Many of the Jews, however, would not believe that this man had been born blind and had gained his sight, until they sent for his father and mother.
"Is this your son," they asked, "the son you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?"
"This is our son," his parents answered, "and he was born blind; of that we are sure. But how it is that he can see now, we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him--he is old enough--he can speak for himself."
His parents spoke in this way because they were afraid of the Jews, for the rulers had agreed that any one who said that Jesus was the Christ should be turned out of the church. That was why they had said, "He is old enough; ask him." So the Pharisees again sent for the man who had been blind, and said to him:
"Give G.o.d all the praise for your sight; we know that this Jesus is a bad man."
"I know nothing about his being a bad man; one thing I do know, that once I was blind, and now I can see."
"What did he do to you?" they asked. "How did he open your eyes?"
"I have told you all about it already," he replied, "and it seems you do not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you intend to be his disciples?"
Then they were in a rage at him, and said, "You may be his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses, and we obey his laws. We know that G.o.d spoke to Moses, but we do not know where this fellow comes from!"
"Well, this is very strange!" answered the man. "You do not know where he comes from; and yet he has opened my eyes. We know that G.o.d does not listen to bad men; but if any man is G.o.d-fearing, and does G.o.d"s will, that man G.o.d will hear. Since the world began, no one ever heard before of a man that could open the eyes of one born blind. If this Jesus were not of G.o.d, he could do nothing."
"Are you trying to teach us?" they answered. "You, who were born a sinner?"
Then they turned him out of the church; they forbade him to sit in the meetings or to go into the Temple; and after that none of them would so much as speak to him. Jesus heard that he had been put out of the church; he sought him out, and when he had found him, he asked:
"Do you believe in the Son of Man?"
"Tell me who he is," said the man, "and I will believe in him."
"You have seen him," answered Jesus, "and it is he who is now speaking to you."
The man said, "I do believe, Lord," and he fell on his face before him.
And Jesus said, "I came into the world to put men to this test, in order that those who cannot see, and know they are blind as this man was, might be made to see; and that those who think they can see should remain blind."
Some of the Pharisees who heard this knew that it was a rebuke to them, because they failed to see in Jesus one sent from G.o.d. They said:
"Then are we blind, too!"
"If you were really blind," said Jesus, "you would have no sin to answer for; but as it is, you say, "We can see," and so your sin remains against you."
Again the Jews were divided over the words of Jesus. Some said, "He is crazy! Why listen to him?"
But others said, "These are not the words of a crazy man. Can a man who is crazy open the eyes of a blind man?"
[Ill.u.s.tration: The modern village of Siloam]
The Good Shepherd
CHAPTER 57
AT THE SIDE of the Temple buildings toward the east stood a long balcony or archway, roofed over, with a row of pillars on each side. It was called "Solomon"s Porch." On the eastern side it looked over the valley of the brook Kedron, and beyond the valley to the Mount of Olives. In the west it fronted on the great court of the Gentiles. This porch was about a thousand feet long.
At the time of the Feast of the Dedication, it was winter, and Jesus was walking with his disciples in this porch. The Jews gathered around him and asked:
"How long are you going to keep our minds in uncertainty? If you are really the Christ, the King of Israel foretold by the prophets of old, tell us plainly."
"I have already told you," answered Jesus, "and you do not believe me.
The works that I do in the name of my Father, they speak for me; but you do not listen because you do not belong to my flock. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me; and I give to them the life everlasting; and they shall not be lost, and no one will ever s.n.a.t.c.h them out of my hands. My Father who has given them to me is stronger than all; and no one can s.n.a.t.c.h anything out of my Father"s hand."
Then Jesus gave the parable or story of "The Good Shepherd." He said:
"I tell you in truth, whoever does not go into the sheepfold through the door, but climbs up somewhere else, that man is a thief and a robber.
But the man who goes through the door is a shepherd of the sheep. The watchman opens the door for him; and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by their names, for he knows each one of them, and leads them out. When he has brought all his sheep outside, he walks in front of them; and his sheep follow him, for they know his voice. When a stranger speaks to them, they will not follow him, but will run away from him, for they do not know a stranger"s voice."
Jesus spoke to them this parable, but they did not understand its meaning. So he explained it to them.
"In truth I tell you," he said, "I am the Door for the sheep. All who ever came before me and not in my name, were thieves and robbers, but the sheep would not listen to them. I am the Door, whoever enters by me will be safe; and he shall go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Eastern sheepfold]
"I am not only the Door, but also the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down his own life for his sheep. The hired man, who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, when he sees a wolf coming, runs away and leaves the sheep. Then the wolf tears them and scatters the flock. The hired man does this, just because he is only a hired man, and does not care about the sheep.
"I am the Good Shepherd; I know my sheep, and my sheep know me--just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep.
"I have other sheep, too, which do not belong to this fold; these also I must lead, and they will listen to my voice; and so it will be one flock and one Shepherd.
"On this account my Father loves me because I lay down my life, to take it up again. No one took it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. This is the command which my Father has given me. I and my Father are one."
[Ill.u.s.tration: The Good Shepherd]
Suddenly, as he spoke these words, the Jews began again to pick up stones to throw at him. Jesus said to them:
"I have done many good works of G.o.d. For which of these works would you now stone me?"
The Jews answered, "It is not for any good work that we would stone you, but for those dreadful words, words that would make you, a mere man, to be G.o.d!"
Jesus answered, "Is it not written in your law, "I said, you are G.o.ds"?
If the law calls those "G.o.ds" to whom G.o.d spoke his word--and G.o.d"s book must speak the truth--then why is it such a terrible thing for one whom G.o.d has set apart and sent into the world as his messenger, to say of himself "I am G.o.d"s Son"? If I am not doing the work of my Father, do not believe me; but if I am doing it, even though you will not believe me, believe what my work shows. Then you will learn and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."
Once again they tried to seize him, but he escaped from their hands and went away from Jerusalem.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Jerusalem from the north]