The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. They asked them, 

"Is this your son? 

Was he born blind? 

If so, how can he now see?"

His parents replied, 

"We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don't know how he can see or who healed him. 

Ask him. 

He is old enough to speak for himself."

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.

That's why they said, 

"He is old enough. Ask him."

John 9:18-23 NLT

Can you see how much power the Jewish leaders had, how important being part of the synagogue was, that their social and probably their financial standing was tied up together here, so much so that they were prepared to leave their son on his own.

This culture, this society, was supposedly built on two principles:

Love God

Love your neighbour 

How far they've drifted from that in reality.

I was reminded at church last night that our national anthem includes the words;

"In the bonds of love we meet"

How far we've drifted.

Power is a tricky thing because sometimes we can't see when we have it or how we misuse it, or how it affects the marginalised.

Read this passage through the lens of power, who has it, who doesn't, and where Jesus is found...

#inthebondsoflovewemeet