Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-03-31
JESUS GIVES SIGHT TO THE
BLIND-John. 9.1-3S.
Golden Text: I am the light of the
world.-John. 9.5.
By Rev. H. T. Stevenson.

Beecher claimed that this weeks lesson
was "one of the most remarkable and
dramatic passages in the history OF our
Lord" 4 few months previous. at the
feast of ~tabernacles. the Master had pub
licly proclaimed that He was the Light
of the World. Although at that time they
took up stones to cast at Him. Jesus re-
turned to Jerusalem at the feast of dedi-
cation. which had been established by
Judas Maccabeus on the s5th of Chislev
December-January). 165 B. G. 10 COM
memorate the reconsecration of the tenn
pie, desecrated just three years before by
pagan sacrifices" The space allotted to
this miracle by John indicates its i'm
portance- Every sign performed by the
Lord witnessed to His claims. 1t is evil
dent that Jesus determined by this miracle
to dispel any doubts that His followers
hight have had concerning Him and by
curing the maj born blind teach men that
He was indeed the Light of the World.
The reality of his miracle was thor
oughly tested. Only the blind and ma
licious perversity of the Pharisees kept
them from recognizing Jesus as the Light
able to the Master. 1t also started hos
tl1ty on the part of the rulers. who con-
sldered Jesus a dangerous enemy even
In Jerusalem. the stronghold of their
lpNtl- IHlS dHldGcnlSln play ed a pTOTlll-
nent part in bringig about the Master 3
cruciixion. The spiritual message that it
teaches all followers of the Christ is that
they should exercise sympathy with suf-
fering humanity, even if il develops per-
sonal opposition.
h disciples were familiar with the
pitful sight of the blind beggar. for blind
ness is prevalent in the HOLY Land They
probably would not have noticed the man
born blind if their attention had not
neen directed to the sufferer by the Mas
ters earnest gaze. Instead of being moved
with compression for the stricken beggar
me apostolic band saw in the mans con-
dition an Illustration of the effect of sin,
so they asked Jesus to solve their meta
Christ's reply overthrow the pharisaic
dogma that led them to infer that specific
guilt resulted in a definite afiiction. Jesus
did not deny that both the man and his
not a connection between sin and physical
illness He declared that in this case the
congenita1 blindness Of the beggar was
not a punishment for sin.
His answer touches the phiIosophy Of
evil and is a revelation of the mystery
of suffering The Christ saw in the
mans tragic experience a means of
revealing Gods power and goodness.
Jesus taught His disciples that they
should not try to fathom the secrets
Of the mans suffering. but to devote
their attention to the removal of his
Affections. He warned them against
the danger of allowing the opportunity
to do good to pass by until il would
be too late to manifest the works of
Gods grace and goodness. The true
child Of God needs to heed the precepts
and practice of the Lord to do all that
can be done to remove the effects of
evil 1t is the duty of every Christian
TO assist suffering humanity to under
stand by their deeds of love that God
cares for them.
Jesus healed the blind beggar by an
~ ~ 40 IL.
ing him to wash in the pool of Sloan,
which is the only pool mentioned in
the Scriptures hat has retained its
ancient name. 1t is one of few undis-
puted places in Palestine. and, accord
ing TO the mifen American archeo
ogist. DR.. F. J. Bliss. was in those days
"a magnificent pool, seventy feet
square, surrounded by an arcade" 1t
was used during the Herodian period
as a ~bathhouse by both men and women.
While both saliva and clay possessed
some medicinal qualities, the Masters
use OF the same was due to the spiritual
needs of the man born blind. The use
of means probably stimulated the faith
OF the blind man. They served to i'm
press the fact upon the eyewitnesses,
who probably had ridiculed him and
made all manner of fun at the appear
ance of the unsightly patches of
clay while the blind beggar was en-
route to the POOL to obey the Masters
to wash. The healing did
not come from the touch of the finger
of God. but in the mans faithful ODE
dience to Christ's commands. The cure
was the Lords. the blessing the mans.
Some one has pointed out that the
prevalence of blindness could be re-
duced considerably by the use of water
and soap in Palestine. An eminent
Jewish specialist left his extensive
practice in Baltimore a few years
so that he could at his own charges
visit Palestine and teach both the MEM
hArS of tho TAOiSh Zionist en1nnjas
and the Christian communities of the
various denominations how they might
help by sanitary methods eradicate
much of the blindness that has always