¹As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man. Jesus knew the man had been blind ever since he was born. ²Jesus’ apprentices asked him, ‘Teacher, why was this man born blind? Is his suffering the punishment for his own sin or his parents’ sin?’

³Jesus replied, ‘You’ve got it all wrong. It’s time to stop asking your theological questions about what may or may not have happened in the past. He wasn’t born blind because of a terrible sin committed by him or his parents. This happened to give an opportunity for people to see God powerfully at work in him. ⁴While it is still day, we – that is, you together with me – must get on with the works of the One who sent me. Be active now, before it is too late. Just as you make good use of daylight to work, so take every opportunity to serve God by doing good to others. The night is coming when no one will be able to work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. I give light to everyone in the whole world.’

⁶After Jesus said this, he spat on the ground and mixed some of his saliva with the dust to make mud, which he put on the man’s eyes. ⁷He then told the man, ‘Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (‘Siloam’ means ‘Sent’.) Jesus may have directed him there as a reminder that Jesus had been sent by the Father. The man simply did as Jesus said. He immediately went and washed. He returned home able to see. Jesus had healed him!

⁸The healing surprised the man’s neighbors and the people who used to see him begging. They looked at him and asked, ‘Isn’t he the same man who used to sit and beg?’

⁹Some people thought it was him, but others were skeptical. ‘No, it only looks like him.’

But the man himself insisted, ‘Yes, it’s me all right. I used to sit and beg but now I can see.’

¹⁰The people were puzzled and asked, ‘How come you can see? How were your eyes opened? Tell us what happened!’

¹¹The man answered and told them the plain facts. ‘The man called Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I did exactly what he said. I went and washed and then I could see.’

¹²The people asked, ‘Where is the man who did all this; where is he now?’

The man replied, ‘I’ve no idea.’

John 9:1-11

Key Thought: Take every opportunity to serve God by doing good to others.