46-Blind-Man-A

And We Thought We Knew You:
Soul Journey With the Real Jesus

Man Born Blind
THE MISSION

September AD 29
Jerusalem, Judea

�� Elam should be bitter.� What is wrong with him?� If anyone has the right to be bitter, it is he.� Just wasting his chance.� It's not normal.

�� "I don't see how you have stood it for so long, Elam."

�� They are sitting on a street corner.� They are begging.

�� "Well, I think it is easier for me, being born blind.� I have no idea what I'm missing.� As far as I am concerned, the world is complete."

�� "But aren't you at least curious?"

�� "Oh, sure.� I hear people talk about things I can't comprehend."

�� "Like shape?"

�� "Well, of course I understand shape a little.� I can feel it.� But I cannot compare something with shape to the same thing shown in a picture.� Whatever a picture is."

�� Elam laughs.� Zadok does not.��

�� "What about color?� How I miss color.� It was so wonderful.� Oh, sorry, friend.� I didn't mean to upset you."

�� "Don't worry about it.� I have no idea what you're talking about anyway, so how can I miss it?� Try describing color to me now that you can't see any more."

�� "Well, green is crisp and tastes like vegetables.� Yellow is warm and kind of like honey.� Blue is cool and is like water.� Red is hot and tastes like peppers."

�� "Color makes me hungry!"

�� They laugh.� Their only other choice is to cry.� Why cry?��

�� "Elam, how do you perceive light and dark?"

�� "Well, I recognize light because it is warm.� Dark is cool.� I prefer the warm, so I guess I like light best.� How am I doing?"

�� "Man, oh man.� If I could just describe it all to you.� But it's impossible."

�� "Elam, do you believe in God?� I'm not sure I do any more."

�� "Why?"

�� "Because I, well, I can't see him.� Or at least, I couldn't when I could see."

�� "Hey, friend!� How would you like for me to say I don't believe in you because I can't see you?"

�� The day wears on as it always does.� Sit on a street corner, hope a friend comes by for a little conversation.� Say thank you whenever someone drops a coin on the mat.

�� Thus far, he has not been able to get a job.� It does not mean he has not tried.� But no one seems to want him.� So he begs for a living.� Elam basically is poor and naturally does not like it.� He does not like the fact that he has to beg.� But he has reconciled himself to it.�

�� Most days that are not raining or snowing, he is out on a street corner somewhere in Jerusalem.� He tries to stay as close to the Temple as he can because religious people are supposed to help the poor.

�� Not far away in the Temple complex, the Sanhedrin meets.� They are blind, too.� But they do not know it.� They have seen Jesus, but have not seen him.� He is a heretic.� A lunatic.� A sorcerer.� A rebel.� He must be dealt with firmly.�

�� His movement must be stopped.� It is nearly out of hand.� The people are talking riots.� The people are talking insurrection.� Against the procurator.� Against the king.� Against the high priest.� It would ruin everything.

�� "Brethren," High priest Caiaphas declares,�"I believe it would be in order to issue a decree warning of excommunication to all synagogues in Palestine." [1]

�� Nearly everyone nods in agreement.� Without even saying, they know what he is referring to.� Of course he is right.

�� "For that Jesus and his so-called apostles?" a member of the Sanhedrin asks to make sure everyone is on the same wave length.

�� "You mean the dirty dozen?" someone adds from the back of the chamber.

�� Muffled laughter.� Albeit holy laughter.

�� "Not just for them," Annus continues.� The laughter stops.� Annus, the former high priest and father-in-law to Caiaphas, demands respect.� "But for everyone who agrees with Jesus."

�� "That could significantly reduce the size of some synagogues" a scribe from Jericho responds.

�� "What is worse, the Romans could fire us and give our positions to the followers of Jesus."

�� Caiaphas can no longer tolerate the laxidazical attitude of the religion's ruling body.� He slaps his fist on the table.�

�� "We must amputate a few members now!� Otherwise our entire religious body could die." [2]

�� General agreement rumbles through the council chambers, and gets caught in the craw of the Temple hierarchy.

