WEBVTT 00:00:00.919 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.719 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.719 --> 00:00:08.900 in a year. Today's reading is from the Gospel 00:00:08.900 --> 00:00:13.779 of John, chapters 9 and 10. Chapter 9 Now as 00:00:13.779 --> 00:00:16.440 Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:19.800 birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, 00:00:20.019 --> 00:00:22.899 who sinned, this man or his parents, that he 00:00:22.899 --> 00:00:26.079 was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither this 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:28.769 man nor his parents sinned. but that the works 00:00:28.769 --> 00:00:32.109 of God should be revealed in him. I must work 00:00:32.109 --> 00:00:34.770 the works of him who sent me while it is day. 00:00:34.950 --> 00:00:38.170 The night is coming when no one can work. As 00:00:38.170 --> 00:00:40.109 long as I am in the world, I am the light of 00:00:40.109 --> 00:00:42.850 the world. When he said these things, he spat 00:00:42.850 --> 00:00:45.170 on the ground and made clay with the saliva, 00:00:45.409 --> 00:00:47.710 and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with 00:00:47.710 --> 00:00:51.049 the clay. And he said to him, Go wash in the 00:00:51.049 --> 00:00:54.179 pool of Siloam, which is translated, sent. So 00:00:54.179 --> 00:00:57.079 he went and washed and came back seeing. Therefore 00:00:57.079 --> 00:00:59.579 the neighbors and those who previously had seen 00:00:59.579 --> 00:01:03.179 that he was blind said, Is not this he who sat 00:01:03.179 --> 00:01:06.540 and begged? Some said, This is he. Others said, 00:01:06.719 --> 00:01:10.879 He is like him. He said, I am he. Therefore they 00:01:10.879 --> 00:01:13.879 said to him, How were your eyes opened? He answered 00:01:13.879 --> 00:01:17.200 and said, A man called Jesus made clay and anointed 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:20.120 my eyes and said to me, Go to the pool of Siloam 00:01:20.120 --> 00:01:22.859 and wash. So I went and washed, and I received 00:01:22.859 --> 00:01:26.040 sight. Then they said to him, Where is he? He 00:01:26.040 --> 00:01:29.120 said, I do not know. They brought him who formerly 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:32.180 was blind to the Pharisees. Now it was the Sabbath 00:01:32.180 --> 00:01:34.340 when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:37.420 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:40.319 had received his sight. He said to them, He put 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:44.099 clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see. Therefore 00:01:44.099 --> 00:01:46.819 some of the Pharisees said, This man is not from 00:01:46.819 --> 00:01:50.239 God, because he does not keep the Sabbath. Others 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:53.439 said, How can a man who is a sinner do such signs? 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:56.599 And there was a division among them. They said 00:01:56.599 --> 00:01:59.439 to the blind man again, What do you say about 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:02.239 him because he opened your eyes? He said, He 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:04.900 is a prophet. But the Jews did not believe concerning 00:02:04.900 --> 00:02:07.780 him that he had been blind and received his sight, 00:02:07.920 --> 00:02:10.360 until they called the parents of him who had 00:02:10.360 --> 00:02:13.300 received his sight. And they asked them, saying, 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:16.740 Is this your son, who you say was born blind? 00:02:16.979 --> 00:02:20.030 How then does he now see? His parents answered 00:02:20.030 --> 00:02:23.009 them and said, We know that this is our son and 00:02:23.009 --> 00:02:25.669 that he was born blind. But by what means he 00:02:25.669 --> 00:02:28.689 now sees, we do not know. Or who opened his eyes, 00:02:28.930 --> 00:02:32.430 we do not know. He is of age, ask him, he will 00:02:32.430 --> 00:02:35.289 speak for himself. His parents said these things 00:02:35.289 --> 00:02:37.889 because they feared the Jews. For the Jews had 00:02:37.889 --> 00:02:40.689 agreed already that if anyone confessed that 00:02:40.689 --> 00:02:43.469 he was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 00:02:43.810 --> 00:02:47.050 Therefore his parents said, He is of age, ask 00:02:47.050 --> 00:02:49.439 him. So they again called the man who was blind 00:02:49.439 --> 00:02:52.340 and said to him, Give God the glory. We know 00:02:52.340 --> 00:02:55.020 that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, 00:02:55.259 --> 00:02:57.680 Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:01.219 One thing I know, that though I was blind, now 00:03:01.219 --> 00:03:04.020 I see. Then they said to him again, What did 00:03:04.020 --> 00:03:07.599 he do to you? How did he open your eyes? He answered 00:03:07.599 --> 00:03:10.039 them, I told you already and you did not listen. 