Thomas Aquinas Commentary John 9:1-7

"And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind? Jesus answered, Neither did this man sin, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. When I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed his eyes with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which is by interpretation, Sent). He went away therefore, and washed, and came seeing." — John 9:1-7 (ASV)

After showing the enlightening power of His teaching by His own words, our Lord confirms this by His action when He gives sight to one physically blind.

Three things are presented in this passage:

1. The man’s infirmity.
2. His healing, beginning with the verse, when he had said these things, he spat on the ground.
3. A discussion among the Jews about this healing, beginning with, therefore the neighbors (John 9:8).

Regarding the first point, the man's infirmity, two things are covered:

• The man’s infirmity is mentioned.
• An inquiry is made about its cause, beginning with, and his disciples asked him.

Regarding the first point, it should be noted that Jesus hid Himself and left the temple. As He was passing by, He saw the blind man: and as Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. Three things are considered here.

First, He passed by to avoid the anger of the Jews: do not kindle the coals of a sinner, lest you be burned in his flaming fire . Second, He sought to soften their hardness of heart by performing a miracle: if I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin (John 15:24). Third, He went on His way to confirm His words by performing a sign, for our Lord’s works produce faith in what He says: he confirmed the message by the signs that attended it (Mark 16:20).

In the mystical sense, according to Augustine, this blind man represents the human race. Sin is a spiritual blindness: their wickedness blinded them . The human race is blind from birth because it contracted sin from its origin. This blindness occurred through the sin of the first man, from whom we all draw our origin. We read, we were by nature—that is, by natural origin—children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3).

Then, beginning with the phrase, and his disciples asked him, the cause of this man’s infirmity is discussed. This happens in two parts:

• First, the disciples ask about its cause.
• Second, Christ explains it, starting with, neither this man nor his parents sinned.

Regarding the first part, three things are to be considered. First is the reason the disciples questioned Christ. According to Chrysostom, this was because Jesus, after leaving the temple, saw this blind man and looked at him intently, as if seeing in him an opportunity to manifest His power. The disciples, seeing Him look so intently at the blind man, were then prompted to question Him.

Second, we see the seriousness of the disciples, for they say, Rabbi, calling him "teacher," to indicate that they are questioning him in order to learn.

Third, we see why they asked, who sinned? when they inquired into the reason for the man’s blindness.

According to Chrysostom, it must be said that because the Lord had said to the paralytic He healed, See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you (John 5:14), the disciples thought this man's infirmity was also due to sin. They also thought that every human illness arose from sin, as Eliphaz said: Think now, who that was innocent ever perished? (Job 4:7). Therefore, they asked whether he had been born blind because of his own sin or that of his parents.

It does not seem possible that it was because of his own sin, since no one sins before being born. Souls do not exist before their bodies, nor do they sin before birth, as some mistakenly think. As the Apostle writes, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad... not because of works but because of his call, she was told, “The older will serve the younger” (Romans 9:11–12). Nor does it seem that he suffered because of his parents' sin, for we read: The fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall the children be put to death for their fathers (Deuteronomy 24:16).

Note that people are punished with two kinds of punishment. One is spiritual and concerns the soul; the other is bodily and concerns the body. A child is never punished for his father's sake with a spiritual punishment, because a child's soul is not from his father but from God: All souls are mine, that is, by creation; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the child is mine: the soul that sins will be punished (Ezekiel 18:4). Augustine also says this in one of his letters. However, a child can be punished for his father's sake with a bodily punishment, since he is from his father as far as his body is concerned. This is shown explicitly when Sodom was destroyed, for the children of its inhabitants were killed because of their parents' sins (Genesis 19). Likewise, the Lord very often threatened to destroy the children of the Jews because of their parents' sins.

To understand why one person is punished for the sins of another, we must realize that punishment has two aspects: it is an affliction and it is a remedy. For example, a part of the body is sometimes cut off to save the whole body. A punishment of this kind causes an injury in that a part is removed, but it is a remedy in that it saves the body itself. Still, a doctor never removes a more important limb to save a less important one, but always the other way around.