�� It is unanimous.�

�� "That is good.� We must present a united front to the people."

�� Indeed, the mandate is sent to synagogues all over Palestine and even nearby nations.� It is read from pulpits and explained even in synagogue schools.� Excommunications are to be affected immediately.�

�� People begin to re-evaluate their priorities.� Just where do they stand?� No more fence straddling.� Are they in or out?� Are they with or against?� Are they for or contrary?

October AD 29

�� "Jonah, would you read Exodus to me ~ the part where God made Moses lead his people out of slavery?"

�� "Not now, friend.� With the Feast of Booths so near, they'll be reading it at the Temple."

�� Elam likes the scriptures read to him because they talk a lot about faith in what mankind cannot see.� He understands faith in a very special way.� After all, he must have faith just to walk across the floor.� Is the furniture the same place it was last time?� Will anyone step in his way and trip him?

�� "Well, since you don't want to, I guess I'll have to.� Elam commences to recite Genesis.� Whenever he comes to his favorite part, he raises his voice to make sure Jonah and his family hears.

�� "Who makes mouths?� Who makes ears so people can hear or not hear?� Who makes eyes so people be able to see or not see?� I do." [3]

�� "Elam, why do you torture yourself over that passage?" Jonah, Elam's elderly neighbor, is trying to be sympathetic.

�� "It's not torture for me."

�� "Right there God admits he causes deformities." Jonah does not understand. He's a lot like Elam's parents. Except they are so embarrassed by him, they seldom see him any more.

�� "But read the whole thing, Jonah.� He has just ordered Moses to lead the slaves out of Egypt.� Moses objects because of his speech problem.� God says, 'So what?� I've got a plan for you.' "

�� Jonah does not reply.

�� "Don't you get it, Jonah?� God has a plan for me.� He's got something special for me to do that I can only accomplish by being blind.� Doesn't it excite you, the prospect of working along side God?"

�� "You are young and idealistic, Son.� You'll get over it."

�� It is time to change the subject.� "Do you have your branches cut yet, Jonah?"

�� "No, but we can do it after the Day of Salvation.� There is plenty of time."

�� "I love staying out in the booth those ten days.� I love being close to the smell of those leaves.� They smell so green." But Elam misses his parents and all staying in the booth together. They've always been ashamed of him, but more so since we went out on his own and began to bed.

�� "They smell green?"� His Jonah laughs.

�� "Yes.� That's how Zadok described it yesterday.� Green is vegetables, and leaves are vegetables.� Right, Jonah?"

�� "There are a lot of leaves we eat, so you might be right!"

�� "'God gives sight to the blind.'� The Psalms say so.� So I have sight.� Insight!" [4]

�� After awhile Elam tells his neighbor good night.� He takes his staff and goes out the gate.� Click.� Click.� Click.� And to a little house his father had built him.

�� The Day of Salvation ceremonies come.� They are awe inspiring as usual.� A few days later comes the long holiday.� The Feast of Booths.

�� All week the people have been going to the Temple and celebrating.

�� Every morning they go with their offering.� And, every morning, after the priest makes the first water sacrifice according to tradition, the people take turns going to the Temple gate where the Pool of Siloam is.� There they obtain water to pour over their offering in commemoration of the water Moses gave to their ancestors out of a rock in the desert. [5]

�� Every night they return to celebrate the water from the rock.� The water from the Pool of Siloam.� Celebrate with music and laughter.� What happiness.� What a time of celebration. [6]

�� Jesus has sneaked into town.� He is safe as long as he is with a crowd.� The crowds love him.� So he spends all his time in the Temple.� The commoners will protect him.�

�� Today is the Sabbath.� Everyone knows Jesus has arrived.� He has a habit of irritating the religious leaders on the Sabbath.� Any more it seems to be a fixation.

�� Jesus is walking around in front of the Temple.� Walking around and watching.� Watching the watchers.� And watching the blind.

