How do repeated questions develop the healed man’s testimony?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The man describes receiving sight, answers repeated inquiry and is cast out; Jesus then finds him, receives his confession and answers a question about blindness.

Chapter breakdown

Passing a man blind from birth, Jesus is asked by His disciples whether the man or his parents sinned to cause his blindness. He answers neither, but that God’s works should be manifest in him. He must work His sender’s works while it is day, before night when no one can work, and is the world’s light while in it. He makes clay from spittle on the ground, spreads it on the man’s eyes and tells him to wash at Siloe, interpreted as Sent. The man washes and comes seeing. Neighbors and those who had seen him begging debate his identity; some recognize him, others think he resembles the beggar. He confirms he is the man and describes the clay, Jesus’s instruction and washing. Asked where Jesus is, he does not know.

They bring him to the Pharisees. It was the sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. He again describes the clay and washing. Some Pharisees say Jesus is not of God because He does not keep the sabbath; others ask how a sinner can do such miracles, producing division. Asked his opinion of the healer, the man calls Him a prophet. The Jews do not believe that he was blind and received sight until they call his parents. They ask whether he is their son, born blind, and how he now sees. The parents affirm his identity and birth blindness but say they know neither how he sees nor who opened his eyes; he is of age and should answer himself. The narrator explains their fear because the Jews had agreed to put out of the synagogue anyone confessing Jesus as Christ.

They call the man again, tell him to give glory to God and claim Jesus is a sinner. He says he does not know whether He is a sinner, but knows that he was blind and now sees. When asked again what Jesus did, he says they already heard and asks whether they also want to become His disciples. They revile him, call themselves Moses’s disciples, say God spoke to Moses and deny knowing Jesus’s origin. The man finds it wonderful that they do not know His origin despite His opening his eyes. He argues that God hears the one serving Him and doing His will rather than sinners, and that no one has been heard since the world’s beginning to open the eyes of someone born blind. He concludes Jesus could do nothing unless of God. They accuse him of being wholly born in sins, challenge his teaching them and cast him out.

Jesus hears of his expulsion and, finding him, asks if he believes in the Son of God. He asks who that is so he may believe. Jesus identifies the one he has seen and who speaks with him. He confesses belief and falls down to adore Him. Jesus says He came for judgment so those not seeing might see and those seeing might become blind. The edition explains that making anyone blind was not His intended end: rejection and abuse of His coming brought that judgment upon the Jews. Some Pharisees with Him ask if they too are blind. He answers that if blind they would not have sin, but because they say they see, their sin remains. The edition explains the contrast as invincible ignorance without reading scriptures or seeing miracles, which would not carry the sin of infidelity, versus their inexcusable boast of scriptural knowledge.

The story inside

At the second summons the questioners claim Jesus is a sinner. The man distinguishes what he does not know from what he does know, his previous blindness and present sight. Further questioning leads to his discipleship question, their reviling and his argument about God and the unheard-of healing. They cast him out. The account supplies this sequence without reporting internal bravery, insolence or rage.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Jesus’s answer concerns this man and his parents; it does not establish a general medical account of why disabilities occur.
2
The parents’ fear and prior synagogue agreement are stated, but the later expulsion is narrated as being cast out without details of a formal sentence.
3
The edition’s two blindness annotations preserve intention, reception and invincible ignorance; omit neither or turn them into broad claims about every unbeliever.

Test your recall

What distinction does the man make when told Jesus is a sinner?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 121947–121964
9:1. And Jesus passing by, saw a man who was blind from his birth. 9:2. And his disciples asked him: Rabbi, who hath sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind? 9:3. Jesus answered: Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents; but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 9:4. I must work the works of him that sent me, whilst it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 9:5. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 9:6. When he had said these things, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and spread the clay upon his eyes, 9:7. And said to him: Go, wash in the pool of Siloe, which is interpreted, Sent. He went therefore and washed: and he came seeing.
Lines 122015–122025
9:24. They therefore called the man again that had been blind and said to him: Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner. 9:25. He said therefore to them: If he be a sinner, I know not. One thing I know, that whereas I was blind. now I see. 9:26. They said then to him: What did he to thee? How did he open thy eyes? 9:27. He answered them: I have told you already, and you have heard. Why would you hear it again? Will you also become his disciples?
Lines 122033–122056
9:30. The man answered and said to them: why, herein is a wonderful thing, that you know not from whence he is, and he hath opened my eyes. 9:31. Now we know that God doth not hear sinners: but if a man be a server of God and doth his, will, him he heareth. 9:32. From the beginning of the world it hath not been heard, that any man hath opened the eyes of one born blind. 9:33. Unless this man were of God, he could not do anything. 9:34. They answered and said to him: Thou wast wholly born in sins; and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. 9:35. Jesus heard that they had cast him out. And when he had found him, he said to him: Dost thou believe in the Son of God? 9:36. He answered, and said: Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? 9:37. And Jesus said to him: Thou hast both seen him; and it is he that talketh with thee. 9:38. And he said: I believe, Lord. And falling down, he adored him.