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October 20, 2009

Scripture reading from the living Bible

John chapter 9

As he was walking along he saw a man blind from birth. “Master,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it a result of his own sins were those of his parents?

“Neither,” Jesus answered. “But to demonstrate the power of God.

All of us must quickly carry out the task assigned us by the one who sent me, for there is little time left before the night falls and all were comes to an end. But while I am still here in this world, I give you my light.)

Then he spat on the ground and made mud from the spittle and smoothed the mud over the blind man’s eyes, and told him, “go and wash in the pool of siloam” (the word “siloam close quote means “sent”). So the man went where he was sent and washed and came back seeing.

His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “is this the same fellow — that beggar?”

Some said yes, and some said no.

“It can’t be the same man,” they thought, “but he certainly looks like him!”

And the Beggar said, “I am the same man.”

Then they asked him how in the world he could see. When it happened?

Any told them, “a man they call Jesus made mud and smooth it over my eyes and told me to go to the pool of Siloam and wash off the mud. I did, and I can see!”

“Where is he now?” They asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

Then they took the man to the Pharisees. (Now as it happened, all this occurred on the Sabbath.)

Then the Pharisees asked him all about it. So he told them how Jesus had smooth the mud over his eyes, and when it was washed away, he could see.

Some of them said, “and this fellow Jesus is not from God, because he is working on the Sabbath.”

Others said, “but how could an ordinary sinner do such miracles?”

So there was a deep division of opinion among them.

In the Pharisees turned on the man who had been blind in demanded,” this man who open your eyes — who did you say he is? ”

“I think he must be a prophet sent from God,” the man replied.

The Jewish leaders wouldn’t believe he had been blind until they called in his parents. And asked them, “is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how could he see?”

His parents replied, “we know that this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know what happened they can see, or who did it. He is old enough to speak for himself. Ask him.”

He said this and fear of the Jewish leaders let announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be excommunicated.

So for the second time the Pharisees called in the man who had been blind and told him, “give the glory to God, not Jesus, for we know Jesus is an evil person.”

“I don’t know whether he is good or bad,” the man replied, “but I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

“But what did he do?” They asked. “How did he heal you?”

“Look!” The man exclaimed. “I told you once; didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear again? You want to become his disciples to?”

Then they cursed him and said, “you are his disciples, but we are disciples of Moses. We know God has spoken the Moses, but as far as this fellow, we don’t know anything about him.”

“Why, that’s very strange!” The man replied. “He can heal blind man, and yet you don’t know anything about him. Well, God doesn’t listen to evil men, but he does listen to those who worship him and do his will. Since the world began there’s never been anyone who could open the eyes of someone born blind.

If this man were not from God, he couldn’t do it.”

“You are born in sin,” they shouted. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out.

When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and said, “do you believe in the Messiah?”

The man answered, “who is he, Sir, for I want to.”

“You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you.”

“Yes, Lord,” the man said, “I believe!” And he worshiped Jesus.

Then Jesus told him, “I have come into this world to give sight to those who are spiritually blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind”

The Pharisees who were standing there asked, “are you saying we are blind?”

“If you are blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But your guilt remains because you claim to know what you are doing.”

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