�� Many around him are blind.� They know who he is.� They think.� But they are blind.� They do not really know Jesus.� They do not really see Jesus.� Oh, they go to synagogue every week and attend all the festivities.� But they are blind.�

�� There is someone else who is blind there too.� It is Elam. �He is sitting just outside the gate.� He has been at that location on and off for a long time.� Everyone who attends celebrations in Jerusalem knows he will be there at some time or another. [7]

�� "Who sinned, Jesus?"

�� "Huh?"

�� "That man sitting over there.� The blind one," Thaddeus continues.� "Who sinned?� Him or his parents?" [8]

�� "Why do you ask?"

�� "He's been blind all his life.� Everyone knows that."

�� "Yes, he was born that way."

�� "Well, who do you think God is punishing?" Thaddeus continues.� "Him or his parents?"

�� Blame.� Accuse.� Blame.� Accuse.� Satan's way.� Never God's way.� [9]

�� "Neither!" Jesus replies.� "Neither is being punished."

�� "But isn't there a reason for everything?"� That's Judas.

�� "Men, this man going through this so that God's power can be demonstrated through his life." [10]

�� "But doesn't that make God a manipulator at man's expense?"

�� Thomas has a thought.� "Is it like exercise?� We only get stronger if we use what we have?"

�� "Like your brain!" Nathaniel teases, slapping Philip on the back.

�� "Yeah, and like your little finger that you never lift when we need fire wood at night!" Andrew interjects, joining the joke.

�� Judas is still serious.� "Satan thinks he has conquered that blind man, doesn't he?"

�� "Well, he's still alive and kicking," Matthew contributes.�"He's out all day every day.� I'm sure he'll be fine.� Hey, men, I'm hungry.� How about something to eat?"

�� "Wait a minute," Jesus interrupts.� "We have work to do while it is still light.� When it gets dark, it's too late."

�� Matthew and Judas turn back around.� No one is going with them.� "True.� So?"

�� "So, let's do it!"

�� "Do what?"

�� "While light is still here ~ while I'm still here ~ let's do God's work."

�� Jesus is looking straight at the blind man now.� They are not sure they like what he is about to do.

�� "So, let's get to work." [11]

�� Right here by the Temple?� Jesus, it's the Sabbath, remember?� You're going to rile the Sanhedrin again.� They are so close to getting you arrested for breaking the Law of Moses they can taste it.� Don't do this, Jesus.

�� The Deliverer, the future king, walks over to Elam.

�� "Elam, how are you today?"

�� "Fine, thank you.� Fine."

�� Jesus stoops low.� He is on eye level with Elam.� Elam knows this.� Call it a magnetic field or instinct or insight or anything you like.� Elam knows it.

�� Jesus does not say anything.� Elam has heard part of the conversation.� He has heard about Jesus.� He is full of wonder.

�� He waits for Jesus' touch.� It does not come.� It will.

�� Jesus kneels and scoops a few pinches of soil into his hand.� Elam hears him though most people cannot.� The blind can hear a lot of things others cannot.

�� Now Jesus spits into his hand enough times he can make a little mud.� He rolls the dirt around in his spittle.

�� Jesus, what in the world are you doing?� This isn't the time to be playing in the dirt. Besides, you don't need dirt to heal. He has a reason. He will use the dirt to expose a ridiculous creed. All Jesus' miracles are for a reason.

�� "Elam, this is Jesus," he finally says.

�� "Yes, Jesus.� I have heard of you.� I'm on your side."

�� A small crowd has started to build around Jesus and the man.� Jesus is used to it.� Elam is not.

�� "Now, Elam, I am going to put some mud on your eyes."

�� There he goes getting personal again.� Jesus, you just don't do things like that.� Your spit?� Come on, Jesus.� That just is not dignified.� If you are going to be king, well, you've got to quit getting so personal with people.

�� Elam laughs nervously.� "Well, I've heard of using mud to make boils go away.� My mother did that to me once.� What are you going to do?� Make my eyes go away?"

