The people who had known him were puzzled as to his identity. "Some said, 'This is he;' others said, 'He is like him;' but he said, 'I am he.' Therefore said they unto him, 'How were thine eyes opened ?"-how did you gain your sight? "He answered and said, 'A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash; and I went and washed, and I received sight.' The man simply relates the facts-he offers no comment upon them. He evidently knew little or nothing about the Lord's character and claims. "Then said they unto him, 'Where is He?' He said, 'I know not." " The matter was too important to be left in this unsettled state, so "they brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind. And it was the Sabbath-day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes." It is remarkable that our Lord, whilst at Jerusalem, the head-quarters of Pharisaic bigotry, seems purposely to have selected the Sabbath-day to perform, unsolicited, remarkable works of healing; and on each occasion He vindicated His conduct in words somewhat similar. When He had healed the cripple at Bethesda, He said,* "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.” On this occasion He says, "I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day. As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." And thus He proclaimed the principle that the institution of the Sabbath was to give way to the yet higher institu *John v. 17. tion of the Ministry of Mercy to the bodies and souls of men that mere rest was less its significance than work for God. "Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see. Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because He keepeth not the Sabbath-day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them." In this divided state of opinion, they try to extract something from the man himself which might serve one or the other party. "They say unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of Him, that He hath opened thine eyes?" What do you think of Him, how do you account for His having exercised such power? "He said, 'He is a prophet.'" The man's answer was ready. "But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind, and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight." They were willing to believe anything rather than the simple truth, because that would have involved unpleasant consequences, and now it struck them that the professed cure might be all a trick or collusion to advance the fame of Jesus. There might never have been any blindness at all, or if there had been, it might have been removed by ordinary means. The parents being summoned, they asked them, saying, 'Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? how then doth he now see?'" The very way in which the question is put," who ye say was born blind," seems to suggest the idea of browbeating. It is shaped according to that very unfair method to which we sometimes resort when questioning a child or a servant, namely, trying to confuse them by showing that you suspect them of untruthfulness. "His parents answered them and said, 'We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind' "—about that fact there can be no dispute " but by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened his eyes, we know not he is of age, ask him: he shall speak for himself.' These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews"-that is the religious leaders of the Jews-" had agreed already, that if any man did confess that He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue. Therefore said his parents, 'He is of age; ask him." These poor, rather cowardly people, do not want to "get into trouble" as it is called, on their son's account, so they cast the responsibility on him. And now the obstinate and prejudiced judges think they must make one more effort to stifle the truth which is becoming too strong for them. "Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, 'Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.' Their meaning seems to have been, "Now confess the truth, acknowledge the majesty of God, and seek not to deceive Him and us any longer*—we know that things cannot be as you have represented them; we know, we have good grounds * See Joshua vii. 19. for believing, that this man is a sinner, an impostor, and incapable of any such deed as you ascribe to Him." "He answered and said, 'Whether He be a sinner or no, I know not' "-that I will leave you to determine "one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.'" Hopeless now of getting him to confess himself a deceiver, they try another ground. Perhaps he might indeed have recovered his sight, but not through the agency he seemed to believe. "Then said they to him again, 'What did He to thee? how opened He thine eyes?" He answered them"clearly perceiving that it was not truth they were seeking "I have told you already, and ye did not hear'"-did not attend to me-" wherefore would ye hear it again? will ye also be His disciples ?" Are you really wishing to understand, and prepared to acknowledge His character? Furious at the slightly ironical tone of the man, "they reviled him, and said, 'Thou art His disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses : as for this fellow, we know not from whence He is.' The man answered and said unto them, "Why herein is a marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence He is, and yet He hath opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth His will, him He heareth. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. If this man were not of God, He could do nothing." Wisely and boldly the man argues that if they knew nothing about One so fully accredited by God, it was their own fault, and he When urges earnestly the impossibility of such a miracle being anything else than Divine. They could not answer him, they could not rebut the force of his inference, but they could resort to what has ever been the refuge of invincible prejudice and obstinacy, when too closely pressed. They answered and said unto him, 'Thou wast altogether born in sins' "— under a judgment from thy very birth—“and dost thou teach us?' And they cast him out." we are tempted to overbear and silence by authority those whom we cannot convince, let us remember that this was the very method pursued by these hardened Pharisees. Even if we feel we are right and have reason on our side, it is not permitted to us to employ personalities or intimidation to get an acknowledgment in our favour. If we cannot convince by fair and just argument, we must leave the matter to time and other influences; for human wrath and harsh words will never carry out the triumphs of truth and righteousness. SECTION IX. INTERVIEW OF JESUS WITH THE BLIND MAN. ESUS heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said unto him, 'Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" " Very characteristic this of God's dealings with "When my father and mother forsake me, men. my |