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(12) They said to him, "Where is He? He *said, "I do not know."" (13) They *brought to the Pharisees the man who was formerly blind. (14) Now it was a Sabbath on the day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. (15) Then the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received his sight. And he said to them, "He applied clay to my eyes, and I washed, and I see." (16) Therefore some of the Pharisees were saying, "This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath. But others were saying, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And there was a division among them." (17) So they *said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him, since He opened your eyes? And he said, "He is a prophet."" (18) The Jews then did not believe {it} of him, that he had been blind and had received sight, until they called the parents of the very one who had received his sight, (19) and questioned them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? Then how does he now see?" (20) His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; (21) but how he now sees, we do not know; or who opened his eyes, we do not know. 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 if anyone confessed Him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. (23) For this reason his parents said, "He is of age; ask him." (24) So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner." (25) He then answered, "Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." (26) So they said to him, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" (27) He answered them, "I told you already and you did not listen; why do you want to hear {it} again? You do not want to become His disciples too, do you?" (28) They reviled him and said, "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 is from." (30) The man answered and said to them, "Well, here is an amazing thing, that you do not know where He is from, and {yet} He opened my eyes. (31) "We know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and does His will, He hears him.
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Knowledge plays a part in the man's healing; this theme is suggested by the fact that each of the parties claim both to know and not to know something. Since the claims and the reasons for them differ, the contrasts highlight their various types of knowledge. By their questioning, the Pharisees try to discredit the man's testimony, attempting to find a cause to brand the healing a fraud and to attack Jesus (verse 19). They imply that the parents should stop lying and come clean (verses 20-21). Yet, the parents affirm two facts: that the healed man was indeed their son and that he was born blind. They knew this, and they were not afraid to affirm it.
Conversely, they denied knowing how he came to see and who did the miracle. Why do they not acknowledge what they know of Christ's role in the healing? “They feared the Jews.” They know that the leaders would excommunicate anyone who confessed Jesus as the Messiah. The parents simply did not want to get involved. They were afraid to acknowledge what had been revealed to them.
This is an accurate picture of many today. The truths of Christianity have been proclaimed to them—perhaps by parents, friends, or the church. Intellectually, they know and even believe these truths, but they will not admit them. They are afraid to acknowledge Christ for fear of the consequences.
— Martin G. Collins