�� Jesus does not answer.� Elam did not expect him to.� But what he is expecting makes him anxious.� Will Elam be able to handle it?� If it really happens?

�� "This dark mud will take away the darkness.� It's darkness will bring you light."

�� "Well, I'm ready when you are.� And Jesus, ahead of time, I want to thank you.� Whatever happens, I know you tried."�

�� Jesus now mashes a little of the clay in his palm with one finger and reaches up toward Elam.� He carefully rubs it on one of Elam's eyelids.�

�� Elam waits patiently.� The crowd silently strains to see what is going on.�

�� Jesus then puts the rest of the clay on that finger and transfers it to Elam's other eyelid. [12]

�� "Now what?" he whispers.� Elam knows something is going to happen.� Jesus' reputation is well known.� "How long do I leave it on?" Long enough for the religious hierarchy to hear about it.

�� "Can you make your way over to the Pool of Siloam?"

�� "Sure.� It's right by the door of the Temple.� It's right over to my left.� Right?"

�� "Good.� Go there and wash your eyes in those waters." [13]

�� Go alone?� The crowd watches as Elam takes his walking staff and stands.� Jesus steadies him.� He does not ask Jesus to go with him.� He is willing to do it by himself.� That is good.� Jesus is proud of him.� The crowd is surprised.�

�� "Wonder why Jesus didn't go into the Temple and use the holy water in the priests' cleansing font?" someone whispers.

�� "Or have someone deliver the water to him in a priestly chalice from the Temple," someone else whispers.

�� "Or have a Levite bless it."

�� "Doesn't he have water in a skin beside him?� Why doesn't he use that?� Water is water."

�� Click.� Click.� Click.� Elam makes his way toward the fountain.� It's not so busy right now because it is afternoon.

�� "That's sure not much of a healing ceremony."

�� "Personally I think the whole thing is humiliating.� You'd never catch me doing that.� What would my friends say?"

�� Click.� Click.� Click.� Walking with eyes caked with mud.� And proud of it.� Elam is nearly to the fountain.�

�� He sits now on the edge and leans over.� He feels for the water.� Slowly he washes his eyes.� Cleanses his eyes.� Absolves his eyes.

�� Now do it, Elam.� Do it.

�� He opens his eyes to blink off the residue water.�

�� What was that?� He blinks his eyes again.� And that?� He turns his head.� And that?� His mind comes face to face with a new dimension.�

�� His eyes hurt at first.� He turns his head away from the water to the ground.� His eyes feel better.

�� He stands and looks down.� That's his feet?� He wiggles his toes.� Yes.� That's his feet!� He holds out his hands.� He wiggles his fingers.� That's what his fingers look like!� He even sees the hard things at the end.� Man, are they dirty.� Dirt?� Yes, that's what dirt looks like!

�� Elam looks beyond to a bush.� He walks over to it and feels it so he can know what it is.� Leaves.� That's green!� Color!�� That's what everyone was talking about.� No wonder they couldn't explain it to him!� It is unexplainable!� It is out of this world!

�� The crowd watches in amazement.� The apostles watch in awe.� Jesus watches in delight.

�� Elam grabs his staff and begins to walk with it.� He must figure out how to orient himself.� He does not know how to judge distance by sight.� He has always done it by feel.� He walks over to a big brown thing coming up out of the ground, and topped with green things like the bush.� He feels it, using his old trusted identification method of touch.�

�� "That's a tree?" he muses to himself.� "Yes!� That is a tree!"

�� He turns and walks around in the area of the fountain, exploring his new world.� The world of sight.� Glorious sight.� How wonderful is this thing called light!�

�� People in the crowd move closer to him to get a better look at what is going on.� Still they give him room.� Room to explore.

�� Elam turns back to the pool.� He looks down at it again.� Again the pain.� That original pain.� What is hurting him?� He realizes now that the sun is reflecting in it.� He looks directly up at the sun and realizes he cannot look directly at it without the pain either.� He has learned his second lesson about light.� Sometimes it can hurt.

