_The Christines in Jerusalem. They meet a man blind from birth.
Jesus teaches a lesson on the cause of disease and disasters.
He heals the blind man._
The Lord with Peter, James and John were in Jerusalem; it was the
Sabbath day.
2 And as they walked along the way they saw a man who could not see;
he had been blind from birth.
3 And Peter said, Lord, if disease and imperfections all are caused by
sin, who was the sinner in this case? the parents or the man himself?
4 And Jesus said, Afflictions all are partial payments on a debt, or
debts, that have been made.
5 There is a law of recompense that never fails, and it is summarized
in that true rule of life:
6 Whatsoever man shall do to any other man some other man will do to
him.
7 In this we find the meaning of the Jewish law, expressed concisely
in the words, Tooth for a tooth; life for a life.
8 He who shall injure any one in thought, or word, or deed, is judged
a debtor to the law, and some one else shall, likewise, injure him in
thought, or word or deed.
9 And he who sheds the blood of any man will come upon the time when
his blood shall be shed by man.
10 Affliction is a prison cell in which a man must stay until he pays
his debts unless a master sets him free that he may have a better
chance to pay his debts.
11 Affliction is a certain sign that one has debts to pay.
12 Behold this man! Once in another life he was a cruel man, and in a
cruel way destroyed the eyes of one, a fellow man.
13 The parents of this man once turned their faces on a blind and
helpless man, and drove him from their door.
14 Then Peter asked, Do we pay off the debts of other men when by the
Word we heal them, drive the unclean spirits out, or rescue them from
any form of sore distress?
15 And Jesus said, We cannot pay the debts of any man, but by the Word
we may release a man from his afflictions and distress,
16 And make him free, that he may pay the debts he owes, by giving up
his life in willing sacrifice for men, or other living things.
17 Behold, we may make free this man that he may better serve the race
and pay his debts.
18 Then Jesus called the man and said, Would you be free? would you
receive your sight?
19 The man replied, All that I have would I most freely give if I
could see.
20 And Jesus took saliva and a bit of clay and made a salve, and put
it on the blind man’s eyes.
21 He spoke the Word and then he said, Go to Siloam and wash, and as
you wash say, _Jahhevahe_. This do for seven times and you shall see.
22 The man was led unto Siloam; he washed his eyes and spoke the word,
and instantly his eyes were opened and he saw.
23 The people who had seen the man for many years sit by the way and
beg, were much surprised to see him see.
24 They said, Is not this man the Job that was born blind, who sat
beside the way and begged?
25 He heard them talk among themselves; he said, Yes, I am he.
26 The people asked, How were you healed? who opened up your eyes?
27 He said, A man whom men call Jesus, made a salve of clay and put it
on my eyes, and bade me say a word and wash in Siloam seven times; I
did as he commanded me, and now I see.
28 A certain scribe was passing, and he saw the man and heard him say
that Jesus, by the Word, had opened up his eyes.
29 He therefore took the man up to the synagogue, and told the story
to the priests, who asked the man about the miracle.
30 The man replied, I never saw the light until today, for I was blind
from birth.
31 This morning as I sat beside Siloam, a man I never knew put on my
eyes a salve that people say he made of clay; he bade me say a word
and bathe my eyes in water seven times; I did as he commanded and I
saw.
32 A lawyer asked the man, Who was it opened up your eyes?
33 The man replied, Some people say, His name is Jesus and that he
came from Galilee; but others say, He is the son of God.
34 A Pharisee came up and said, This is the Sabbath day; a man who
does a work like this, regarding not the Sabbath day, is not from God.
35 Some of the priests were much amazed and said, A wicked man could
never do a miracle like this; he must possess the power of God. And so
they strove among themselves.
36 They asked the man, What do you think about this man from Galilee?
37 He said, He is a prophet sent from God.
38 Now, many of the Jews did not believe the man was blind from birth;
they said, There is no power to open up the eyes of one born blind.
39 And then they brought the parents of the man before the Pharisees
that they might testify.
40 They said, This is our son who was born blind; we do not know how
he received his sight; he is of age and he can tell; ask him.
41 They were afraid to say what they believed, that Jesus is the
Christ who came to manifest the power of God, lest they offend the
priests and be cast from the synagogue.
42 Again the rulers said, This Jesus is a wicked man. The man who had
been healed stood forth again and said,
43 This Jesus may be sinner or be saint, I do not know; but this one
thing I know; I once was blind, but now I see.
44 And then the scribes and Pharisees reviled the man and said, You
are a follower of this man from Galilee. We follow Moses, but this
man, we know him not, and know not whence he is.
45 The man replied, It is a marvel that you know not whence he is, and
yet he opened up my eyes.
46 You know that nothing but the power of God can do such things.
47 God hears not sinners pray, and you must know that he is not a
wicked man who can employ the power of God.
48 The Pharisees replied, You wretch! you were begotten and were born
in sin, and now you try to teach the law to us. And then they cast him
from the synagogue.