In human affairs, the soul is superior to the body, and the body is superior to external possessions. Therefore, it never happens that someone is punished in his soul for the sake of his body; rather, he is punished in his body as a healing remedy for his soul. God, therefore, sometimes imposes physical punishments or difficulties with external things as a beneficial remedy for the soul. In such cases, these punishments are not given merely as injuries, but as healing remedies. Thus, the killing of the children of Sodom was for the good of their souls—not because they deserved it, but so that they would not be punished more severely for increasing their sins by living a life imitating their parents. In this way, some are often punished for the sins of their parents.

Then, with the words, Jesus answered, our Lord reveals the reason for the man’s infirmity. In three steps:

1. He excludes the reason the disciples assumed.
2. He states the real reason.
3. He explains it.

He excludes the reason they assumed when He says, It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, for the disciples had assumed this was the reason for his infirmity, as was stated.

But a contrary statement is found: all have sinned and are in need of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). And again, we read that sin has passed to all people from Adam.

I answer that both the blind man and his parents did contract original sin and even added other actual sins during their lives, for we read: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). But when the Lord says, neither this man nor his parents sinned, He means that the blindness did not come as a result of their sins. It is as if to say, "The man was not born blind because of their sins."

He states the real reason when He says, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. For through the works of God, we are led to a knowledge of Him: His invisible nature has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made (Romans 1:20); and, for the works that the Father has given me to accomplish... bear witness about me (John 5:36). But the knowledge of God is humanity's greatest good, since our happiness consists in this: Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent (John 17:3); and, let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows me (Jeremiah 9:24). Therefore, if an infirmity occurs so that God’s works may be manifested, and God is made known through this manifestation, it is clear that such bodily infirmities occur for a good purpose.

It might seem that the manifestation of God’s works is not a sufficient reason for such an infirmity, especially since neither the man nor his parents had sinned in a way that caused it. Therefore, some say that the words, that the works of God might be displayed, do not indicate the cause but merely the sequence of events. The sense would then be: "The man was blind, and the works of God were manifested in his cure."

But this does not seem reasonable. It is better to say that the reason is indeed being given. For evil is twofold: the evil of fault (sin) and the evil of punishment. God does not cause the evil of fault, but He permits it. Yet He would not permit it unless He intended to bring some good from it. As Augustine says in his Enchiridion, "God is so good that He would never permit any evil to occur, unless He were so powerful as to draw some good from every evil." Therefore, He allows certain sins to be committed because He intends some good; in this way, He allows the rage of tyrants so that martyrs may be crowned.

Much more, therefore, should it be said that the evil of punishment—which He does cause, as it is said, Does disaster come to a city, unless the LORD has done it? (Amos 3:6)—is never applied except for the good He intends. Among these goods, the best is that the works of God be manifested, and that from them God may be known. Therefore, it is not unfitting for Him to send afflictions or allow sins to be committed so that some good may come from them.

It should be noted, as Gregory says in his Morals on the Book of Job, that God sends afflictions to people in five ways.

1. Sometimes they are the beginning of damnation: Strike them with a double punishment (Jeremiah 17:18). A sinner is struck with this kind of punishment in this life so that, without interruption, he might be punished endlessly in the next life. For example, Herod, who killed James, was punished in this life and also in hell (Acts 12:23).
2. Sometimes afflictions are sent as a correction, as we read: your discipline will teach me (Psalms 17:36).
3. Sometimes a person is afflicted not to correct past wrongs, but to preserve him from future ones, as we read of Paul: And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated (2 Corinthians 12:7).
4. Sometimes it is done to encourage virtue. This is when a person’s past sins are not being corrected, nor are future ones being prevented, but he is led to a stronger love by knowing the power of the one who unexpectedly delivered him from some difficulty: virtue is made perfect in infirmity (2 Corinthians 12:9); and, patience has its perfect work (James 1:4).
5. Finally, sometimes afflictions are sent to manifest the divine glory, as we read here: that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

Next, Christ explains the true reason, beginning with, I must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day. Because He had mentioned God’s works, He proceeds in three steps:

1. He states the opportunity for manifesting God’s works.
2. He gives the reason for this opportunity: the night is coming, when no one can work.
3. He explains this with the phrase, as long as I am in the world.