�� But he still wants to know more about the water.� He goes to a shaded part of the pool and realizes he can look into it without the pain.� He puts his hand down in the water and realizes he can see through it.� Invisible water, but not invisible.� Yet he can drink water.� How can he drink something that is invisible?

�� The crowd notices his exciting confusion, and are excited with him.

�� As Elam stares at the water, it begins to calm down and he sees something new in it.� He reaches down to see if he can touch the new image, but it is gone.� He sits awhile and watches as the waters calm down once again.� This time he does not try to touch it.� But he stares still.� The image seems familiar, but without being able to touch it, he doesn't understand what it is.

�� "You're looking at your reflection, mister."� It's a young boy from the crowd.

�� "My reflection?"

�� "Yes.� You're looking at your face."

�� "My face?� That's me in there?"�

�� Elam looks down at the water, then raises his hands up to his nose.� His hands appear in the water even though they are not in the water.� He moves his head from side to side and the image in the water moves from side to side.�

�� "That's me?� That's me!� That's me, everyone!� The light has shown me what I really look like!� The light has shown me who I am!� Praise the light!"

�� "It's a miracle!� I can see!� Jesus made me see!" [14]

�� Someone entering the Temple nearby turns toward the crowd.� He thinks he recognizes the voice.�

�� "Elam?� Elam, is that you?"

�� Elam turns in the direction of the voice.� He recognizes the voice as Uzzah's.

�� "Uzzah.� Is that you?"

�� "Elam?� You can see?"

�� The two men approach each other and grab each other's arms.� "I can see, Uzzah!� I can see!"

�� Then Elam remembers.� "Do you see Jesus anywhere?� Do you know what he looks like?"

�� "Yes, I know what he looks like, but he's not here."

�� "Man!� What he did for me!� He gave me sight!"

�� "That's great, Elam!� What are you going to do now?"

�� "Go see what my house looks like.� My mother always tells me it's a mess.� What's a mess?" [15]

�� Click.� Click.� Click.� Elam must continue to rely on his staff and his sense of sound and feel.� He still gets lost relying on sight.� So often he must close his eyes to get reoriented.

�� An hour later Elam is home.� He spends the rest of the afternoon and evening exploring his home through his new eyes.� How fascinating everything is.� And when night comes, he finds himself with a new fear, fear of losing his sight again.� Night is so dark.�

�� "The candles.� Of course.� The candles."

�� Light is back.� Oh, thank God, the light is back.

�� The next morning Elam is awakened with the usual warmth.� He bounds out of bed and re-explores his home.� Then he goes out in the street.� There is a vacant lot near his home, a hill that is too rocky to build anything on.� He looks at the wild but sparse grass he used to only feel.� He sees the autumn flowers he used to only smell.�

�� He sees the breeze move a spindly tree as it used to so curiously move his hair.� But he cannot see the breeze.� There are still some things he cannot see.� No one can see.

�� Then he hears a neighbor's familiar voice talking to a family member.

�� "Hi there, Eber! �How are you today?" Elam calls over with a big grin.

�� "How do you know my name?� I don't know you."

�� "I'm Elam!� Your neighbor, Elam!"

�� "No way!� Elam is blind.� You're not blind."

�� "That's right.� It's me all right.� And I can see!"

�� "You must be some long lost brother, because you are definitely not Elam."

�� "I tell you I am," he replies undaunted with the doubts.� "Go get� Haran who lives on the other side of you.� He'll tell you I'm Elam." [16]

�� Eber goes to get Haran and they both look at Elam in confusion.� Both agree he looks like Elam, but he is not really Elam.� Elam is blind.� Always has been.� Always will be.

�� "You cannot be Elam.� Miracles don't happen.� You'll never be Elam."

�� "If it is you, then how can you see?" [17]

�� "A man named Jesus made mud, put it on my eyes and told me to go to the Pool of Saloam to wash them off."

�� "He did what?"

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