{"id":415,"date":"2025-04-23T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/?p=415&2025"},"modified":"2025-04-21T18:00:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T00:00:24","slug":"accepting-blindness-john-9-1-41","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/accepting-blindness-john-9-1-41\/","title":{"rendered":"Accepting Blindness: John 9:1-41"},"content":{"rendered":"
Focus Passage: John 9:1-41 (NLT)<\/div>
\r\n

1\u00a0<\/sup>As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cRabbi,\u201d his disciples asked him, \u201cwhy was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents\u2019 sins?\u201d<\/p>

3\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cIt was not because of his sins or his parents\u2019 sins,\u201d Jesus answered. \u201cThis happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4\u00a0<\/sup>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\u00a0<\/sup>But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.\u201d<\/p>

6\u00a0<\/sup>Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man\u2019s eyes. 7\u00a0<\/sup>He told him, \u201cGo wash yourself in the pool of Siloam\u201d (Siloam means \u201csent\u201d). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!<\/p>

8\u00a0<\/sup>His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, \u201cIsn\u2019t this the man who used to sit and beg?\u201d 9\u00a0<\/sup>Some said he was, and others said, \u201cNo, he just looks like him!\u201d<\/p>

But the beggar kept saying, \u201cYes, I am the same one!\u201d<\/p>

10\u00a0<\/sup>They asked, \u201cWho healed you? What happened?\u201d<\/p>

11\u00a0<\/sup>He told them, \u201cThe man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, \u2018Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.\u2019 So I went and washed, and now I can see!\u201d<\/p>

12\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cWhere is he now?\u201d they asked.<\/p>

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d he replied.<\/p>

13\u00a0<\/sup>Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, 14\u00a0<\/sup>because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. 15\u00a0<\/sup>The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, \u201cHe put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!\u201d<\/p>

16\u00a0<\/sup>Some of the Pharisees said, \u201cThis man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.\u201d Others said, \u201cBut how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?\u201d So there was a deep division of opinion among them.<\/p>

17\u00a0<\/sup>Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, \u201cWhat\u2019s your opinion about this man who healed you?\u201d<\/p>

The man replied, \u201cI think he must be a prophet.\u201d<\/p>

18\u00a0<\/sup>The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. 19\u00a0<\/sup>They asked them, \u201cIs this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?\u201d<\/p>

20\u00a0<\/sup>His parents replied, \u201cWe know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21\u00a0<\/sup>but we don\u2019t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.\u201d 22\u00a0<\/sup>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\u00a0<\/sup>That\u2019s why they said, \u201cHe is old enough. Ask him.\u201d<\/p>

24\u00a0<\/sup>So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, \u201cGod should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.\u201d<\/p>

25\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cI don\u2019t know whether he is a sinner,\u201d the man replied. \u201cBut I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!\u201d<\/p>

26\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBut what did he do?\u201d they asked. \u201cHow did he heal you?\u201d<\/p>

27\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cLook!\u201d the man exclaimed. \u201cI told you once. Didn\u2019t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?\u201d<\/p>

28\u00a0<\/sup>Then they cursed him and said, \u201cYou are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29\u00a0<\/sup>We know God spoke to Moses, but we don\u2019t even know where this man comes from.\u201d<\/p>

30\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cWhy, that\u2019s very strange!\u201d the man replied. \u201cHe healed my eyes, and yet you don\u2019t know where he comes from? 31\u00a0<\/sup>We know that God doesn\u2019t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32\u00a0<\/sup>Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33\u00a0<\/sup>If this man were not from God, he couldn\u2019t have done it.\u201d<\/p>

34\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cYou were born a total sinner!\u201d they answered. \u201cAre you trying to teach us?\u201d And they threw him out of the synagogue.<\/p>

35\u00a0<\/sup>When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, \u201cDo you believe in the Son of Man?\u201d<\/p>

36\u00a0<\/sup>The man answered, \u201cWho is he, sir? I want to believe in him.\u201d<\/p>

37\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cYou have seen him,\u201d Jesus said, \u201cand he is speaking to you!\u201d<\/p>

38\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cYes, Lord, I believe!\u201d the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.<\/p>

39\u00a0<\/sup>Then Jesus told him, \u201cI entered this world to render judgment\u2014to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.\u201d<\/p>

40\u00a0<\/sup>Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, \u201cAre you saying we\u2019re blind?\u201d<\/p>

41\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cIf you were blind, you wouldn\u2019t be guilty,\u201d Jesus replied. \u201cBut you remain guilty because you claim you can see.<\/p>\r\n

Read John 9:1-41<\/a> in context and\/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!<\/p><\/div><\/div>\r\n

Near the end of this passage, Jesus makes a very fascinating statement, and it is one that I wonder some about. Often, while Jesus is teaching and sharing truth, He makes some challenging, profound, or insightful remarks.<\/p>\r\n

However, the statement Jesus shares in this passage is profound on a deeper level than most other statements. In verse 41, Jesus responds to a group of Pharisees who were bystanders in this conversation Jesus was having with the formerly blind man. He tells them, \u201cIf you were blind, you wouldn\u2019t be guilty, but you remain guilty because you claim you can see.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This phrase stands out in my mind because it gives another category of error that we can fall into: claiming we can see.<\/p>\r\n

Two verses before this, in verse 39, Jesus gives a brief mission statement for why He is doing ministry: \u201cI entered this world to render judgment\u2014to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

On the surface, Jesus shares two categories of people: those who are blind and those who think they can see. While this whole event centers around Jesus healing a blind man, with the way Jesus (and John) conclude this event, it seems it was designed to give Jesus an opening to teach about spiritual blindness. In my mind, this whole truth centers on our attitude.<\/p>\r\n

Jesus didn\u2019t share that there is a category of people who really do see. There doesn\u2019t appear to be a third option. Sure, there are people who have been healed of blindness, and who have been given a glimpse of what God is like, but it is a very fine line in my mind between actually \u201cseeing\u201d and \u201cclaiming to see\u201d.<\/p>\r\n

The two options are not blindness and claiming clear sight. It might appear this way on the surface, but if we look a little closer, the categories of people are distinguished by something else. As we look closer, we see both groups are blind \u2013 those who \u201cthink\u201d they can see must not really be able to, otherwise their sight would have lead them to accepting Jesus. The difference then must be related to how we see ourselves. Do we accept that we are blind, leading us to need Jesus to give us sight, or do we claim we can see, which stops God from moving in our hearts as we think we know it all?<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This passage, and the statement Jesus shares, mixed with this question challenges me to never become arrogant about the slivers of truth I have been given. There is always more truth to learn. If we fall into the trap of arrogance, we make ourselves guilty by claiming we can see when we are really blind.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus<\/strong> \u201cReflective Bible Study\u201d package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here<\/a> and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!<\/em><\/p>

Subscribe<\/a> to this blog and never miss an insight.<\/em><\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Near the end of this passage, Jesus makes a very fascinating statement, and it is one that I wonder some about. Often, while Jesus is teaching and sharing truth, He makes some challenging, profound, or insightful remarks. However, the statement Jesus shares in this passage is profound on a deeper level than most other statements. 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