Siloam

MARY ROBERTSON BECKETT

"Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.)"—John 9:7

They say he is a sinner! Yet I see!
I, who was blind, behold my fellow-men!
Hear how it came to me, this wondrous thing:

To-day, as every day, I sat and begged,
And many kindly passers gave me alms.
And then I heard one say, "Master, who did sin,
This man, or his parents, that he was born blind?"
Another voice I heard reply;
But what it said was strange to me.
It spoke of God's work seen,
Of having work to do for One who sent.
But who was He who "sent"?
And then a soft hand touched mine eyes with clay—
Just common clay—and a voice gently said: Go straightway, wash thou in Siloam's pool.
And so I went;
And going, wondered much what he might mean.
How could God's work be manifest in me?
What work had he to do for Him who "sent"?
Then I remembered Naaman,
Who once was sent to bathe in Jordan's stream;
Could meek obedience bring some good to me?
What good, I guessed not. How could I, born blind,
Know what was meant by sight?
I went, and washed; and lo, mine eyes were opened,
And then I saw the glory of the sun!
The trees, the flowers, the joyous soaring birds,
How wonderful they were!
Then I was called and questioned by the Jews.
They heard; and roughly told me: Give God praise;
This fellow is a sinner, as we know.
To that I boldly answered: So ye say;
I know not who he is. One thing I know,
That whereas I was blind, so now I see.
No sinner's work is this. I give God praise.
Were this man not of Him, he could do naught!
Then from the synagogue they cast me out;
Our blinded teachers cast me out in wrath.

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