The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-02-20
sy RALPH ROGERS
The Man Born Blind. John 3

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Jesus expressed his interest in
the physical infirmities Of men.
Saint John, who knew Jesus mos.
intimately, is also sympathetic to
suffering humanity. II must be
noted that he has devoted a full
chapter 10 this one blind man.
The Pharisees on the other hand,
did not think this man so impor.
Itant, they hated him. Twice in this
chapter they tried to force him "a
deny Christ and as many times be
answered them with such a simple.
sincere faith that they were com.
pletely crushed. This man was
born blind which was a sure sign
that he was paying a lifelong pen.
atty for the sins Of his fathers.
Who then, argued the Pharisees,
could put any faith in the claims
Iof such an inconsequential charac.
ter? ''This man was a sinner"
Then too, the Pharisees hated
Jesus. They contended that he too,
was a sinner, just man like the
rest of them. This Christ was a
dangerous sinner for they contend.
ed that no man could work a mir
acle on the eyes of a blind man
without the aid Of the devil. Jesus
must be the child of SATAN. Ma.
turally, as religious leaders, they
must be the child of Satan. Ma
the people would understand.
They begin with the blind man
and ask him how this happened.
His answer was simple and direct,
"One thing / know, that though I
was blind, now / see." A poor,
simple, unlearned man could I'm.
derstand that. The scientist may
weigh and analyze, the scholars
argue and the critics sneer and
storm, but when an honest man
steps forth and says, Gust look
at me and see what Christ has
done" there is no argument. In
fact arguments over the divinity
or deity of Jesus never has ac-
complished very much. 1t meant
little to Peter. to s.. Francis OF
Assist. to Phillips Brooks or to
Billy Sunday. 1t means little to the
lowest, meaneSt drunkard or thief
saved by a living faith in Jesus
Christ. The character Of a bad
man made good or a sick nran
made well is something argument
cannot reach.
It is strange that Satan Is SO
persistent that he would try to dis.
courage one so benfited as was
the blind man. However the Phar.
isees called him in the second
time and told him to "Give God
the praise, we know that this man
L Jesus) is a sinner" Although he
had told them how the miracle
was performed, they wanted to see
il he would change his story. The
change was so great and the bless.
ing so glorious, that even the
threat of accommodation cast
Iout from society, bounded from
city to city, would not change his
testimony. What a wonderful faith
These prosecutors wanted to
know what progress Jesus was
making. They feared for their own
authority and they asked the blind
man, do youa believe in the Son
of mann" The King James version
uses "thesSon Of God" This didn't
make so MUCH difference to the
man who had been so marvelously
healed, whetherSit be Son Of man
or Son of God. This he knew-that
the man was4a SRvior to him. In
our elementary faith we may not
fully understand how these mira.
culous things can take place, but
our experience eOnvinces US that II
lis so, and we believe.
One Of etlievbests ways to under.
stand the marvellous power of God
lis by experience. call it expert
mental faith. Francis Downs tells
of visiting the famous Heinz Pickle
factory in Pittsburgh. He found in