As he passed by he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him. We have to do the works of the one who sent me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."…
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see." So some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath." (But) others said, "How can a sinful man do such signs?" And there was a division among them…
If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything."…
He said, "I do believe, Lord," and he worshiped him… (Jn 9:1-41)
Jesus healed a man born blind. Since blindness was something negative (evil) it was linked to sinfulness. Jews believed that sickness, blindness were all due to sin. So they tried to see the cause of sin or the person who could have been the cause in order that they might do reparation. But for Jesus every occasion and every situation was an opportunity to do the work of God and bring the presence of God.
Pharisees were not able to see God making himself present in Jesus. They were having just the opposite view. They saw evil everywhere and they saw sin in every action and every man was sinful for them. In stead Jesus saw God in everything and in every person. Pharisees saw God only in the religion and in religious practices (Sabbath). They could not come out of this mind set.
The man who was healed was able to see God in Jesus. He believed in him and worshiped him. He was open to God’s action; God acted on him; and he was able to see God in Jesus. (This was the real healing of blindness. Blindness to God was healed and he saw God in Jesus). That is why Jesus said; “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see might see, and those who do see might become blind." (Blind to God’s reality is the real blindness)
