Part 15

008:051 In most solemn truth I tell you that if any one shall have obeyed my teaching he shall in no case ever see death."

008:052 "Now," exclaimed the Jews, "we know that you are possessed by a demon. Abraham died, and so did the Prophets, and yet *you* say, `If any one shall have obeyed my teaching, he shall in no case ever taste death.'

008:053 Are you really greater than our forefather Abraham? For he died. And the prophets died. Who do you make yourself out to be?"

008:054 "Were I to glorify myself," answered Jesus, "I should have no real glory. There is One who glorifies me--namely my Father, who you say is your God.

008:055 You do not know Him, but I know Him perfectly; and were I to deny my knowledge of Him, I should resemble you, and be a liar. On the contrary I do know Him, and I obey His commands.

008:056 Abraham your forefather exulted in the hope of seeing my day: and he saw it, and was glad."

008:057 "You are not yet fifty years old," cried the Jews, "and have you seen Abraham?"

008:058 "In most solemn truth," answered Jesus, "I tell you that before Abraham came into existence, I am."

008:059 Thereupon they took up stones with which to stone Him, but He hid Himself and went away out of the Temple.

009:001 As He passed by, He saw a man who had been blind from his birth.

009:002 So His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned--this man or his parents--that he was born blind?"

009:003 "Neither he nor his parents sinned," answered Jesus, "but he was born blind in order that God's mercy might be openly shown in him.

009:004 We must do the works of Him who sent me while there is daylight. Night is coming on, when no one can work.

009:005 When I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."

009:006 After thus speaking, He spat on the ground, and then, kneading the dust and spittle into clay, He smeared the clay over the man's eyes and said to him,

009:007 "Go and wash in the pool of Siloam"--the name means `Sent.' So he went and washed his eyes, and returned able to see.

009:008 His neighbours, therefore, and the other people to whom he had been a familiar object because he was a beggar, began asking, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?"

009:009 "Yes it is," replied some of them. "No it is not," said others, "but he is like him." His own statement was, "I am the man."

009:010 "How then were your eyes opened?" they asked.

009:011 "He whose name is Jesus," he answered, "made clay and smeared my eyes with it, and then told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed and obtained sight."

009:012 "Where is he?" they inquired, but the man did not know.

009:013 They brought him to the Pharisees--the man who had been blind.

009:014 Now the day on which Jesus made the clay and opened the man's eyes was the Sabbath.

009:015 So the Pharisees renewed their questioning as to how he had obtained his sight. "He put clay on my eyes," he replied, "and I washed, and now I can see."

009:016 This led some of the Pharisees to say, "That man has not come from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." "How is it possible for a bad man to do such miracles?" argued others.

009:017 And there was a division among them. So again they asked the once blind man, "What is your account of him?--for he opened your eyes." "He is a Prophet," he replied.

009:018 The Jews, however, did not believe the statement concerning him-- that he had been blind and had obtained his sight--until they called his parents and asked them,

009:019 "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How is it then that he can now see?"