The Man Born Blind. Written and performed by Tom Atwood.
© 2005 Tom Atwood. All rights reserved
I'm so excited about tonight's Journey meeting that I wrote a song for the occasion. Well, that's not exactly true. I wrote a song about today's scripture reading, the story of the man born blind as told in the Gospel of John. The song, originally titled "Jesus Spits," was inspired by a sermon Mother Bennett gave in 2005, describing how Jesus spat in the dust to make the mud he applied to the blind man's eyes. The man was healed, but since it was the Sabbath, some of the Pharisees were outraged. They were blind themselves to the light of God.Click play above to hear me croak out this lively gospel number, which has since been renamed, "The Man Born Blind." ( To hear more music by Tom Atwood, click here. ) Lyrics and scripture below:
The Man Born Blind
Lyrics by Tom Atwood
Jesus spits, spits in the dust,
Spits on a Saturday. Jesus!
Jesus spits, spits in the dust
Spits on a Saturday. Jesus!
I once was lost
But now I'm found
Was blind but now I see
He takes his hands
Mixes up the mud
Puts it on the blind man's eyes
He takes his hands
Mixes up the mud
Puts it on the blind man's eyes.
(Chorus)
Just as long as I'm in this world
I'm the light of the world.
Just as long as I'm in this world
I am the light of the world.
Jesus told the blind man
'Wash your eyes'
Wash them in light of God.
Jesus told the blind man
'Wash your eyes'
Wash them in the light of God.
I once was lost
But now I'm found
Was blind but now I see.
The blind man sees,
He sees the light
He was fixed by the love of God.
The blind man sees,
He sees the light,
He was fixed by the love of God
He was fixed by the love of God, etc
(Chorus)
The Pharisees came
Shook their heads
No healing on the Sabbath day!
The Pharisees came
Shook their heads
No healing on the Sabbath day!
'Was this man blind?
Who healed this man?
Who did this job?
Healing on the Sabbath day!'
No healing on the Sabbath
Healing on the Sabbath
Healing on the Sabbath day!
(Chorus)
Wash your eyes!
See the light!
Wash your eyes!
See the light!
We've been fixed by the love of God
We've been fixed by the love of God
We've been fixed by the love of God...
Journey Scripture
John 9:1-41
(The Story of the Man Born Blind)
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ 3 Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We* must work the works of him who sent me* while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbours and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, ‘Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?’ 9 Some were saying, ‘It is he.’ Others were saying, ‘No, but it is someone like him.’ He kept saying, ‘I am the man.’ 10 But they kept asking him, ‘Then how were your eyes opened?’ 11 He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, “Go to Siloam and wash.” Then I went and washed and received my sight.’ 12 They said to him, ‘Where is he?’ He said, ‘I do not know.’
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, ‘He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.’ 16 Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.’ But others said, ‘How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?’ And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, ‘What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ He said, ‘He is a prophet.’
18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ 20 His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus* to be the Messiah* would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, ‘Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.’ 25 He answered, ‘I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.’ 26 They said to him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ 27 He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ 28 Then they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ 30 The man answered, ‘Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ 34 They answered him, ‘You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?’ And they drove him out.
35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, ‘Do you believe in the Son of Man?’* 36 He answered, ‘And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.’ 37 Jesus said to him, ‘You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.’ 38 He said, ‘Lord, I believe.’ And he worshipped him. 39 Jesus said, ‘I came into this world for judgement so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.’ 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, ‘Surely we are not blind, are we?’ 41 Jesus said to them, ‘If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, “We see”, your sin remains.'
