In John 9:28-33 we read the following –
And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
The pharisees claim that THEY KNOW “that God has spoken to Moses“. So, here we have some men who find it easier to believe (more likely, prefer to believe) something that occurred at least 1500 years before they were born rather than that there is a man among them who can enable those born blind to see. It is difficult to see how this irony is lost on today’s culture. The blind man is not nearly as blind as those who willfully deny what they can see with their own eyes. Yes, this irony is even more amazing because Jesus himself goes on to explain it at the end of chapter 9 – Jesus said,
“For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.
Goodness. Seeing, you do not see. The simple truth of the matter is that blind men cannot cause themselves to see.
Do you see that? Do you see what that implies? How foolish and sinful so many “christians” are believing they can give sight to a blind man through the reciting of a prayer.