John 9:1-41

Author: Kimberly McKee

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”

12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.

17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”

18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”

24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”

25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”

30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”

34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.

Spiritual Blindness

35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”

37 Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”

38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”

41 Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.

Key Verse

39 Jesus said,[a] “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.”

Devotional

When I first started studying this passage to write this weekly devo, I thought I would be focusing on the idea that God uses our hurts and hardships to show his power. This scripture is a great testimony to how God used the blind man to show people the miracles he could do and the power he has to save. "But this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him." Powerful to think that God is using us as his light in the world! However; I was convicted by another theme in the passage.

"For judgment, I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind." I picture reading this verse with air quotes around the second see, almost implying that the people who "see" cannot really see at all. They just think they know all the right ways of God. So much so that the Pharisees became "blinded" by the idea that they were better than everyone else because of this knowledge. So blinded by this idea that they knew all, that they did not even see their own God standing right in front of them. They were following by sight, not by faith. Or what they thought was sight... all their knowledge of the laws.

I think that we are often blinded as well when we get wrapped up in things of this world. We look to success, money, and how other people perceive us. We get caught up in anxiety, decision making, and habits, sometimes even pride. We forget to look to Jesus and see him through faith, not by sight. Jesus said he was coming to be the light of the world, and that he was bringing sight to those who were blind. Let us be people who are open and ready to be given sight rather than closed and caught up so that God's light can’t even break through.

We, as followers of Christ, must recognize that we are not the ones who save ourselves by our knowledge of the bible, our spiritual practices, or our good deeds. When we think this way God tells us we are all the more at fault for our sins. Jesus is the only one who saves us by his grace, and if we walk humbly in him knowing that daily we will sin and that we will continually need his grace and guidance, then we will see.

Spiritual Disciplines/Practices

●           What things are blinding you in your spiritual walk with Christ? Money, Politics, Anxiety, Fear, Pride, etc.?                      What things have you placed more important than God?

●           Say a prayer asking God to break you in the places that you are blind.

              God, today I ask that you open my eyes to see the things that are getting in the way of me seeing your light                  and goodness. Help me to recognize the spiritual barriers that are getting in the way of me seeing the faults                in my own life and help me to lean on you and trust you in everything. Give me the faith of the blind man. 

Kimberly McKee

Kimberly is the wife of Kevin McKee, one of our youth ministers, and a mom to their sweet little boy Jett, with another boy on the way! She is a former teacher, now stay at home mom, who loves getting to spend time at youth activities getting to know all the teens. She enjoys coffee, flowers, and friends!