When, coming near His Journey’s
end,
Jerusalem was nigh,
He, one day, saw a man, born blind,
As He was passing by.
* * *
And His disciples questioned Him :
“Master, whose sin hath done
Such evil as is this man’s lot–
His parents’ or his own?”
* * *
And Jesus answered : “Neither hath
His parents sinned nor he,
But that the works of God, in him,
Might be made plain to see.
* * *
“I must perform my Father’s works
While it is day; the night
Is coming, when no man can work;
But I am the world’s light,
* * *
“As long as I am in the world.”
And when He thus did day
He spat upon the ground, and made
The spittle into clay;
* * *
And with it He anointed thick
The eyes that ne’er had seen,
Then said unto the man : “Go wash
In water pure and clean.”
* * *
Then went the man obediently,
And washed his sightless eyes,
And instantly he saw all round,
With grateful, glad surprise.
* * *
The neighbors said : “Is this the man
Who begged, and could not see?”
Said others : “He is like to him.”
But he said : “I am he.”
* * *
They asked him how he gained his sight,
And he, with thankful voice,
Told all about the wondrous work
That made his heart rejoice.
* * *
And now unto the Pharisees
The happy man they brought;
And it was on the Sabbath day
This miracle was wrought.
* * *
Questioned by doubting Pharisees,
He did to them relate
The way by which he was relieved
From his unhappy state.
* * *
They said the man who gave him sight
A sinner, sure must be
Or He would not, on such a day,
Make a blind man to see.
* * *
Yet other said : “How can a man
Who is a sinner do
Such miracles?” The healed man said :
“He is a prophet true.”
* * *
The Jews would not believe the man
Was ever blind at all;
And, to find out if it were so,
They did his parents call,
* * *
And asked them : “Is this man your son,
Who without sight was born?
How, then, doth he now see so well,
Yet blind until this morn?”
* * *
The parents said : “He is our son,
And was born blind, we know;
But know not how he gained his sight;
Himself the truth must show.”
* * *
The Jews straightway recalled the man,
And said : “Give God the praise,
We know this man’s a sinner, by
His Sabbath-breaking ways.”
* * *
He answered them : “I know not if
This man a sinner be;
One thing I know, the whereas I
Was blind, yet now I see.
* * *
“We know that God regardeth not
A sinful man’s appeal;
But to obedient worshipers
He will Himself reveal.
* * *
“Since first the world began can ye
Such wondrous power find
As that a mortal man could heal
the eyes of one born blind?
* * *
“And if this man were not of God,
Nor down from heaven came,
He could do nothing in my case–
All glory to His name!”
* * *
And then they answered, wrathfully :
“Thou, who believed thus,
Wast altogether born in sin,
And art thou teaching us?”
* * *
They cast him out; which Jesus heard,
And found him, when alone :
“Believ’st thou on the Son of God?”
He asked in gentle tone.
* * *
The man said : “Lord who is He, that
My faith to Him might bow?”
Said Jesus : “Thou beholdest Him,
He talkith with thee now.”
* * *
Then he said :”Lord, I do believe,”
With fervent voice, and loud,
And bending forward to the earth,
In reverent worship bowed.
