Jesus’ Life: Chapter 11 – Jesus At The Feast Of Tabernacles (St John)
As Jesus left the Temple in Jerusalem, probably on the occasion when the Jews were about to stone him – a Sabbath, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man or his parents?”
Jesus answered, “Neither… he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him”. Jesus then spat on the ground and made a mud paste which he smeared on the man’s eyes and told him to, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam”. After the man washed, he was able to see.
When the man’s neighbours met him they said, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some agreed it was while others suggested it looked like him; the man insisted it was him saying, “The man called Jesus made mud, smeared it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see.”
The man was then taken to the Pharisees and he repeated the same story. The Pharisees response was divided, some said, “This man is not from God because he does not observe the Sabbath,” while others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such miraculous signs?”
Many Jewish leaders also refused to believe the man. When they summoned his parents, they confirmed that he was their son and he had been blind from birth. The Jewish leaders then asked the parents how it was that he could now see. They replied that they didn’t know but, “He is a mature adult, ask him”.
The Jewish leaders summoned the man to them a second time and said, “Promise before God, to tell the truth. We know that this man [Jesus] is a sinner.” The man replied “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing – that although I was blind, now I can see”. The leaders continued to question him and then “heaped insults” on him but the man’s story remained unchanged.
The Jewish leaders also accused the man of being Jesus’ disciple saying, “We are disciples of Moses… We do not know where this man comes from!” The man replied, “This is a remarkable thing, that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see… Never before has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing”. The Jewish leaders were so incensed at the man’s response that “they threw him out”.
When Jesus heard that the Jewish leaders had thrown the man out, he found him and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man replied, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said, “You have seen him; he is the one speaking with you”. The man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped him. (John 9:1-41)
Thought
Our prayers for those among us who are “Spiritually blind” must never cease.
Reflection
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to your endless mercy and love. Make me an instrument of your light so that I can guide others to your everlasting peace and joy. Amen
Prayer: Light (Gospel Extracts)
The light of God surrounds me,
the love of God enfolds me,
the power of God protects me,
the presence of God watches over me,
wherever I am, God is,
and where God is, all is perfect.