00:03:10.259 --> 00:03:12.819 Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also 00:03:12.819 --> 00:03:15.699 want to become his disciples? Then they reviled 00:03:15.699 --> 00:03:18.620 him and said, You are his disciples, but we are 00:03:18.620 --> 00:03:21.560 Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses. 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:24.340 As for this fellow, we do not know where he is 00:03:24.340 --> 00:03:27.240 from. The man answered and said to them, Why, 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:29.740 this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know 00:03:29.740 --> 00:03:32.219 where he is from, yet he has opened my eyes. 00:03:32.539 --> 00:03:35.539 Now we know that God does not hear sinners, but 00:03:35.539 --> 00:03:38.000 if anyone is a worshipper of God and does his 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:40.849 will, he hears him. Since the world began, it 00:03:40.849 --> 00:03:43.750 has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes 00:03:43.750 --> 00:03:46.650 of one who was born blind. If this man were not 00:03:46.650 --> 00:03:49.430 from God, he could do nothing. They answered 00:03:49.430 --> 00:03:51.770 and said to him, You were completely born in 00:03:51.770 --> 00:03:54.569 sins, and are you teaching us? And they cast 00:03:54.569 --> 00:03:57.509 him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, 00:03:57.650 --> 00:04:00.270 and when he had found him, he said to him, Do 00:04:00.270 --> 00:04:02.530 you believe in the Son of God? He answered and 00:04:02.530 --> 00:04:05.409 said, Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in 00:04:05.409 --> 00:04:08.430 him? And Jesus said to him, You have both seen 00:04:08.430 --> 00:04:11.740 him. And it is he who is talking with you. Then 00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:14.379 he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 00:04:14.620 --> 00:04:17.899 And Jesus said, For judgment I have come into 00:04:17.899 --> 00:04:20.480 this world, that those who do not see may see, 00:04:20.660 --> 00:04:24.120 and that those who see may be made blind. Then 00:04:24.120 --> 00:04:26.540 some of the Pharisees who were with him heard 00:04:26.540 --> 00:04:29.480 these words and said to him, Are we blind also? 00:04:29.759 --> 00:04:32.800 Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would 00:04:32.800 --> 00:04:36.180 have no sin. But now you say, We see. Therefore 00:04:36.180 --> 00:04:43.600 your sin remains. Chapter 10 Most assuredly I 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:46.339 say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold 00:04:46.339 --> 00:04:49.480 by the door, but climbs up some other way, the 00:04:49.480 --> 00:04:52.879 same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters 00:04:52.879 --> 00:04:56.000 by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:58.819 him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear 00:04:58.819 --> 00:05:01.480 his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name 00:05:01.480 --> 00:05:04.540 and leads them out. And when he brings out his 00:05:04.540 --> 00:05:07.420 own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep 00:05:07.420 --> 00:05:10.740 follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they 00:05:10.740 --> 00:05:13.639 will by no means follow a stranger, but will 00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:16.180 flee from him, for they do not know the voice 00:05:16.180 --> 00:05:19.860 of strangers. Jesus used this illustration, but 00:05:19.860 --> 00:05:22.139 they did not understand the things which he spoke 00:05:22.139 --> 00:05:24.800 to them. Then Jesus said to them again, Most 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:27.480 assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the 00:05:27.480 --> 00:05:31.040 sheep. All who ever came before me are thieves 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:33.579 and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 00:05:33.949 --> 00:05:37.149 I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will 00:05:37.149 --> 00:05:40.490 be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 00:05:40.730 --> 00:05:44.149 The thief does not come except to steal and to 00:05:44.149 --> 00:05:47.009 kill and to destroy. I have come that they may 00:05:47.009 --> 00:05:50.310 have life and that they may have it more abundantly. 