Church Fathers Commentary John 9

St. John Chrysostom: Because the Jews had rejected Christ’s words due to their depth, He went out of the temple and healed the blind man. He did this so that His absence might appease their fury, and the miracle might soften their hard hearts and convince them of their unbelief.

As Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from his birth. It should be noted here that, upon leaving the temple, He turned His attention intently to this display of His power. He saw the blind man first; the blind man did not see Him. And He fixed His eyes on him so intently that His disciples were struck and asked, Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

The Venerable Bede: Mystically, our Lord, after being banished from the minds of the Jews, passed over to the Gentiles. The passage or journey here is His descent from heaven to earth, where He saw the blind man—that is, looked with compassion on the human race.

St. Augustine of Hippo: For the blind man here represents the human race. Blindness came upon the first man because of sin, and from him we all derive it; that is, humanity is blind from its birth.

“Rabbi” means “Master.” They call Him Master because they wanted to learn; they put their question to our Lord as one would to a Master.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This question does not seem to be a proper one, for the Apostles had not been taught the fanciful notion of the Gentiles that the soul sins in a previous state of existence. It is difficult to account for why they asked it.

St. John Chrysostom: They were led to ask this question because our Lord had said previously, when healing the man who was paralyzed, See, you are made well; sin no more. Thinking from this that the man had been struck with paralysis for his sins, they asked our Lord about the blind man here, whether he had sinned or his parents. Neither of these could be the reason for his blindness: it could not be his own sin, because he had been blind from birth, nor his parents’ sin, because the son does not suffer for the father.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Was he then born without original sin, or had he never added to it by his own sin? Both this man and his parents had sinned, but that sin was not the reason he was born blind. Our Lord gives the reason, namely, that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

St. John Chrysostom: This should not be understood to mean that others had become blind as a result of their parents’ sins, for one person cannot be punished for the sin of another. But did the man therefore suffer unjustly? On the contrary, I would say that his blindness was a benefit to him, for through it he was brought to see with the inward eye. In any case, He who brought him into being from nothing had the power to ensure he was ultimately no loser by it.

Some also say that the word “that” here expresses not the cause but the result, as in the passage from Romans, The law entered that sin might abound. The effect in this case is that our Lord, by opening the closed eye and healing other natural infirmities, demonstrated His own power.

St. Gregory the Great: One affliction falls on the sinner for punishment only, not for conversion; another falls for correction; another not for correcting past sins, but for preventing future ones; and yet another falls neither for correcting the past nor preventing the future, but so that the unexpected deliverance following the affliction might inspire a more ardent love for the Savior’s goodness.

St. John Chrysostom: When He said, That the glory of God should be made manifest, He spoke of Himself, not of the Father, for the Father’s glory was already manifest. I must work the works of Him that sent Me; that is, I must reveal Myself and show that I do the same things my Father does.

The Venerable Bede: For when the Son declared that He worked the works of the Father, He proved that His works and His Father’s works were the same: to heal the sick, to strengthen the weak, and to enlighten humanity.

St. Augustine of Hippo: By saying, Who sent Me, He gives all the glory to Him from whom He comes. The Father has a Son who is from Him, but has no one from whom He Himself comes.

St. John Chrysostom: He adds, While it is day; that is, while people have the opportunity to believe in Me, while this life lasts. The night comes, when no one can work. “Night” here refers to the one spoken of in Matthew: Cast him into outer darkness. Then there will be a night in which no one can work, but can only receive the consequences for what they have done. While you live, do what you must do, for beyond this life there is neither faith, nor labor, nor repentance.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But if we work now, then now is the daytime, for now Christ is present. As He says, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. This, then, is the day. The natural day is completed by the circuit of the sun and contains only a few hours, but the day of Christ’s presence will last to the end of the world, for He Himself has said, See, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

St. John Chrysostom: He then confirms His words with deeds: When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. He who had brought greater things into being from nothing could much more easily have given sight without using any material. But He wished to show that He was the Creator, who in the beginning used clay to form man. He makes the clay with spittle, not water, to make it evident that it was not the pool of Siloam, where He was about to send him, but the power proceeding from His mouth that restored the man’s sight.

Then, so that the cure might not seem to be the effect of the clay, He ordered the man to wash, saying to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam. The Evangelist gives the meaning of Siloam—which is by interpretation, Sent—to show that it was Christ’s power that cured him even there. Just as the Apostle says of the rock in the wilderness, that that Rock was Christ, so Siloam had a spiritual character; the sudden rise of its water was a silent symbol of Christ’s unexpected manifestation in the flesh.

