The Man Will Not Be Browbeaten
THE MAN WILL NOT BE BROWBEATEN
JOHN 9:24-34
Every Christian should be able to say the words at the end of 9:25.
The religious leaders decide to examine the man a second time and on this occasion they are in a tougher mood. He must make a clean breast of what had actually happened. They clearly could not believe his story, for they knew that Jesus was a sinner. The man will not be browbeaten. He is not concerned with technicalities which are beyond his understanding. He knows one thing with full conviction—the reality of his change from a state of blindness to one of sight—“though I was blind, now I see” (9:25). They inquire again how it happened.
Now it is the turn of the man to be tough with them. He had already stated the facts quite clearly. They had taken no notice then. There was no point in repeating them unless they too wished to become disciples of Jesus. The crushing retort follows that they are disciples of Moses, a known recipient of God’s word; he is a disciple of someone utterly unknown (cf. 7:48f.). Yet the man will not abandon his defense of his experience. His eyes have been opened, there is no doubt about that. And if they must force him into theology, into his own simple theology he will go. God does not answer the prayers of sinners. No one has ever heard of the healing of a man born blind. Such an extraordinary miracle therefore proves that he is not a sinner but is from God.
But as the man born blind moves steadily into clearer sight, the Pharisees plunge into deeper darkness. There is no attempt to answer the man. Assessing of evidence gives way to prejudice. Living experience is rejected by the dead hand of tradition. Those with a vested interest in the religious establishment put themselves beyond responding to the word of God proclaimed through a humble sinner. “Would you teach us?”
Notes 9:24: NEB: “Speak the truth before God.” It probably suggests making a confession (cf. Joshua 7:19). 9:28: “We are disciples of Moses” (cf. 8:33: “We are descendants of Abraham”). But their discipleship of Moses was very blind (5:45-47). 9:29: ignorance of his origin is the ground for rejection of Christ just as supposed knowledge of it was before (7:27).
Meditation “Though I was blind, now I see” (9:25). This simple conviction has brought strength to many Christians, persecuted, reviled, laughed at or out-maneuvered in argument.