Skip to content

Commentaries
English
John
  
18The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight,19and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind,21but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him, he is of age, he will speak for himself."22His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue.23Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him."


The Jews refused to concede the logic of comparing the Old Testament’s miracles with God’s works of Christ, that were marvels. They did not believe he was a prophet or God’s sent One, otherwise their position would have been faulty and would be blameworthy.
They fell back on a fallacy, to the effect that the miracle was a delusion, and that the man had not been blind at all. They were willing to allege the impossible to decry the happening of a miracle at Jesus’ hands. To heal one born blind seems an impossibility to them, an affliction resulting from hereditary guilt.
The parents were brought around, who had heard of their son’s problems with the police. These parents spoke cautiously for fear of the Pharisees, and denied what they had earlier heard from their son. They abandoned him, so as not to be entangled in the crisis. So the son was left on his own, responsible for himself. Expulsion from the Council was a grave matter; it means separation from society like a leper. It would also mean denial of rights and the chance of marriage. Jewish hatred for Jesus had reached this extent that they wished to destroy his followers too.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we thank you because you are God’s authority made flesh. Keep us in the hour of trial not to cling to our security and comfort more than to you. Lead us to deny ourselves and to courage and loyalty, to prefer death rather than forsake or neglect you.
Question
Why did the Jews deny the possibility of the healing of the man blind from birth?