But why did He not tell him to wash immediately, instead of sending him to Siloam? It was so that the obstinacy of the Jews might be overcome when they saw him going there with the clay on his eyes. Furthermore, it proved that He was not opposed to the Law and the Old Testament. And there was no danger of the credit for the healing being given to Siloam, as many had washed their eyes there and received no such benefit.

This also shows the faith of the blind man, who made no objection. He never argued with himself that clay is more likely to obscure sight than to restore it, or that he had often washed in Siloam without any benefit, or that if our Lord had the power, He could have cured him with a word. Instead, he simply obeyed: he went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

Thus our Lord manifested His glory, and it was no small glory to be proven the Creator of the world, as He was by this miracle. For on the principle that the greater contains the less, this act of creation implies all others. Man is the most honorable of all creatures, and the eye is the most honorable part of the human body, directing its movements and giving it sight. The eye is to the body what the sun is to the universe, and therefore it is placed high up, as if on a royal throne.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Some think that the clay was not laid upon the eyes, but made into new eyes.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Our Lord spat on the ground and made clay from the spittle because the Word was made flesh. The man did not see immediately when he was anointed; he was, so to speak, only made a catechumen. But he was sent to the pool called Siloam—that is, he was baptized in Christ—and then he was enlightened. The Evangelist then explains the name of this pool to us: which is by interpretation, Sent. For if Christ had not been sent, none of us would have been delivered from our sins.

St. Gregory the Great: Or, to put it another way: by His spittle, understand the savor of inward contemplation. It runs down from the head into the mouth and gives us a taste of revelation from the divine splendor, even in this life. The mixture of His spittle with clay is the mixing of supernatural grace—that is, the contemplation of Himself—with our earthly knowledge, for the soul’s enlightenment and the restoration of human understanding from its original blindness.

St. John Chrysostom: The suddenness of the miracle made people incredulous. Therefore, his neighbors and those who had previously seen that he was blind asked, “Is this not the one who used to sit and beg?”

What wonderful clemency and condescension from God! He heals even beggars with such great consideration, thus stopping the mouths of the Jews. He did this by making the poorest and most humble—not the great, illustrious, and noble—the objects of His providence, for indeed He had come for the salvation of all.

Some said, “This is he.” Since the man was clearly recognized during his long walk to the pool, especially as people’s attention was drawn to the strangeness of the event, they could no longer deny it. Others, however, said, “No, but he looks like him.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: Having his eyes opened had altered his appearance. But he said, “I am he.” He spoke with gratitude; a denial would have convicted him of ingratitude.

St. John Chrysostom: He was not ashamed of his former blindness, nor afraid of the people’s fury, nor hesitant to show himself and proclaim his Benefactor. Therefore, they asked him, “How were your eyes opened?”

Neither he nor anyone else knew how they were opened; he only knew the fact of it and could not explain the process. He answered, “A man who is called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes.” Mark his precision. He does not say how the clay was made, for he could not see that our Lord spat on the ground. He does not speak of what he does not know, but he could feel that Jesus anointed him.

The man continued, “And He said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’” This he could also declare from his own hearing, for he had heard our Lord speaking with His disciples and so recognized His voice. Finally, he shows how strictly he had obeyed, adding, “And I went and washed, and I received sight.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: Behold, he has become a proclaimer of grace, an evangelist, testifying to the Jews. That formerly blind man testified, and the ungodly were vexed in their hearts because they did not have in their own hearts what was now visible on his face. Then they asked him, “Where is He?”

St. John Chrysostom: They asked this because they were plotting His death, having already begun to conspire against Him. Christ did not appear with those whom He cured, as He had no desire for glory or display. He always withdrew after healing someone so that no suspicion could be attached to the miracle. His withdrawal proved the lack of any collusion between Him and the one who was healed, and therefore showed that the man was not proclaiming a false cure out of favoritism for Him. The man answered, “I do not know.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: Here he is like one who has been anointed but is still unable to truly see: he preaches, yet does not know the full meaning of what he preaches.

The Venerable Bede: In this way, he represents the state of the catechumen, who believes in Jesus but does not, strictly speaking, yet know Him, not having been washed. It was left to the Pharisees to confirm or deny the miracle.

St. John Chrysostom: The Jews who were asking, “Where is He?” wanted to find Him in order to bring Him to the Pharisees. But since they could not find Him, they brought the man who was formerly blind instead, so that they could examine him more closely.

The Evangelist adds that it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. This detail exposes their real design, which was to accuse Jesus of violating the law and thus discredit the miracle, as is clear from what follows: “Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.”

