us. They
asked the man who had been blind: "What do you think of this man who has
opened your eyes?"
"He is a prophet of God," said the man.
But the leading Jews would not believe that this man had gained his
sight, until they had sent for his father and his mother. The Jews asked
them:
"Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it that he can now
see?"
His parents were afraid to tell all they knew; for the Jews had agreed
that if any man should say Jesus was the Christ, the Saviour, he should
be turned out of the synagogue, and not be allowed to worship any more
with the people. So his parents said to the Jews:
"We know that this is our son, and we know that he was born blind. But
how he was made to see, we do not know; or who has opened his eyes, we
do not know. He is of age; ask him, and let him speak for himself."
Then again the rulers of the Jews called the man who had been blind; and
they said to him:
"Give God the praise for your sight. We know that this man who made
clay on the Sabbath day is a sinner."
"Whether that man is a sinner, or not, I do not know," answered the man;
"but one thing I do know, that once I was blind, and now I see. We know
that God does not hear sinners; but God hears only those who worship
him, and do his will. Never before has any one opened the eyes of a man
born blind. If this man were not from God, he could not do such works as
these!"
The rulers of the Jews, these Pharisees, then said to the man: "You were
born in sin, and do you try to teach us?"
And they turned him out of the synagogue, and would not let any one
worship with him. Jesus heard of this; and when Jesus found him, he said
to him:
"Do you believe on the Son of God?"
The man said:
"And who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him?"
"You have seen him," said Jesus, "and it is he who now talks with you!"
The man said, "Lord, I believe."
And he fell down before Jesus, and worshipped him.
THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND THE GOOD SAMARITAN
Soon afterward Jesus gave to the people in Jerusalem the parable or
story of "The Good Shepherd."
"Verily, verily (that is, 'in truth, in truth'), I say to you, if any
one does not go into the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other
way, it is a sign that he is a thief and a robber. But the one who comes
in by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. The porter opens the door to
him, and the sheep know him, and listen to his call, for he ca
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