John chapter 9

vs 31

Of course God can hear sinners, but the idea is that God only listens to those who do his will. Now this blind guy should know better than anyone that there isn't a causal link between sin and punishment, but he also knows that he was healed, that it was an act of God, and that Jesus was a righteous man.

The fact that he says "We know" isn't really a truth at all - the Pharisees were arguing whether they could "know" this to be a fact.

vs 32

So although blind people might have been healed, it seems they were those who had gone blind in later life. It really was a big deal, no wonder the Pharisees were picking on him.

vs 33

The vast, vast, vast majority of people, including all the Pharisees, cannot heal people by telling them to be healed. Not even by touching them. Not even by rubbing mud in their eyes. So he's got a point. The down and dirty theology of it probably isn't so simple, but this guy, and everybody, knows that such cool things can't happen for no reason.

vs 34

The Pharisees can obviously understand the truth of his words, and so they insult him with an obvious untruth, and kick him out. He must have cut deep with his comments.

vs 35

Jesus heard that, instead of accepting the testimony of this man who had been miraculously healed, and who through it was giving glory to God, they Pharisees had insulted him and kicked him out. So he goes and finds him, and asks him if he believes in the Son of Man (his own title).

Like I said, the guy had some faith, but to have a general faith about God and his ability to send a Messiah (even the Pharisees had that), and to recognise and accept the specific Messiah, well those are two different things. So Jesus wants to clarify.

vs 36

And this guy is keen! Now see, he knows Jesus is someone special. Is he the Son of Man? Who knows. But he's offering to tell this guy about the Son of Man, so he jumps at the opportunity. He wants to thank God for all he has done for him.

Remember, also, that the guy has never seen Jesus - his eyes were only opened when he washed them at the pool of Siloam. Jesus wasn't there anymore.

vs 37

Anyone who says Jesus does not claim to be the Son of Man himself, read this verse. Then read it again. Then hit yourself with the Bible. Go on, do it.Dooo iiit!

vs 38

This guy instantly accepts it. He's been cured of blindness, yes, but he's also seen the pompous hypocritical inadequacy of the Pharisees, and he wants to follow the God he knows about, not the rules of the people who ignored him his whole life.

vs 39

The blind guy might have only thought that, since he wasn't all that sinful, (I mean, he has accepted that Jesus is the Christ, so he has welcomed God's Messiah) that there was going to be a reversing of roles at the end times - that the bad guys were going to be struck blind like he had been.

If Jesus had the power to heal people of blindness, surely he had the power to judge and blind too?

vs 40

Now, see, the Pharisees are asking if they are blind, because that's the better position to be in according to Jesus. Better to be blind now and be able to see at the end, than to start off seeing and end up blind. They want to put themselves in the winning group.