Jesus cures a blind man (part 2)

This second part of the story is rather amusing. First, the religious leaders try to persuade the man that Jesus could not have healed him – using a very unreliable religious argument. The man refuses to discuss their religious ideas. He simply tells them what had happened.

They don’t believe him

They don’t believe him, so they go to the parents and severely question them. They are very afraid. They confirm he is their son. They confirm he was born blind. But they dare not say more for fear that the religious leaders will ban them from the synagogue, the place of worship. ‘Ask him,’ they say, ‘He is of age. He will speak for himself.’

So the religious leaders try to argue with the man again. ‘This Jesus is a sinner,’ they say, ‘God does not listen to sinners, so he could not have healed you.’

Again, the man refuses to argue with them! ‘I do not know if he is a sinner or not. But I know I used to be blind and now I can see.’

What power there is in a personal story like this!

They insult the man. He laughs at them, ‘Do you want to become his followers too?!’

From man to Lord

Later, Jesus finds him and asks him if he believes. The man is learning fast. Earlier, he had said ‘The man called Jesus’. Now he calls him ‘Lord’ in an attitude of worship with faith.

This is what Jesus means when he says that he came to the world for judgement: so that those who are blind could get their sight. And so that some of those who think they see could realize they are blind – like those religious leaders. Are you still spiritually blind or are you beginning to see?