But notice the firmness of the man who was healed. Telling the truth to the crowd before, from whom he was in no danger, was not such a great matter. It is remarkable, however, that now, when the danger was so much greater, he disavowed nothing and did not contradict anything he had said before. He told them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”

He is briefer this time, as his questioners were already informed of the matter, not mentioning the name of Jesus or His command to “Go and wash.” He simply states the facts, giving the exact opposite of the answer they wanted. They wanted a denial, but instead they received a confirmation of the story.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Some of the Pharisees said this, but not all, for some were already anointed. But those who neither saw nor were anointed said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath day.” Rather, He kept it, in that He was without sin, for to observe the Sabbath spiritually is to be without sin. God admonishes us of this when He commands the Sabbath, saying, In it you shall do no servile work. Our Lord tells us what servile work is when He says elsewhere, Whosoever commits sin is the servant of sin. They observed the Sabbath carnally but transgressed it spiritually.

St. John Chrysostom: Passing over the miracle in silence, they give as much prominence as they can to the supposed transgression. They do not charge Him with healing on the Sabbath, but with not keeping the Sabbath. Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such miracles?”

They were impressed by His miracles, but only in a weak and unsettled way. For while the miracles might have shown them that the Sabbath was not broken, they had no idea yet that He was God, and therefore did not realize it was the Lord of the Sabbath who had performed the miracle. None of them dared to state their opinions openly but spoke ambiguously—one because he thought the event itself was improbable, another out of a desire to protect his position. It follows, “And there was a division among them.” This means the people were divided first, and then the rulers.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It was Christ who divided the day into light and darkness.

St. John Chrysostom: Those who asked, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such miracles?” wanted to silence the others. So they brought the recipient of our Lord’s goodness forward again, but without appearing to take His side themselves. They said to the man again, “What do you say about Him, since He has opened your eyes?”

Theophylact of Ohrid: Notice the good intent with which they ask the question. They do not say, “What do you say about Him, who does not keep the Sabbath?” but instead mention the miracle: “...since He has opened your eyes.” They seem to intend to draw out the healed man himself, as if to say, “He has benefited you, and you ought to proclaim Him.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or perhaps they were looking for a way to discredit the man and cast him out of their synagogue. However, he openly declares what he thinks, saying, “He is a prophet.” Not yet being anointed in his heart, he could not confess the Son of God. Nevertheless, he is not wrong in what he says, for our Lord Himself says of Himself, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country.

St. John Chrysostom: Unable to deter the blind man from publicly proclaiming his Benefactor through intimidation, the Pharisees tried to nullify the miracle through his parents. 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.

St. Augustine of Hippo: That is, he had been blind and now could see.

St. John Chrysostom: It is the nature of truth to be strengthened by the very snares laid against it. A lie is its own antagonist; by attempting to injure the truth, it only makes the truth stand out more, as happened in this case.

The argument that might otherwise have been made—that the neighbors were not certain and spoke only from a resemblance—is refuted by the introduction of the parents, who could of course testify about their own son.

Bringing the parents before the assembly, they interrogated them sharply. They asked, Is this your son? They do not say, "who was born blind," but rather, who you say was born blind? For what father would say such things about his son if they were not true? They tried two ways to make them deny the miracle: by asking, who you say was born blind, and by adding, How then does he now see?

Theophylact of Ohrid: They were implying, "Either it is not true that he now sees, or it is untrue that he was blind before. But it is evident that he now sees; therefore, it is not true that he was born blind."

St. John Chrysostom: When asked three things—whether he was their son, whether he had been blind, and how he now saw—the parents acknowledged the first two, answering, We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. But they refused to answer the third question: But by what means he now sees, we know not. The inquiry thus confirms the miracle, making it rest on the undeniable testimony of the healed man himself. As his parents said, He is of age, ask him; he can speak for himself.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It was as if they were saying, "We could justly be compelled to speak for an infant who cannot speak for himself, but he, though blind from birth, has always been able to speak."

St. John Chrysostom: What kind of gratitude is this from the parents, to conceal what they knew out of fear of the Jews? As we are next told, These words spoke his parents, because they feared the Jews. Then the Evangelist again mentions the intentions and mindset of the Jews: For the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It was no disadvantage to be put out of the synagogue; whom they cast out, Christ took in.

Alcuin of York: The Evangelist shows that they gave this answer not from ignorance, but from fear.

Theophylact of Ohrid: For they were fainthearted, unlike their son, that intrepid witness to the truth, the eyes of whose understanding had been enlightened by God.

St. John Chrysostom: After the parents referred the Pharisees to the healed man himself, they summoned him a second time. They again called the man who was blind. They do not now say openly, "Deny that Christ has healed you," but conceal their objective under a pretense of religion: Give God the praise; that is, confess that this man had nothing to do with the work.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Deny that you have received the benefit. This is not to give God the glory, but rather to blaspheme Him.

