Remember the child’s game we played in school called: "Blind Man’s Bluff?" On a rainy day we blind folded one who was "it," and switched around in our seats. The student who was "it" would stop at a desk and could ask three questions to try to determine who you were. Each one tried to deceive the blind person with your voice or your answers. If they guessed, then you became the blind man. The game is a good illustration of our text for today. Let me tell you "the rest of the story" now.

The church leaders had just retreated from a very controversial church meeting where they wanted to take Jesus out and stone him because they decided he was making fun of Father Abraham. They had misunderstood him, of course, but that didn’t make them any less angry.

Upon leaving they passed by a blind beggar, who was sitting by the temple, sitting with his tin cup and, hoping some of the good church people would drop in some spare change. But strangely enough this scene started a theological discussion between the disciples and Jesus.

Question: Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

Answer: Neither this man’s sin or his parents, but so that the works of God can be demonstrated in him. This man is here for a purpose. It is not for us to worry and fret or even speculate about the cause of this poor beggar’s adversity, but it is our responsibility to do the will of the Father, to bring light to the dark world.

And so Jesus made a little ball of clay – one for each eye - placed them on the beggar’s eyes, and instructed him to go to wash the dirt off his eyes at the pool of Silo’am. (Now "siloam," translated from the ancient Hebrew – means "swimming hole" or "public bath house" or something profound like that). Well, the blind beggar, who for this story we will call "B.B.," took Jesus’ advice and went to the pool, washed, came back, and could see. And could WHAT? Well, the story says he could see. Ole B.B., who had sat by the temple for years begging for bread and a few sheckles, could see!

Question: Well, with such a miracle like that on a quiet Sabbath day that must have caused quite a stir. What happened then?

Answer: You better believe it caused quite a bit of excitement, but not exactly as we might suspect.

Question: the neighbors and the locals who had known ole B.B. for years asked: Isn’t that ole BB walking around big as life that used to sit and beg for a bite?

Answer: Some folks said: Yep, that’s him alright! But others said: Nah, that’s not him; it might look like him, but it’s really not him; it couldn’t be! And BB said: Yes, it’s me alright!

Question: Then how were your eyes opened?

Answer: Well, it’s like this: this man, called Jesus, made some clay, covered my eyes with it, told me to go to the pool and wash; I went and washed and now I can see!

Question: Where is he now?

Answer: I don’t know!

Interlude: Incidentally, it just happened to be on Sunday when Jesus healed ole BB. It was not on purpose just to flaunt the Jewish Law, but it just seemed "the right thing to do." You will remember that the rabbis allowed healing on the Sabbath but only in the case of emergency. This man had been blind all his life – since birth. There was no call under Jewish law for this to happen on the Sabbath. And so the argument ensues this time with the Pharisees asking the question.

Question: How did you receive your sight?

Answer: He put clay on my eyes, I washed, and I see.

Interlude: Now the debate is joined. One side says: Surly, this healing man is not from God, because he breaks the Sabbath. The other side of the argument is equally convincing: How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And so the debate society turns back to the man who was healed to see if they can get anything further out of him.

Question: Since you were the one who was supposedly healed, what do you say about him?

Answer: "He is a prophet!’

Pharisees: Well, that is obviously no help. They are all trying to bluff us with this story. Let’s call in the man’s parents. Surely, they can tell us whether this man was their son and whether he was really born blind.

Question: Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How do you explain the fact that he can now see?

Answer: Yes, this is our son and yes, he was born blind, but how he was healed? We don’t know! Ask him – leave us out of this – he is legal age now; don’t drag us innocent folks into this argument. Haven’t we been punished enough by having this blind boy? Do you want us to get excommunicated? He is of age; ask him!

Question (to BB): Ok, now one more time. We swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help us God. This man, Jesus, is a sinner. Isn’t he?

Answer: Whether he is a sinner, I don’t know. But I can tell you this – this one thing I know – I used to be blind, but now I can see!

Question: Not being convinced, they didn’t want convincing; they wanted denial and they asked: What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?

Answer: Hey, are you listening or just arguing? I’ve already told you over and over again how it happened. Why do you keep asking about it? Do you want to become his disciples?

Aside: Oops! Ole BB went too far. He was exposing the religious leaders. Now he was in for it. You are HIS DISCIPLE! Not us. We are disciples of MOSES. As for this man, Jesus, we don’t know where he is coming from at all.

Response: This is marvelous! You are wise teachers, learned scholars, you know the Scriptures, and you know the law. You mean to tell me that you don’t know where he’s coming from and yet he opened my eyes? We all know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does God’s will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has anyone heard tell of anyone, sorcerer, magician, prophet, anyone who opened the eyes of a man born blind. Didn’t your Scriptures say that when Messiah came we would know him because he would open the eyes of the blind? What more do you want? Should he serve it up on a silver platter? If this man were not from God, he couldn’t do anything!

Rebuttal: What’s the matter with you, you dumb, poor blind beggar? Are you crazy? Who do you think you are? We are the teachers here! Out you go! And they threw him out.

Question: Now, Jesus heard that ole BB had been thrown out; sought him out and finding him, asked: Do you believe in the Son of Man?

Answer: I don’t know. Question: Who is he that I might believe in him?

Answer: You have seen him, for it is I who speak to you. I am the Son of Man.

Response: Lord, I believe, and BB worshipped the Son of Man.

Response (Jesus): "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." (John 9:39)

Question: Some of the Pharisees hanging around to find out what was going on, overheard the conversation between BB and Jesus and asked: "Are we also blind?"

Answer: If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but if you keep going around and saying: "I SEE SAID THE BLIND MAN! Then your guilt remains.

Conclusion:

Question: Do you get the point of the story?

Answer: Answer! Answer!

Question: Does it make you wonder sometime whether you are so closed in your religious point of view that you are blind to all that’s going on around you?

Answer: Answer! Answer!

Question: Do you understand that Jesus told this story to illustrate that he is the light of the world and wants us to be lights, too?

Answer: What is your answer?