seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 9:13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. 15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
24 A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”
25 He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”
26 Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”
27 He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”
28 Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! 29 We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”
30 The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. 32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
They threw him out because someone healed him.
Apparently.... Jesus worked on Sabbath. That was His thing. Why in the world, knowing they were looking for him, would He heal a man on the Sabbath? He knew the Pharisees and the Sadducees were going to clear off their desks and have another huge hearing. He knew there would be an investigation. He broke their rule that was meant to keep those descendants of Jacob [Israel] from breaking the rules they had written to keep people in line.
God gave them 10 Commandments.... they added hundreds of little human laws to make sure everyone followed God's 10 Commandments. If God was going to send someone to be the Messiah.... surely that someone wouldn't go around breaking the rules, regulations, policies and procedures the Temple had established.... especially that one.... No one worked on Sunday and then sat in their pews.... they just would not, could not, allow that.
Deuteronomy 13:1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. 5 That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you.
The Pharisees were forcing this investigation into the healing of a man born blind... because they got it in their minds that since Jesus didn't follow their laws about healing on Sunday... then He must be a "dreamer" who is leading their people away from their God... [the one they had stuck in the Holy of Holies]. See, they really thought they were doing God's will. They were afraid that if this guy didn't respect their rules, regulations, policies and procedures, then He must be an "anti". He's gotta go.... He's dangerous.
The next big thing, according to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, would be a mighty king who would be born in Bethlehem... just like King David. They knew the next big thing would be a mighty king who would run Rome right out of Jerusalem. Until that next big thing came on the scene... it was their responsibility to keep the descendants of Jacob [Israel] in line. If they started following anyone willy-nilly.... a fake god may make its way into the worship.... like what happened to those Samaritans.... and they could not, would not, allow that on their watch.
Actually, if they weren't such blithering idiots.... I would love to love them for their determination... right?
In all fairness.... God didn't tell them that Jesus was here.... unless you count the alignment of the planets to light up the night sky over Bethlehem.... the census causing Joseph to bring his pregnant "wife" to Bethlehem where they were forced to stay in a stable for the night while she gave birth..... the legion of angels who put on a heavenly concert for the shepherds who just had to go find Him. They didn't count the three scientist, astronomers [wise men] who told Herod... the current king's father all about it. They didn't count the babies who were slaughtered just because they were between the ages of newborn to three years.... so they would not grow up to take his throne, or his son's throne. They didn't count any of that. They were just sure that this was today.... and they were right.
They were the only ones who were allowed [actually "called"] to work on Sunday. But they weren't really "called" by God. They were "called" by tradition. Their tradition that was tainted by conquest. They were afraid Rome wouldn't like it.
They threw that man out of the Temple.... they banished him.... because Jesus gave him the use of his eyes on the "wrong day of the week".
