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Chapter 9
(John 9) And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from
his birth. {2} And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin,
this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? {3} Jesus answered,
Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God
should be made manifest in him. {4} I must work the works of him that
sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. {5} As
long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. {6} When he had
thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he
anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, {7} And said unto him,
Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He
went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing. {8} The neighbours
therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said,
Is not this he that sat and begged? {9} Some said, This is he: others
said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. {10} Therefore said they
unto him, How were thine eyes opened? {11} He answered and said, A man
that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto
me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I
received sight. {12} Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I
know not. {13} They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was
blind. {14} And it was the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and
opened his eyes.
Why is this significant? Well, making clay is work. Yes, this was
only a little clay, but what if you are making a truck load of clay.
Legalism is about line drawing. There is no bright line between a little
clay and a lot of clay, so the Pharisees decided that what Jesus did was
work and therefore broke the Sabbath. God had given the Sabbath day to
Israel as a liberty--a freedom from work. But for some people, the
Sabbath as a day off was not enough. They turned the Sabbath from a day
of liberty into a burden.
{15} Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he
had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes,
and I washed, and do see. {16} Therefore said some of the Pharisees,
This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day.
This is classic. This man cannot be of God, because he doesn't follow
our rules. Control and power are the essence of legalism.
Others
said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a
division among them.
Legalism leads to division like rivers run to the sea. It is in the
nature of rule making that men will disagree about the rules.
{17} They say unto the blind man again, What sayest
thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. {18} But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been
blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that
had received his sight. {19} And they asked them, saying, Is this your
son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see? {20} His
parents answered them and said, We know that this is our son, and that
he was born blind: {21} But by what means he now seeth, we know not; or
who hath opened his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall
speak for himself. {22} These words spake his parents, because they
feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did
confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
We must keep this from getting out of hand.
{23}
Therefore said his parents, He is of age; ask him. {24} Then again
called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the
praise: we know that this man is a sinner. {25} He answered and
said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that,
whereas I was blind, now I see. {26} Then said they to him again, What
did he to thee? how opened he thine eyes? {27} He answered them, I have
told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again?
will ye also be his disciples? {28} Then they reviled him, and
said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. {29} We know
that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence
he is. {30} The man answered and said unto them, Why herein is a
marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath
opened mine eyes. {31} Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if
any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. {32}
Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of
one that was born blind. {33} If this man were not of God, he could do
nothing. {34} They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether
born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.
Why? Because he had been blind and not he could see...and they had
not done it. It was not under their control.
{35} Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found
him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? {36} He
answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? {37}
And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that
talketh with thee. {38} And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped
him. {39} And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that
they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made
blind. {40} And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these
words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? {41} Jesus said unto them,
If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see;
therefore your sin remaineth.
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The
Sinless Life
Have you ever
considered what it would mean if you could just live a sinless life?
Youth in Action
Never in our history have young people needed Bible learning and Christian
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