Alcuin of York: They wished him to give glory to God by calling Christ a sinner, as they did: We know that this man is a sinner.

St. John Chrysostom: Why then did you not convict Him when He said earlier, Which of you convinces Me of sin?

Alcuin of York: The man, so that he would neither expose himself to slander nor conceal the truth, does not answer that he knew Him to be righteous, but says, Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know.

St. John Chrysostom: But how does this statement, whether He is a sinner, I do not know, come from one who had said, He is a Prophet? Was the man afraid? Far from it. He simply thought that our Lord's defense lay more in the evidence of the miracle itself than in anyone else's arguments. He gives weight to his reply by mentioning the benefit he had received: One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see. It is as if to say, “I am saying nothing about whether He is a sinner; I only repeat what I know for certain.”

So, unable to overturn the fact of the miracle, they fall back on their previous arguments and inquire about the manner of the cure, just as hunting dogs pursue wherever the scent takes them. Then they said to him again, What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?—that is, was it by some charm? For they do not ask, “How did you see?” but, How did He open your eyes? to give the man an opportunity to discredit the act.

As long as the matter required examination, the man born blind answered gently and quietly; but once the victory was won, he grew bolder. He answered them, I have told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? This is as if to say, “You are not paying attention to what is said, and therefore I will no longer answer your pointless questions, which are asked for the sake of arguing, not to gain knowledge.” He then asks, Will you also be His disciples?

St. Augustine of Hippo: “Will you also?” That is, “I am already His disciple; do you wish to be one too? I can see now, but I do not envy you.” He says this out of indignation at the obstinacy of the Jews, no longer tolerating blindness now that he himself is no longer blind.

St. John Chrysostom: Just as truth is strength, so falsehood is weakness. Truth elevates and ennobles whomever it embraces, however lowly they were before, while falsehood brings even the strong to weakness and contempt.

St. Augustine of Hippo: This was a curse only in the intention of the speakers, not in the words themselves. May such a “curse” be upon us and upon our children!

It follows: But we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses. But you should have known that our Lord was prophesied by Moses, after hearing what He said: Had you believed Moses, you would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me. Do you then follow a servant and turn your back on the Lord? Even so, for it follows: As for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.

St. John Chrysostom: You think sight is less evidence than hearing, for what you claim to know is what you have heard from your fathers. But is He not more worthy of belief, who has proven that He comes from God by miracles which you have not only heard about, but have seen?

So argues the man born blind: Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from, and yet He has opened my eyes. He brings up the miracle everywhere as evidence they could not invalidate. And since they had said that a sinner could not perform such miracles, he turns their own words against them: Now we know that God does not hear sinners, as if to say, “I quite agree with you on this point.”

St. Augustine of Hippo: As yet, however, the man speaks as one who has just been healed; or perhaps God does hear sinners too. Otherwise, the publican would have cried in vain, God, be merciful to me, a sinner. By that confession he obtained justification, just as the blind man obtained his sight.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or, the statement that God does not hear sinners means that God does not enable sinners to work miracles. When sinners, however, implore pardon for their offenses, they are moved from the rank of sinners to that of penitents.

St. John Chrysostom: Observe, then, that when he said earlier, Whether He is a sinner, I do not know, he was not speaking in doubt. For here he not only acquits Him of all sin but also presents Him as one who is very pleasing to God: But if any man is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. It is not enough to know God; we must do His will.

Then he extols his testimony: Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. This is as if to say, “If you confess that God does not hear sinners, and this Man has worked a miracle—one such as no other man has ever performed—it is clear that the power by which He has done it is more than human.” He concludes, If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Freely, steadfastly, truly. For how could what our Lord did be done by anyone other than God, or even by disciples, except when their Lord was dwelling in them?

St. John Chrysostom: So then, because he spoke the truth and was not confounded in any way, they condemned him at the very moment they should have most admired him: You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?

St. Augustine of Hippo: What does “altogether” mean? That he was completely blind. Yet He who opened his eyes also saves him completely.

St. John Chrysostom: Or, “altogether” means, “from your very birth you are in sin.” They reproach him for his blindness and, most unreasonably, declare his sins to be the cause of it. As long as they expected him to deny the miracle, they were willing to believe him, but now they cast him out.

St. Augustine of Hippo: It was they themselves who had made him a teacher by asking him so many questions, and now they ungratefully cast him out for teaching them.

The Venerable Bede: It is common for great people to disdain learning anything from their inferiors.

