Conversion - John 9:19-41

The Pharisees think the whole thing about a man who was born blind being healed by Jesus is just a con, so they demand to see the parents of the newly-seeing man, and we can see that they have a very interesting relationship. Let me just start off by asking, why was the man begging? I don’t know if it was a cultural thing where anyone with a disability would leave their home to beg because that’s just what happened at that time, or if he went to beg and then came home to sleep at his parents’ house at night or if his parents kicked him out altogether and made him fend for himself. I can only compare it to our society today and how I would react as a mother. I couldn’t imagine sending my son away if he was blind, I would be making him lunch and tucking him in at night. I’m not saying that my way is right, but it makes me wonder what their relationship was if he was begging during the day.

The parents arrive at the interrogation and is asked, “Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? How then doth he now see?” Giving the parents the benefit of the doubt, we have to note that they’ve known their son to be blind from birth, and like we discussed, there was no cure for this blindness, so they had probably never even considered the possibility that their son could be healed at any point in his life. From their perspective, they are hurriedly summoned by their religious leaders, and suddenly confronted with the fact that their son, blind from birth, can now see, and is having it demanded of them how. I think if I was in that situation, I would just kind of stammer and say, “I don’t know, ask him.” John seems to have some reason to believe that their motives for their answer were less baffled and more denial, but we don’t really know enough to confirm either way, and to be honest, it’s none of our business.

The parents answer in a manner similar to what I would expect myself to do, saying, “We know that this our son, and that he was born blind: 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.” I’m operating on the assumption that this happened only moments after the man washed in the water and found his new ability to see. More likely, he is investigated by the Pharisees perhaps some time later. It would make sense, Jerusalem is a big place, for this man to go home to his neighbors and have them become concerned enough to bring him to the Pharisees, would have taken at least several hours. I think that that would have been enough time for the man to find his parents and tell them what happened, who healed him, and how. Looking at their reaction from that perspective, then yes, we can consider their reluctance to commit to their son’s story indication that they were not convinced of the divinity of Christ. John tells us the parents answered this way because “they feared the Jews: for 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.”

Being “put out” of the synagogue doesn’t sound so bad for us because of how our society is structured, but it was different during this time. The IM says, “Synagogues served as the religious and social center for many Jewish communities. Synagogues offered access to spiritual instruction and worship, as well as educational and social opportunities. Because the synagogue was so integral to Jewish society, to be cast out of the synagogue meant more than being excommunicated and losing fellowship with the religious community. It meant banishment from cultural and social affairs as well. This threat was apparently severe enough to keep the parents of the man born blind from getting too involved in the investigation of this miracle.”

The parents confirmed that he had been born blind which means that this wasn’t a hoax but didn’t provide any information further than that, so it’s interesting to note that when the Pharisees called the man back they stated their findings, “give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner.” I’m not exactly sure how they came to that conclusion based on the information given, but it seems they already had their minds made up. Interestingly, “give God the praise,” is an admission that this healing was done through the power of God, and yet they assert that the man wielding that power was not worthy of it, doesn’t really make any sense. The man answers, “whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”

The Pharisees think they have this whole matter wrapped up, and question the man again, but he’s tired of their games and sees right through them. I would imagine that this man feels a very strong sense of loyalty to Jesus, because he was the only man that could heal him, and he chose to do so out of love and compassion, which is definitely more kindness than he’s getting from these guys. He answers, “I have told you already, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye hear it again? Will ye also be his disciples?” He’s telling them, “you didn’t listen the first time and nothing I say is going to change your mind.” This is an excellent example of “casting your pearls before swine.” Jesus and his miraculous healing is clearly sacred to the man and instead of cowering in front of the Pharisees, or capitulating, he stands firm and basically tells them, “I owe you nothing.”

This man and the Pharisees go back and forth as the Pharisees become more agitated with this man’s defense of the Savior, and finally the man makes a statement that confirmed the man’s feelings for Jesus and the Pharisees feels for their own personal power and pride. The man says, “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.” Again, have you ever heard of these things happening before? Can a man unworthy of God power wield it in any way? The Pharisees were not pleased and reverted back to their belief that suffering comes from sin and states, “Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out.” So he’s out of the synagogue now, but look at the spiritual transformation that he’s made in just a short period of time. The IM says, “When the Savior saw the man who had been blind from birth, He anointed the man’s eyes with clay and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam. In an instant, the man miraculously received his sight, but his understanding of the healing and his Healer grew only with time. Immediately after the healing, he reported only that it was done by ‘a man that is called Jesus’ (John 9:11). Later he declared of his Healer, ‘He is a prophet’ (John 9:17). Still later he emphatically declared, ‘If this man were not of God, he could do nothing’ (John 9:33). Finally, with commitment and resolve, the man believed and accepted Jesus as ‘the Son of God’ (see John 9:35-38). The conversion of this courageous disciple can be a pattern for us. Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught: ‘Conversion is a process that seldom occurs in an instant suddenly. Gospel grace dawns gradually upon most believers.’” 
Jesus hears that the man has been cast out of the synagogue, and seeks him out. This is the opposite of that the “righteous” members of his society did, they shunned him, showing us that true disciples of Christ help and encourage those who have become outcasts of society. Jesus finds the man and asks, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” let’s keep in mind that the man was still blind when he first interacted with Jesus, so he doesn’t know what Jesus looks like, and probably doesn’t recognize his voice because so few words were spoken in such an emotionally charged time. The man asks, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” This man’s heart was softened because of his afflictions and because he was able to recognize God’s compassion for him, so when the time came, and Jesus presented himself, the man was ready. The IM says, “When Jesus heard that the man whose blindness had been miraculously healed had been cast out of the synagogue, He sought out the man and taught him that He was the Son of God. In this way, the Savior helped him ‘see’ even more clearly. President Howard W. Hunter pointed out that the physical and spiritual impact the Savior had on the man born blind: ‘Now sight had been given twice- once to remedy a congenital defect and once to behold the King of Kings before He would ascend to His eternal throne. Jesus had quickened both temporal and spiritual vision.”

Jesus continues, “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” I don’t really understand this part very much, but it must have been provocative based on the Pharisees reaction, saying, “Are we blind also?” The IM teaches, “In reply, the Savior used a metaphor, teaching that individuals who were ‘blind’- those who did not know who He was- ‘should have no sin.’ On the other hand, individuals who could ‘see’- those who had received enough witnesses concerning the Savior and His divine mission  that they should have known who He was- would be accountable for their actions. The Pharisees were among those who could ‘see,’ and thus their ‘sin remaineth.’ Spiritually speaking, they chose to be blind because they refused to recognize Jesus as the Son of God, despite the many witnesses they had received.”