The Pharisees were presented with the simple witness of the healed man, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see.” Their first response was to debate over whether it was right to heal someone on the Sabbath. When these religious authorities asked the healed man who he thought Jesus was, he said, “a prophet.” This was a legitimate deduction since what Jesus promised took place. 

 

Not satisfied with this answer, they called in his parents. When asked if this was their blind son, they agreed that he was. They, however, avoided declaring themselves believers for fear of being put out of the synagogue. 

 

The Pharisees called the man before them again and interrogated him further. They wanted him to renounce who he believed had healed him and agree with them. When asked to restate his testimony he probed, “Do you want to become his disciples, too?” This only brought insults from them. 

 

Not intimidated, he challenged them with his logical and spiritual conclusion. To this challenge the Pharisees could only say, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. For them, they had passed up every opportunity to reconsider their prejudiced views. The longer they argued opportunity for them ebbed away. Now it had ended. 

 

There is a place for discussion and debate, but don’t use it to pass up a God appointed opportunity.