St. John Chrysostom: Those who suffer for the sake of the truth and the confession of Christ come to the greatest honor, as we see in the case of the man born blind. For the Jews cast him out of the temple, and the Lord of the temple found him. He received him as a judge receives a wrestler after his labors and crowned him. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and when He had found him, He said to him, Do you believe in the Son of God? The Evangelist makes it clear that Jesus came in order to say this to him. He asks him, however, not out of ignorance, but wanting to reveal Himself to him and to show that He valued his faith. It is as if He said: The people have cast reproaches on Me, but I do not care for them; I care for only one thing, that you may believe. He who does the will of God is better than ten thousand of the wicked.

St. Hilary of Poitiers: If any mere confession of Christ whatsoever were the perfection of faith, it would have been said, Do you believe in Christ? But since all heretics would have had this name on their lips—confessing Christ, yet denying the Son—that which is true of Christ alone is required of our faith: namely, that we should believe in the Son of God. But what good does it do to believe in the Son of God as a creature, when we are required to have faith in Christ not as a creature of God, but as the Son of God?

St. John Chrysostom: But the man born blind did not yet know Christ. Before he went to Christ he was blind, and after his cure, he was taken hold of by the Jews. He answered and said, Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him? This is the speech of a longing and inquiring mind. He does not know who He is for whom he had contended so much, which is a proof to you of his love of truth. The Lord, however, does not say to him, "I am He who healed you," but uses a more indirect way of speaking: You have both seen Him.

Theophylact of Ohrid: This He says to remind him of his cure, which had given him the power to see. And observe: He who speaks is born of Mary, and this same person is the Son of God—not two different Persons, as in the error of Nestorius. And it is He that talks with you.

St. Augustine of Hippo: First, He washes the face of his heart. Then, with the face of his heart washed and his conscience cleansed, he acknowledges Him not only as the Son of Man (which he believed before) but as the Son of God, who had taken on flesh. And he said, Lord, I believe. To say, "I believe," is a small thing. Do you want to see what he believes about Him? And falling down, he worshipped Him.

The Venerable Bede: This is an example to us not to pray to God with an uplifted neck, but to prostrate ourselves on the earth and humbly implore His mercy.

St. John Chrysostom: He adds the deed to the word as a clear acknowledgment of His divine power. The Lord replies in a way that confirms the man's faith and at the same time stirs up the minds of His followers. And Jesus said, For judgment I have come into this world.

St. Augustine of Hippo: The day, then, was divided between light and darkness. So it is rightly added, that they which see not, may see, for He relieved men from darkness. But what about what follows: And that they which see might be made blind? Hear what comes next. Some of the Pharisees were moved by these words.

And some of the Pharisees which were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, Are we blind also? What had moved them were the words, And that they which see might be made blind. It follows, Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you should have no sin; that is, if you called yourselves blind and ran to the physician.

But now you say, We see; therefore your sin remains. For in saying, "We see," you do not seek a physician, and so you will remain in your blindness.

This, then, is what He had just said: I came, that they that see not might see—that is, those who confess they cannot see and seek a physician, in order that they may see. And, that they which see might be made blind—that is, those who think they can see and do not seek a physician, will remain in their blindness. This act of division He calls "judgment," saying, For judgment I have come into this world. This is not the judgment by which He will judge the living and the dead at the end of the world.

St. John Chrysostom: Or, He said, for judgment, meaning for greater punishment, showing that those who condemned Him were the very ones who were condemned. Regarding what He says, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind, it is the same as what St. Paul says: The Gentiles which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness.

Theophylact of Ohrid: As if to say: "Behold, he who did not see from his birth now sees in both body and soul, whereas those who seem to see have had their understanding darkened."

St. John Chrysostom: For there is a twofold vision and a twofold blindness: namely, that of the senses and that of the understanding. But they were focused only on physical things and were ashamed only of physical blindness. Therefore, He shows them that it would be better for them to be blind than to see in such a way: If you were blind, you should have no sin; your punishment would be easier. But now you say, We see.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Overlooking the miracle performed on the blind man, you deserve no pardon, since even visible miracles make no impression on you.

St. John Chrysostom: What they thought was their great praise, He shows, would turn to their punishment. At the same time, He consoles the man who had been afflicted with bodily blindness from his birth. For it is not without reason that the Evangelist says, And some of the Pharisees which were with him, heard these words, but so that he may remind us that these were the very persons who had first opposed Christ and then wished to stone Him. For there were some who followed only in appearance and were easily changed to the opposing side.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Or, if you were blind—that is, ignorant of the Scriptures—your offense would by no means be as heavy as one committed out of ignorance. But now, since you call yourselves wise and understanding in the Law, you condemn yourselves.