00:05:50.990 --> 00:05:53.689 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives 00:05:53.689 --> 00:05:56.920 his life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who 00:05:56.920 --> 00:05:59.879 is not the shepherd, one who does not own the 00:05:59.879 --> 00:06:02.819 sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep 00:06:02.819 --> 00:06:05.920 and flees, and the wolf catches the sheep and 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:08.319 scatters them. The hireling flees because he 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:10.600 is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 00:06:10.860 --> 00:06:13.500 I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, 00:06:13.620 --> 00:06:17.120 and am known by my own. As the Father knows me, 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:20.220 even so I know the Father, and I lay down my 00:06:20.220 --> 00:06:23.600 life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which 00:06:23.600 --> 00:06:26.720 are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, 00:06:26.899 --> 00:06:29.339 and they will hear my voice, and there will be 00:06:29.339 --> 00:06:32.339 one flock and one shepherd. Therefore my father 00:06:32.339 --> 00:06:35.720 loves me, because I lay down my life that I may 00:06:35.720 --> 00:06:39.019 take it again. No one takes it from me, but I 00:06:39.019 --> 00:06:42.379 lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it 00:06:42.379 --> 00:06:45.079 down, and I have power to take it again. This 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:48.199 command I have received from my father. Therefore 00:06:48.199 --> 00:06:50.779 there was a division again among the Jews because 00:06:50.779 --> 00:06:53.459 of these sayings. And many of them said he has 00:06:53.459 --> 00:06:56.220 a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to him? 00:06:56.480 --> 00:06:59.500 Others said, These are not the words of one who 00:06:59.500 --> 00:07:02.259 has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the 00:07:02.259 --> 00:07:05.740 blind? Now it was the feast of dedication in 00:07:05.740 --> 00:07:08.500 Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked 00:07:08.500 --> 00:07:11.560 in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then the Jews 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:13.939 surrounded him and said to him, How long do you 00:07:13.939 --> 00:07:16.720 keep us in doubt? If you are the Christ, tell 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:20.060 us plainly. Jesus answered, I told you and you 00:07:20.060 --> 00:07:22.939 do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's 00:07:22.939 --> 00:07:25.879 name. They bear witness of me, but you do not 00:07:25.879 --> 00:07:28.579 believe, because you are not of my sheep. As 00:07:28.579 --> 00:07:31.079 I said to you, my sheep hear my voice, and I 00:07:31.079 --> 00:07:33.699 know them, and they follow me. And I give them 00:07:33.699 --> 00:07:36.680 eternal life, and they shall never perish. Neither 00:07:36.680 --> 00:07:40.100 shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My Father, 00:07:40.259 --> 00:07:42.980 who has given them to me, is greater than all, 00:07:43.120 --> 00:07:45.699 and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's 00:07:45.699 --> 00:07:49.660 hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews 00:07:49.660 --> 00:07:52.589 took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered 00:07:52.589 --> 00:07:55.709 them, Many good works I have shown you from my 00:07:55.709 --> 00:07:58.649 Father. For which of those works do you stone 00:07:58.649 --> 00:08:02.009 me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good 00:08:02.009 --> 00:08:04.449 work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy. 00:08:04.610 --> 00:08:08.069 And because you, being a man, make yourself God. 00:08:08.629 --> 00:08:11.410 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your 00:08:11.410 --> 00:08:15.829 law, I said, You are God? If he called them gods, 00:08:15.990 --> 00:08:19.550 to whom the word of God came. And the scripture 00:08:19.550 --> 00:08:22.569 cannot be broken. Do you say of him whom the 00:08:22.569 --> 00:08:25.209 Father sanctified and sent into the world, you 00:08:25.209 --> 00:08:27.769 are blaspheming, because I said, I am the Son 00:08:27.769 --> 00:08:30.829 of God? If I do not do the works of my Father, 00:08:31.009 --> 00:08:33.909 do not believe me. But if I do, though you do 00:08:33.909 --> 00:08:36.429 not believe me, believe the works, that you may 00:08:36.429 --> 00:08:39.289 know and believe that the Father is in me and 00:08:39.289 --> 00:08:42.990 I in him. Therefore they sought him again to 00:08:42.990 --> 00:08:45.110 seize him, but he escaped out of their hands. 00:08:45.419 --> 00:08:48.139 And he went away again beyond the Jordan to the 00:08:48.139 --> 00:08:51.200 place where John was baptizing at first, and 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:54.500 there he stayed. Then many came to him and said, 00:08:54.700 --> 00:08:58.039 John performed no sign, but all the things that 00:08:58.039 --> 00:09:01.240 John spoke about this man were true, and many 00:09:01.240 --> 00:09:09.440 believed in him there. I hope you enjoyed today's 00:09:09.440 --> 00:09:11.639 reading as much as I did, and I look forward 00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:13.679 to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:15.820 journey. God bless you and have a great day.