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Humble Hero
observance, yet they were planning murder on that very day. But
many were convicted that the One who had opened the eyes of the
blind was more than a common man. They said, “How can a man
who is a sinner do such signs?”
Again the rabbis questioned the blind man.” ‘What do you
say about Him because He opened your eyes?’ He said, ‘He is
a prophet.’” The Pharisees then claimed that he had not been born
blind. They called for his parents and asked them, saying, “Is this
your son, who you say was born blind?”
There was the man himself, declaring that he had been blind
and had had his sight restored. But the Pharisees would rather deny
the evidence of their own senses than admit that they were wrong.
Prejudice is that powerful, pharisaical righteousness that distorting.
The Pharisees had one hope left: to intimidate the man’s parents.
They asked, “How then does he now see?” The parents feared to
compromise themselves, for it had been declared that whoever would
acknowledge Jesus as the Christ would be “put out of the synagogue,”
that is, excluded for thirty days. People thought that this sentence
was a great calamity. The great work accomplished for their son had
brought conviction to the parents, yet they answered, “We know that
this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he
now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know.
He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” In this way they
shifted all responsibility to their son.
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The Miracle Could Not Be Denied
The Pharisees’ questioning and prejudice, their unbelief in the
facts of the case, were opening the eyes of the people. The question
in many minds was, Would God do such mighty works through an
impostor, as the Pharisees insisted that Jesus was?
The Pharisees could not deny the miracle. The blind man, filled
with joy and gratitude, freely told his experience. Again the Phar-
isees tried to silence him. “Give God the glory! We know that this
Man is a sinner.” That is, Do not say again that this Man gave you
sight. It is God who has done this.
The blind man answered, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not
know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”