Introduction
Jesus has been avoiding Jerusalem, but now he has taken the fateful step. Immediately he engulfs himself in controversy by coming to the aid of a woman accused of adultery, and by appearing to claim to be God. When he heals a blind man on the Sabbath the Pharisees hope he has at last done something they can prosecute him for.
After waiting as long as he could, Jesus recognised the time had come to leave his native Galilee and face whatever awaited him in Jerusalem. Rumours swirled of plots against his life, but he reached the Mount of Olives unmolested and at once plunged into controversy. St John tells how he prevented a mob from stoning a woman caught in the act of adultery,* and then found himself the centre of a heated argument within the Temple itself, during which he claimed to know Abraham personally.
“You are not even fifty,” laughed the Pharisees, “and you have met Abraham!”*
“Before Abraham was,” replied Jesus seriously, “I AM”. And the way he put it was tantamount to saying he was God.*
A breathless moment later everything was in uproar. The Pharisees picked up stones, but turned to find Jesus gone.
As he slipped quietly out of the Temple, Jesus noticed a blind man, blind it seemed from birth. His disciples sought a theological judgment. “Who sinned?” they inquired, “this man or his parents?” But Jesus told them that it was not a punishment. It was an opportunity to see God’s glory.
He wetted some mud with his own spit, kneaded it to a clay and plastered it over the man’s eyes. Then he told him to wash the poultice out in the Pool of Siloam, which St John tells us means ‘Sent’.
* See The Woman Taken in Adultery. Both stories rely on the unavailability of the witnesses required by Jewish law for a stoning to take place.
* Jesus was in fact in his early thirties. Abraham, whom the Jews regarded as the father of their nation, was a herdsman of the Middle Bronze Age, who probably lived around 2000 BC.
* ‘I AM’ is the name Moses was given to use, when he asked God what he should say when Pharaoh demanded to know who had sent him. “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” See Exodus 3:14.
Précis
Jesus gave the gift of sight to a man blind from birth, but in doing so broke the Jewish Sabbath law. The Pharisees pressed the man to testify against Jesus, but he would not cooperate, and was banished from the synagogue for his pains. Fortunately, Jesus sought him out, and took care of him. (54 / 60 words)
Jesus gave the gift of sight to a man blind from birth, but in doing so broke the Jewish Sabbath law. The Pharisees pressed the man to testify against Jesus, but he would not cooperate, and was banished from the synagogue for his pains. Fortunately, Jesus sought him out, and took care of him.
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Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, just, must, otherwise, ought, since, until, whereas.
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Why did Jesus send the blind man to the Pool of Siloam?
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
Jesus left the Temple. He saw a blind man. He restored his sight.