The Blind Man With 20/20 Vision

THE BLIND MAN WITH 20/20 VISION

Jn. 9:1-41

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A little girl told to her parents what she had learned in Children’s Church about the creation of Man & Woman.

2. “The teacher told us how God made the man first. But he was very lonely and had nobody to talk to. So God put the man to sleep.”

3. “And while the man was asleep, God took out his brains and made the woman.” (at least according to women’s lib!)

B. TEXT

1. 9 [Jesus] 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.” 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…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.” 15 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?...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. 20 [His] 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….he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because…the Jewish leaders…already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God…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…why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?” 28 Then they…said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29…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. 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. 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, “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.”

C. THESIS

1. Someone once said to Helen Keller, “What a pity you have no sight.” She answered, “Yes, but what a pity that so many have sight but cannot see!”

2. What did she mean by that? We’ll find out as we study “The Blind Man With 20/20 Vision.”

I. A UNIQUE HEALING

A. THE “WHYS” OF OUR PROBLEMS