know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. They said therefore unto
him, What did He to thee? how opened He thine eyes? He answered
them, I told you even now, and ye did not hear: wherefore would ye
hear it again? would ye also become His disciples? And they reviled
him, and said, Thou art His disciple; but we are disciples of Moses,
We know that God hath spoken unto Moses: but as for this man, we
know not whence He is. The man answered and said unto them, Why,
herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence He is, and yet He
opened mine eyes. We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any
man be a worshipper of God, and do His will, him He heareth. Since
the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a
man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.
They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins,
and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they
had cast him out; and finding him, He said, Dost thou believe on the
Son of God? He answered and said, And who is He, Lord, that I may
believe on Him? Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen Him, and He
it is that speaketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he
worshipped Him. And Jesus said, For judgment came I into this world,
that they which see not may see; and that they which see may become
blind. Those of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these
things, and said unto Him, Are we also blind? Jesus said unto them,
If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, We see: your
sin remaineth."--JOHN ix.

We have already considered the striking use our Lord made of the Temple
illumination to proclaim Himself the Light of the world. A still more
striking physical symbol of this aspect of our Lord's person and work is
found in His healing of the blind man. It is, as we have already had
occasion to see, the manner of this evangelist to select for narration
those miracles of Christ's which are especially "signs," outward
embodiments of spiritual truth. Accordingly he now proceeds to exhibit
Christ as the Light of the world in His bestowal of sight on the blind.

The disciples of Jesus had apparently been exercised by one of the
outstanding problems of human life which perplex all thoughtful men:
What regulates the distribution of suffering; why is it that while many
of the most crimi