Entering the streets of the city, he met a man blind from his birth. His disciples asked the question which has been re-echoed by all thoughtful minds from that day to this: “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus replied, that his calamity was not to be attributed to any particular sin of himself or his parents. “Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of Him that sent me while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
He then anointed the eyes of the blind man with clay moistened with spittle, and directed him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. He did so, and his sight was restored. It was the sabbath day. The Pharisees, enraged, said, “This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day.” Others, however, replied, “How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?” And thus all Jerusalem was agitated by diversity of opinion. The rulers, in their madness, had passed a decree, that, if any one should confess that he believed that Christ was the Messiah, he should be put out of the synagogue; that is, he should be exposed to the terrible doom of excommunication, which was attended with awful maledictions, exclusion from all intercourse with society, and which prohibited every one from ministering in any way whatever to his wants.
Still the excitement in the city was every hour rising higher and higher. The blind man was universally known. His miraculous cure no one could deny. Neither the blind man nor his parents dared to avow their belief that Jesus was the Messiah. When the parents were questioned, they referredthe questioner to their son, saying, “He is of age: ask him.” When the son was questioned, he was equally cautious in his responses. The Pharisees who approached him said, “Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.”
He replied, “Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not. One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”
To their reiterated inquiry, “How opened he thine eyes?” he replied, somewhat provoked, “I have told you already, and ye did not hear. Wherefore would ye hear it again? Will ye, also, be his disciples?”
This taunt increased their exasperation: and they retorted, “Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.”
With unexpected boldness, the man rejoined, “Why, herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not whence he is; and yet he hath opened mine eyes. Now, we know that God heareth not sinners; but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.”
For this speech, cautious as it was, the rulers excommunicated the man. Jesus heard of it, and went in search of him. Having found him, he inquired, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” The man replied, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?” Jesus said, “Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.”
To this emphatic declaration, that Jesus was the Messiah, the man replied, “Lord, I believe.” The inspired historian adds, “And he worshipped him;” that is, paid homage to him as the Messiah.