.9.39.ERV
Rather than assume the scripture is contradictory, I’m curious that the context is something I’m missing. Possibly the standard by which (plumb line) judgement is assessed? Law vs salvation?
Anyone have insight?
I have been thinking about this a lot too as we were reading through this. What has stood out most to me is how Jesus describes Himself in Jn 3:14. He compares Himself to the serpent in the wilderness.
In that passage, the serpent represented both the judgement that fell on the Israelites and the salvation from God’s judgement. Jesus presents Himself throughout John as the judgement to those who do not believe and the means of salvation to those who follow Him as Lord. This idea is further expressed in Jn 9:39 where he again shows that having eyes to see Him is the difference between salvation or judgement, just like the serpent Moses held up in the wilderness.
It seems to me that the differences of the usage of judgement through this Gospel have to do with the differences in the hearts of those Jesus is addressing. The Pharisees believe they can see and Jesus says that they are actually blind to the Truth so therefore they stand judged. To those who receive Jesus, they can see Him and therefore are saved.
Not sure how much insight this provides lol but I do think it is cool that this theme has been on both of our hearts.
That’s good, Brandon!
Thanks for talking to me about it.
In the context that time isn’t really relevant to God, it could be that some of this is prophetic too- “and then the judgment “
I guess Heath has a new teaching series for us now – hehe!
I’m behind, but I’ve thought about this too. I’ve often wondered if our thinking of judge makes us think of a courtroom type judgment, I wonder if we thought of more of a doctor’s judgment than a courtroom judge if it would be a more accurate picture.
I think of the scans I had looking for any trace of cancer. If it was there I wanted them to find it. A radiologist had to carefully judge the images. I look at them and they mean nothing to me because I don’t know what I am looking at. I don’t see what he sees. I need a careful judge to find anything that needs removed.
I wonder if coming under the judgment of Jesus is much the same. I need him to find anything that is sin and remove it. I often don’t see my own sin until he opens my eyes to it. When my eyes are open to it I want it gone.
When we come under his judgment we are not condemned (a courtroom judge may condemn people but a doctor works to save people) but refined, healed, transformed from glory to glory.
However like illness left untreated can lead to more illnesses, even death, so does sin.
I’m not sure this makes sense as I’ve written it but it’s a picture of judgment the Lord has been unfolding for me.
This was fun to read all your comments. Thanks for bringing it up Crystal and expanding it Brandon and Naomi.
Naomi your analogy to judging with your scans was so powerful. It made me think about judging what is good – how can we know what is good without God?