THE BLIND MAN AT THE POOL OF SILOAM
[Sidenote: St. John 9]
AND as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man,
or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, 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. 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, 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.
The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he
was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged? Some said, This is
he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he. Therefore said
they unto him, How were thine eyes opened? 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. Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know
not.
They brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was
the sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes. 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.
Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because
he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a
sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say
unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened
thine eyes? He said, He is a prophet. 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. And they
asked them, saying, Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how
then doth he now see? His parents answered them and said, We know that
this is our son, and that he was born blind: 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.
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. Therefore said his
parents, He is of age; ask him. 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. 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.
Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he thine
eyes? 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? Then
they reviled him, and said, 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. 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. 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. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born
in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. 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? He answered and said, Who is
he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou
hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said,
Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.