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| 9 | John |
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| 1 |
AS HE WENT on his way Jesus saw a man blind from his birth. | The Healing of a Man Born Blind Jn.9.1-12 (Jerusalem) - |
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His disciples put the question, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents? Why was he born blind?' | |
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'It is not that this man or his parents sinned,' Jesus answered; 'he was born blind that God's power might be displayed in curing him. | |
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While daylight lasts we must carry on the work of him who sent me, night comes, when no one can work. | |
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While I am in the world I am the light of the world.'
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| 6 |
With these words he spat on the ground and made a paste with the spittle; he spread it on the man's eyes, | |
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and said to him, 'Go and wash in the pool of Siloam.' (The name means 'sent'.) The man went away and washed, and when he returned he could see.
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| 8 |
His neighbours and those who were accustomed to see him begging said, 'Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?' | |
| 9 |
Others said, 'Yes, this is the man.' Others again said, 'No, but it is someone like him.' | |
| 10 |
The man himself said, 'I am the man.' They asked him, 'How were your eyes opened?' | |
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He replied, 'The man called Jesus made a paste and smeared my eyes with it, and told me to go to Siloam and wash. I went and washed, and gained my sight.' | |
| 12 |
'Where is he?' they asked. He answered, 'I do not know.'
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| 13 |
THE MAN who had been blind was brought before the Pharisees. | The Pharisees Investigate the Healing Jn.9.13-34 (Jerusalem) - |
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As it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the paste and opened his eyes, | |
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the Pharisees now asked him by what means he had gained his sight. The man told them, 'He spread a paste on my eyes; then I washed, and now I can see.' | |
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Some of the Pharisees said, 'This fellow is no man of God; he does not keep the Sabbath.' Others said, 'How could such signs come from a sinful man?' So they took different sides. | |
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Then they continued to question him: 'What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.' He answered, 'He is a prophet.' | |
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The Jews would not believe that the man had been blind and had gained his sight, until they had summoned his parents | |
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and questioned them: 'Is this man your son? Do you say that he was born blind? How is it that he can see now?' | |
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The parents replied, 'We know that he is our son, and that he was born blind. | |
| 21 |
But how it is that he can now see, or who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he is of age; he will speak for himself.' | |
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His parents gave this answer because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jewish authorities had already agreed that anyone who acknowledged Jesus as Messiah should be banned from the synagogue. | |
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That is why the parents said, 'He is of age; ask him.'
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| 24 |
So for the second time they summoned the man who had been blind, and said, 'Speak the truth before God. We know that this fellow is a sinner.' | |
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'Whether or not he is a sinner, I do not know', the man replied. 'All I know is this: once I was blind, now I can see.' | |
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'What did he do to you?' they asked. 'How did he open your eyes?' | |
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'I have told you already,' he retorted, 'but you took no notice. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?' | |
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Then they became abusive. 'You are that man's disciple,' they said, 'but we are disciples of Moses. | |
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We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we do not know where he comes from.'
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| 30 |
The man replied, 'What an extraordinary thing! Here is a man who has opened my eyes, yet you do not know where he comes from! | |
| 31 |
It is common knowledge that God does not listen to sinners; he listens to anyone who is devout and obeys his will. | |
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To open the eyes of a man born blind—it is unheard of since time began. | |
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If that man had not come from God he could have done nothing.' | |
| 34 |
'Who are you to give us lessons,' they retorted, 'born and bred in sin as you are?' Then they expelled him from the synagogue.
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| 35 |
Jesus heard that they had expelled him. When he found him he asked, 'Have you faith in the Son of Man?' | Spiritual Blindness Jn.9.35-41 (Jerusalem) - |
| 36 |
The man answered, 'Tell me who he is, sir, that I should put my faith in him.' | |
| 37 |
'You have seen him,' said Jesus; 'indeed, it is he who is speaking to you.' | |
| 38 |
'Lord, I believe', he said, and bowed before him. | |
| 39 |
Jesus said, 'It is for judgement that I have come into this world—to give sight to the sightless and to make blind those who see.' | |
| 40 |
Some Pharisees in his company asked, 'Do you mean that we are blind?' | |
| 41 |
'If you were blind,' said Jesus, 'you would not be guilty, but because you say "We see"; your guilt remains.
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