The Tupelo journal., 1908-03-13
Jesus Heals a
Man Born Blind
Sunday School Lesson for March IS, 1908
Specially Prepared for This Paper

LESSON TEAI.-Jonn S'l-4i. memory
verses, 10, IL.
GOLDEN TEXT am the light OF
the world. John 9:5. t.8 7.gt
TIME.-About six months after our
last lesson. October. A. d. 20. At tho
Feast OF Tabernacles, which began that
year October II. Toward the close Of
the third year of Jesus ministry.
PLACE.-The pool Of Sloan, at Jeru-
salem.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
v. /. "As Jesus passed by" Walking
to Jerusalem on a Sabbath day ". 14),
probably lear the temple where he
may have been worshiping, and
around the gates Of which we're usu-
ally crowds of the poor and unfortu-
nate begging for help from the wor-
shippers, whose hearts were softened
by the religious influences Of the
place. Saw a man which was blind
from his birth" OF the six miracles
connected with blindness which are
recorded In the Gospels, this Is the
only case described as blindness from
birth. In this lies its special charac-
teristic ". 32.)
V. 2. Who did sin, this man, or his
parents, that Gas the result Of his
SIM he was born blind?" The R. v.
That he should be-" expresses the
meaning. Sin, as Jesus himself rec.
ognized in more than one instance.
was the aus Of suffering Mark q
8; Luke 10: Is; John 5:14.) Hence
the disciples wrongly inferred that
special suffering was always caused
by some special sin.
V. 3. Jesus answered, Neither hath
this man sinned, nor his parents"
Not that they were perfect, and had
never done wrong, but the affection
had not come as the result or pun
ishment of any particular sin, beyond
that Of others who did not suffer an
affliction, as in the case of those up
on whom the tower of Sloan fell
duke 10: 1-5.) Sufferings do come
upon children from the sins of a
ents, as stated in the second COM
mandment; but it is not a punishment
of the sufferer. Everybody in the
world to-day is suffering more or less
from the sins of others, but the suffer
ing is not a punishment for those
sins. But (the blindness came) that
depressing not the purpose of the
blindness but the result, the outcome)
the works of God should be made
manifest in him." Manifest to him.
self, and through him to the world
all down the ages. Who would not
be willing to be blind for a few years
If thereby he could reveal and pro-
claim Jesus as the light of the world,
and reflect the goodness, the power.
the comfort Of God to millions of his
fellow-men? The blindness was no
wrong to the man, for it gave him a
knowledge of Jesus, a hope of heaven,
new virtues, and experiences which
could not have been his in any other
way.
v. 7. GO, wash in the pool of
Siloam," to wash off the clay from his
eyes. The pool of Sloan is in the
valley of the Kidron, south of the
Temple Area, and 1900 feet a little
southwest of the Virgins fountain (the
probable pool of Bethesda) from which
living fountain a stream flows through
a rock-cut aqueduct to the pool of
Sloan. 1t must have been a large
pool 20 feet square, surrounded by
an arcade. 1t was from this pool that
the water was taken in a golden pitch
er in the celebration of the Feast of
Tabernacles. "Siloam (Hebrew)
. by Interpretation, Sent" (Greek.)
The pool may have been called "sent"
because the waters were sent" forth
from the aQueduct from the Virgins
Spring. The word "sent" is so fire.
quently used by Jesus of himself that
We naturally apply it here also to him
self as If the noiseless stream which
their fathers had despised lisa. $3.50,
and which they could trace to it's
source, was a fit type of him whom
the Jews rejected because they knew
his origin, and because he had no ex-
ternal force."-Exp. Greek Test.
He obeyed. He washed, and came
seeing" either to his home or to the
temple region where Jesus had met
him.
Jesus the Light Of the World
1. Jesus is the Light of the World be-
cause he brings light from heaven.
the light We need in our darkness:
The light Of the knowledge of God, Of
fatherhood, his love, his forgiving
mercy, his truth, his law, of heaven
and the way there. Jesus himself.
with his character. his teachings, his
deeds, was himself Light in the world,
revealing these things.
2. He is the Light of the world be-
cause he opens our eyes to see the
light of heaven. and ourselves, and
life, and the world in the light of
heaven. New Life in the soul, the
life given by the Holy Spirit, is the
means of our seeing the light.
8. Jesus is the Light because he
sheds light on all u s~icknesses, and
troubles, and burdens. He cures dis
eases, he makes all things work to-
for good to those that love
him, he gives e motives and hopes
that tighten our burdens.
An Example.-Very much Of our
and progress depends on bet
ter seeing-seeing more of the mean
ing of Gods Word, seeing God, seeing
realities, seeing the signif-
canoe of life, seeing opportunities of
doing good, seeing better ideals and
possibilities. Heaven and earth, so full
Of blessings and truths. and opportu-
mites and glories, are often invisible
TO us. as chariots and horses defend
ing Elisha were invisible to his ser.