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“The Light of Life”
289
As these hypocrites tried to make him disbelieve, God helped
him to show, by the vigor and pointedness of his replies, that he
would not be caught in any trap of theirs. He answered, “‘I told you
already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again?
Do you also want to become His disciples?’
“Then they reviled him and said, ‘You are His disciple; but we
are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this
fellow, we do not know where He is from.’”
The Lord gave the man grace and clarity so that he became a
witness for Christ in words that were a cutting rebuke to his question-
ers. Here was One performing miracles, and they were admittedly
ignorant about the source of His power. “Why, this is a marvelous
thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my
eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone
is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the
world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of
one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could
do nothing.”
The man’s reasoning was unanswerable. The Pharisees were
spellbound at his pointed, determined words. For a few moments
there was silence. Then the frowning priests and rabbis gathered
their robes about them, as though they feared contamination from
contact with him. “You were completely born in sins, and are you
teaching us?” And they excommunicated him.
Jesus heard what had happened, and finding him soon afterward,
said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
For the first time, the blind man looked on the face of his Restorer.
He had seen his parents troubled and perplexed; he had looked on
the frowning faces of the rabbis; now his eyes rested on the loving,
peaceful face of Jesus. Already, at great cost to himself, he had
acknowledged Him as One entrusted with divine power. Now a
higher revelation was granted him.
To the Savior’s question, the blind man replied by asking, “Who
is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” And Jesus said, “You have
both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” The man threw
himself at the Savior’s feet in worship. Christ had been revealed to
his heart, and he received Him as the One sent by God.
A group of Pharisees had gathered near, and the sight of them
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