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By Tempo News - Staff
As [Jesus] passed by He saw a
man blind from birth. He spat on the
ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes,
and said to him, “Go wash in the Pool of Siloam”
(which
means Sent). So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said,
“Isn’t this the one who used to sit and
beg?” Some
said, “It is,” but others said, “No, he
just looks
like him.” He said, “I am.”
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had
made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also
asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put
clay
on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the
Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does
not
keep the sabbath.” [But] others said, “How can a
sinful man
do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they
said
to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him,
since
he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a
prophet.”
They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin,
and
are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said,
“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and
said,
“Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus
said to
him, “You have seen him and the one speaking with you is
he.”
He said, “I do believe, Lord,” and
he worshiped
him.
The light that makes one see or renders one blind
See
"Link to External Source Article" below to read further. -----------------------------------
This is such an interesting story - both in the Bible and in The
Urantia Book. In the Bible
story, rendered in this article with
appropriate commentary, we see a fairly straightforward accounting of a
pretty amazing miracle; however, in The
Urantia Book, we
learn the
Master's reasoning behind the miracle. And the story takes on new life
and new meaning. In the Bible story, emphasis is placed on
the
bilnd man, the miracle, and the teachings about antecedent sin. In The
Urantia Book, we see also the
bigger picture - how this miracle
was a
means by which Jesus was actually forcing the hand of the Pharisees, as
well as imparting a lesson on miracle-working itself.
Here
is the full Urantia Book story
In this story, we read, in the 1st paragraph: 164:3.7 Jesus decided to use
this beggar in his plans for that day's
work, but before doing anything for the blind man, Josiah by name, he
proceeded to answer Nathaniel's question. Said the Master: "Neither did
this man sin nor his parents that the works of God might be manifest in
him. This blindness has come upon him in the natural course of events,
but we must now do the works of Him who sent me, while it is still day,
for the night will certainly come when it will be impossible to do the
work we are about to perform. When I am in the world, I am the light of
the world, but in only a little while I will not be with you."
164:3.8 When Jesus had spoken, he said to Nathaniel and Thomas: "Let us
create the sight of this blind man on this Sabbath day that the scribes
and Pharisees may have the full occasion which they seek for accusing
the Son of Man." 1. This was not a miracle
response to the individual's faith. This was
a wonder which Jesus chose to perform for a purpose of his own, but
which he so arranged that this man might derive lasting benefit
therefrom.
2. As the blind man had not asked for healing, and since the faith he
had was slight, these material acts were suggested for the purpose of
encouraging him. He did believe in the superstition of the efficacy of
spittle, and he knew the pool of Siloam was a semisacred place. But he
would hardly have gone there had it not been necessary to wash away the
clay of his anointing. There was just enough ceremony about the
transaction to induce him to act.
3. But Jesus had a third reason for resorting to these material means
in connection with this unique transaction: This was a miracle wrought
purely in obedience to his own choosing, and thereby he desired to
teach his followers of that day and all subsequent ages to refrain from
despising or neglecting material means in the healing of the sick. He
wanted to teach them that they must cease to regard miracles as the
only method of curing human diseases.
164:3.16 Jesus gave this man
his sight by miraculous working, on this
Sabbath morning and in Jerusalem near the temple, for the prime purpose
of making this act an open challenge to the Sanhedrin and all the
Jewish teachers and religious leaders. This was his way of proclaiming
an open break with the Pharisees. He was always positive in everything
he did. And it was for the purpose of bringing these matters before the
Sanhedrin that Jesus brought his two apostles to this man early in the
afternoon of this Sabbath day and deliberately provoked those
discussions which compelled the Pharisees to take notice of the miracle
Again, in The Urantia Book,
we see the familiar Biblical
stories,
heretofore fairly dry and straightforward, but now fleshed out and rife
with detail and new meaning as to the Master's purposes and
deliberations.
The Urantia Book
is a wellspring of these kinds of
stories...retellings
of the events of Jesus life and teachings that offer modern-day mankind
a whole new view of Jesus - a whole new way to understand him and his
mission of revealing the loving heavenly Father to a new generation,
and for the edification of all humanity.164:3.1 The next
morning the three went
over to Martha's home at
Bethany for breakfast and then went immediately into Jerusalem. This
Sabbath morning, as Jesus and his two apostles drew near the temple,
they encountered a well-known beggar, a man who had been born blind,
sitting at his usual place. Although these mendicants did not solicit
or receive alms on the Sabbath day, they were permitted thus to sit in
their usual places. Jesus paused and looked upon the beggar. As he
gazed upon this man who had been born blind, the idea came into his
mind as to how he would once more bring his mission on earth to the
notice of the Sanhedrin and the other Jewish leaders and religious
teachers.
Further:
164:3.6
Jesus entered
into the discussion of this case with
Nathaniel
and Thomas, not only because he had already decided to use this blind
man as the means of that day bringing his mission once more prominently
to the notice of the Jewish leaders, but also because he always
encouraged his apostles to seek for the true causes of all phenomena,
natural or spiritual. He had often warned them to avoid the common
tendency to assign spiritual causes to commonplace physical events.
Jesus then proceeds to perform the miracle of restoring Josiah's sight.
Further on in the section, more information is revealed as to the means
of performing the miracle:
164:3.12 Jesus made
use of the clay and the spittle and
directed him to
wash in the symbolic pool of Siloam for three reasons: