John 9: 20-21 ” ‘We know he is our son,’ the parents answered, ‘and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.’ “

The blind man’s parents feared being put out of the synagogue or excommunicated. Now the Pharisees regularly using this form of tactical intimidation to silence the people into compliance. So even if they had witnessed this miracle for themselves, they weren’t going to admit to it…too afraid that the Pharisees would pronounce one of the 3 degrees of banishment over them. The 1st degree was a rebuke declared over the offender for up to 30 days. While it didn’t necessarily mean exclusion from attending & participating in Synagogue worship… it did exclude them from all fellowship with the Congregation. A 2nd degree of banishment would stack on 30 more days onto the expulsion. Finally, the 3rd degree, and most severe form of excommunication, was a life-time ban from the Temple, loss of all civil & religious rights as a Jew, and the person would be considered dead by the congregation.

Author: kezha1

A Christian mother, grandmother, and retired nurse living in Illinois. Called into a ministry of encouraging others to find their ultimate plan and purpose in life through Christ. View all posts by kezha1