Church Fathers Commentary John 9:24-34

"So they called a second time the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give glory to God: we know that this man is a sinner. He therefore answered, Whether he is a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. They said therefore unto him, What did he to thee? How opened he thine eyes? He answered them, I told you even now, and ye did not hear; wherefore would ye hear it again? would ye also become his disciples? And they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God hath spoken unto Moses: but as for this man, we know not whence he is. The man answered and said unto them, Why, herein is the marvel, that ye know not whence he is, and [yet] he opened mine eyes. We know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and do his will, him he heareth. Since the world began it was never heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. They answered and said unto him, Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out." — John 9:24-34 (ASV)

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.