What do you see in the art?
SCENE 1
NARRATOR: As Jesus walked along with his disciples, they saw a man who had been born blind. Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud. He rubbed the mud on the man’s eyes.
JESUS: Go wash in the Pool of Siloam.
NARRATOR: Siloam means sent. The man went, washed, and came back seeing.
SCENE 2
NEIGHBOR 1: Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?
NEIGHBOR 2: No, he just looks like him.
MAN BORN BLIND: I am the man.
NEIGHBOR 1: How were your eyes opened?
MAN: The man named Jesus made some mud, rubbed it on my eyes, and told me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” So I went, and as soon as I washed, I could see.
NEIGHBOR 2: Where is he?
MAN: I do not know.
SCENE 3
NARRATOR: Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees. The day that Jesus opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.
PHARISEE 1: How did you receive your sight?
MAN: Jesus put mud on my eyes, I washed it off, and now I can see.
PHARISEE 2: The one who did this cannot be from God. He does not obey the Sabbath law.
PHARISEE 1: But how could a sinner do such mighty works as these?
NARRATOR: They were sharply divided about Jesus. They spoke again to the blind man.
PHARISEE 3: You say Jesus opened your eyes. What do you say about him?
MAN: He is a prophet.
SCENE 4
NARRATOR: These teachers were not willing to believe that the man had been born blind and begun to see, so they called his parents.
PHARISEE 1: Is this your son? If he was born blind, how is it that he can now see?
FATHER: This is our son. We know he was born blind. We do not know how he can see now, or who opened his eyes.
MOTHER: Ask him. He can speak for himself.
NARRATOR: His parents feared the Jews who had agreed among themselves that anyone who believed Jesus was the messiah would be put out of the synagogue.
SCENE 5
NARRATOR: A second time the teachers called in the man born blind.
PHARISEE 2: Promise before God that you will tell the truth! We know the man who healed you is a sinner.
MAN: I do not know if he is a sinner or not. I do know one thing; I was blind, and now I can see.
PHARISEE 3: What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?
MAN: I already told you that, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples?
PHARISEE 1: You are his disciple; we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses. We don’t have any idea where Jesus comes from!
MAN: How strange! You don’t know where he comes from, but he opened my eyes. We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners; God listens to those who respect God and do what God wants them to do. Since the beginning of the world, no one has heard of someone opening the eyes of a man born blind. Unless this man came from God, he could not have done such a thing.
PHARISEE 2: You were born and raised in sin—and you are trying to teach us? Get out of the synagogue!
SCENE 6
NARRATOR: Jesus heard that the teachers had expelled the man born blind and went to talk to him.
JESUS: Do you believe in the Son of Man?
MAN: Tell me who he is, sir, so I can believe in him.
JESUS: You have already seen him. He is speaking to you now.
MAN: I believe, Jesus.
John 9.1, 6-38
Sunday Readings: 1 Samuel 16.1,6-7,10-13; Ephesians 5.8-14; John 9.1-41