John Calvin Commentary John 9:13

"They bring to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind." — John 9:13 (ASV)

They bring to the Pharisees. The following narrative shows that wicked men are so far from profiting by the works of God that the more they are confronted by God’s power, the more they are compelled to pour out the venom that dwells within their hearts. The restoration of sight to the blind man should undoubtedly have softened even hearts of stone; or, at least, the Pharisees should have been struck by the novelty and greatness of the miracle, so as to remain in doubt for a short time, until they inquired if it was a divine work. But their hatred of Christ drives them to such stupidity that they instantly condemn what they are told he has done.

The Evangelist mentions the Pharisees; not that other sects were favorable to Christ, but because this sect was more zealous than the others in maintaining the existing state of affairs. Hypocrisy is always proud and cruel. Being swollen with a false opinion of their holiness, they were primarily wounded by the doctrine of the Gospel, which condemned all their counterfeit acts of righteousness; and above all, they fought for their power and kingdom, under the pretense of striving to maintain the Law.

When the Evangelist says that the multitude brought the blind man to the Pharisees, it is difficult to determine with what attitude or intention they did so. Hardly anyone among them could then have been ignorant of the deep-seated hostility of the Pharisees to Christ. Therefore, it is possible that many flatterers, to obtain their favor, purposely tried to conceal the glory of the miracle. Yet I think it is probable that most of the people, suspending their judgment, as often happens, decided to refer the matter to the judgment and decision of those who were in authority.

But willfully shutting their eyes while the sun is shining, they bring darkness on themselves to obscure its light. It is a foolish superstition of the common people that under the pretense of honoring God, they adore the wicked tyrants of the Church and despise God himself, both in his word and in his works, or, at least, do not see fit to look at him.