5
5
“Neither has this man sinned nor his parents, but that the
works of God should be manifested in him”
(John 9: 3), and, oh, see how, the works of God were
manifested in him! What a remarkable man he was! and the
context in which he said, “He is a prophet” was in answer to
the question as to how he received his sight. The Lord as
Prophet would give us sight; He would enable us to see things
as He sees them. You see how faithful this man was in the
sight he received from the Prophet. He is like the Lord Himself.
In chapter 8 the Lord is opposed. The chapter ends with,
“They took up therefore stones that they might cast them at
him” (John 8: 59). The Lord was speaking as Prophet in
chapter 8, unappreciated, not listened to. How patiently the
Lord answered all the questions of the opposers in chapter 8.
He was the Prophet with the word and He was refused; they
took up stones to cast at Him.
This man in the ninth chapter is also opposed, and he answers
all the questions that were put to him by his opposers. His
neighbours are mentioned, the Jews, the Pharisees, and the
parents. He answered them all. What happened? They cast
him out. They took up stones to cast at Jesus in chapter 8, and
they cast this man out in chapter 9. The Lord was outside; we
might say, outside the camp, and this man who had been blind
was where the Lord was. The Lord is outside the camp in
chapter 8. It says, “They took up therefore stones that they
might cast them at him; but Jesus hid himself
and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them,
and thus passed on”. He was outside the religious
organisation of men; this man finds himself in the same
position. The Prophet would help us to find the way of
righteousness in the public confusion of Christendom and to
find Him outside the camp. He said Himself in chapter 17,
“They are not of the world, as I am not of the world” (John 17:
16). This man in chapter 9 would be one such. In chapter 10
the Lord speaks of the flock, in which this man would find