Why The Pharisees Lost a Debate with A Blind Man

By Mary Vee
John 9 

Peter

Photo by Mary Vee. View from the Mount of Olives facing
the Temple area

My name is Peter, I am a disciple of Jesus. 

A few moments ago, Jesus healed a blind man. He told his friends and neighbors. They didn't believe he was the same man who had been blind all those years. 

The Jews took the man to the Pharisees who asked the man, "How is it that you can see when you have been blind?"

The man answered, "A man named Jesus put mud on my eyes and told me to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. I did as he said, and now I see."

The Pharisees shook their heads and whispered to each other before saying, "Jesus cannot have come from God as He claims. This is the Sabbath, a day in which we are to rest. Healing this man is an act of work. He has disobeyed the Law of Moses."

Some of the people in the crowd asked, "If that is so, then how can a sinner do such a miraculous sign?"

The two groups argued for some time. They finally turned to the blind man and asked, "Tell us about this man, Jesus. It was your eyes that you claim he opened."

The man said, "Jesus is a prophet."

The Jews standing there still didn't believe that the man standing before them used to be blind. They sent for his parents to come and settle the matter. The Pharisees asked them, "Is this your son?"

The man and wife looked at the one who said he used to be blind. "Yes. He is our son."

The Pharisees still did not seem satisfied. They asked, "Is this the one you say was born blind. If that is so, explain to us how he can see right now?"

The father shook his head. "I know my son. This is him. He has been blind since birth. As for how he is able to see now, or who was it that caused him to see, I don't know. Ask him. He is old enough to answer your question. Let him speak for himself." 

The parents were afraid of these Jews. The Pharisees had announced: anyone acknowledging Jesus as the Christ would be banished from the synagogue. 

Photo by Mary Vee.
The pool where people came to be healed.
Jerusalem

The Pharisees called the man who had been bind again and said, "Give glory to God. We know this man, Jesus, is a sinner."

The healed man said, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I have no idea. But this I know, I was blind but now I see!"

The Pharisees said, "Tell us what he did. How did he open your eyes?"

"I told you already and you didn't listen. Why should I tell you again? Do you want to become one of his disciples?"

This made the Pharisees very angry. "You are a disciple of Jesus. We are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this man, Jesus, we don't even know where he comes from."

Photo by Mary Vee
The blind man wasn't the only person
Jesus healed. This sign is near the pool
shown above. Jerusalem

The man who had been blind said, "Now isn't that amazing! You say you don't know where Jesus comes from, yet he opened my eyes and gave me sight. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man did not come from God, he couldn't do any miracle. 

The Pharisees said, "You were full of sin at birth. That is what made you blind. How dare you lecture us as though you are smarter than us!" They grabbed the man who had been blind and tossed him out of the temple area."

The battle isn't over. 

What happened next? Next week I will tell you more. 

 Come back to read the next story.

*Author of blog's note: If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comment section. I will see them and will answer as best I can or direct you to a source.


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sources: 
*A Harmony of the Gospels for Historical Study, An Analytical Synopsis of the Four Gospels by William Arnold Stevens and Ernest DeWitt Burton, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1932
*New International Version, New King James Version. 
*My Bible College training.
*My notes and walk through classes I've taught in Children's church. Answers to student questions, etc.
*Pastoral sermons on this time
*Matthew Henry Commentary
*F. LaGard Smith Commentary
*My notes from my trip to Israel.
*Photos from my trip to Israel.