A Miracle that Defied Explanation
TRANSLATION
(13) They brought the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. (14) Now the day on which Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes was a Sabbath. (15) Then the Pharisees asked him how he had received his sight. So, he told them, “He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I now see.” (16) Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God because he does not observe the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man perform such signs?” Thus, they were divided. (17) Then they asked the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him since it was your eyes he opened?” He responded, “He is a prophet.”
(18) The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had been healed (19) and asked them, “Is this your son whom you say was born blind? How is it that he can now see?” (20) His parents responded, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. (21) But how he can now see we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him. He is of age. He can speak for himself.” (22) His parents gave these answers because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. (23) Therefore, his parents responded, “He is of age. Ask him.”
(24) So they called the man who had been blind a second time and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” (25) He responded, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. But one thing I do know: once I was blind, but now I see.” (26) They asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” (27) He responded to them, “I have already told you, and you didn’t listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” (28) And they despised him and sneered, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. (29) We know that God has spoken to Moses, but, as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” (30) The man responded, “Now it is amazing that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. (31) We know that God does not listen to sinners, but, if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his will, to that person he listens. (32) Not since the world began has it been heard that anyone could open the eyes of someone born blind. (33) If this man were not from God, he could not do anything.” (34) They answered him, “You were born immersed in sin, and you presume to teach us?” And they threw him out (of the synagogue).
OBSERVATIONS
The dilemma in which the Jewish leadership found themselves in trying to deal with the implications of the unprecedented miracle Jesus had just performed in restoring sight to one who had been born blind was on full display in this segment. The many repetitions found here point us to its major themes. Both “Pharisees” (vss. 13, 14, & 15) and “Jews” (vss. 18 & 22) are each found three times, and “Sabbath” occurred twice (vss. 14 & 16). Several words regarding the man’s healing were repeated: “mud” (twice in vss. 14 & 15), “eyes” (six times in vss. 14, 15, 17, 21, 26, 29, & 32), “sight/see” (four times in vss. 15, 18, & 19), “blind” (six times in vss. 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, & 32). “Parents” is found four times (vss. 18, 20, 22, & 23) and “son” twice (vss. 19 & 20). Twice the parents frustrated the Jewish leaders with their refusal to discuss the matter with their dismissive comment, “Ask him. He is of age” (vss. 21 & 23). In the final paragraph we find five references to “God” in three verses (vss. 24, 31, & 32), three references to “disciple(s)” (vss. 27 & 28), and three occurrences of “sinner(s)” (vss. 24, 25, & 31).
OUTLINE
The Jewish leaders attempted to discredit Jesus’ healing the man born blind…
– first by questioning the blind man who had been healed. (13-17)
– then by questioning his parents to test the veracity of his account. (18-23)
– again by questioning the healed man and finally ostracizing him. (24-34)
IDEA STATEMENT
Attempts to deny or explain away the supernatural power of Jesus’ miracles will inevitably end in failure.
APPLICATION
When confronted with clear evidence for the miraculous working of God, the first response of many is to question the truth of what they have heard. This may be followed by searching for a “reasonable” explanation for the miracle that has taken place. The ministry of Jesus, filled with many miraculous attestations to his divine authority, often produced such responses especially among those who have felt threatened by his claims.
In the case of Jesus healing the man born blind, the Jewish leaders made every effort to discredit what Jesus had done. They first interrogated the man who had been healed, then his parents, and then again the man himself, questioning the veracity of his words. In an account filled with wry humor, we end up with a formerly blind person now able to see far more clearly than any of his interrogators and attempting to help these who were blinded by their unbelief to understand the spiritual significance of what had undeniably taken place.