He says, therefore, that this man was born blind that the works of God might be displayed in him. And it was necessary that they be displayed, for I must do the works of him who sent me. This can refer to Christ as a man, and in this sense, I must do the works of him who sent me means the works entrusted to me by my Father, as mentioned above: for the works that the Father has given to me (John 5:36). And later He says: Father, I have finished the work that you gave me to do (John 17:4).

Alternatively, these words can refer to Christ as God, and then they indicate the equality of His power with the Father's. The meaning is then, I must do the works of him who sent me, that is, the works which I have from the Father. For everything the Son does, even according to His divine nature, He has from His Father: The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he sees the Father doing (John 5:19).

I must do the works of him who sent me while it is day. Our natural day is produced by the sun's presence to the earth. But the Sun of Justice is Christ, our God: But for you who fear my name the sun of righteousness will rise (Malachi 4:2). Therefore, as long as this Sun is present to us, the works of God can be done in us, for us, and by us. At one time, this Sun was physically present to us, and then it was day: This is the day which the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalms 118:24). Therefore, it was fitting to do the works of God. He is also present to us by grace, and then it is the day of grace, when it is fitting to do the works of God, while it is day. As the Apostle says, The night is far gone, the day is at hand. Let us then cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light (Romans 13:12); and, those who sleep, sleep at night. You, however, are not in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:7).

If the sun's presence produces day and its absence produces night, then since the sun is always present to itself, it is always day for the sun. For the sun, it is always the time for acting and illuminating. But for us, to whom the sun is sometimes present and at other times absent, it is not always acting and illuminating. In the same way, for Christ, the Sun of Justice, it is always day and always the time for acting. This is not so with respect to us, however, because we are not always able to receive His grace due to some obstacle on our part.

He explains why this is our opportunity when He says, the night is coming, when no one can work. Just as there are two kinds of day, so there are two kinds of night. One kind of night is caused by the physical departure of the Sun of Justice. This is what the Apostles experienced when they were demoralized at the time of the Passion, when Christ was physically taken from them: You will all fall away because of me this night (Matthew 26:31). Then it was not a time for acting, but for suffering.

However, it is better to say that even when Christ was physically absent after His ascension, it was still day for the Apostles, because the Sun of Justice shone on them, and it was a time for working. Therefore, "night" in this passage refers to the night that comes from a spiritual separation from the Sun of Justice—that is, a separation from grace. This night is of two kinds. One is the loss of actual grace through mortal sin: those who sleep, sleep at night (1 Thessalonians 5:7). When this night comes, no one can perform works that merit eternal life.

The other night is total, when one is deprived not only of actual grace by mortal sin, but even of the ability to obtain grace because of eternal damnation in hell. Here there is a vast night for those to whom it will be said, depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire (Matthew 25:41). During this night, no one can work, because it is not the time for meriting, but for receiving what one has merited. Therefore, while you are living, do now what you will wish to have done then: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going (Ecclesiastes 9:10).

He gives the reason for what He has just said, stating, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. This is like saying, "If you want to know what this day and night are of which I speak, I say that I am the light of the world (John 8:12), for my presence makes day, and my absence makes night."

As long as I am in the world by my bodily presence—I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father (John 16:28)—I am the light of the world. In this sense, this day lasted until the ascension of Christ. Alternatively, as long as I am in the world spiritually by grace—I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)—I am the light of the world. In this sense, this day will last until the end of the world.

Next, when the Evangelist says, When he had said these things, he spat on the ground, he describes the healing of the blind man. Here, Christ did five things:

1. He moistened the earth: he spat on the ground.
2. He made clay: he made clay of the spittle.
3. He smeared the man’s eyes: and he spread the clay on his eyes.
4. He commanded the man to wash: Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.
5. The man’s sight was restored: and he came back seeing.

Each of these actions has both a literal and a mystical explanation.

The literal meaning is explained by Chrysostom in this way. Christ restored the man’s sight with spittle to show that He accomplished this by a power coming from Himself, and that the miracle should not be attributed to anything else: power came out from him (Luke 6:19). Although our Lord could have performed all His miracles by His word alone, because he commanded and they were created (Psalms 148:5), He frequently used His body in them to show that it held a definite healing power as an instrument of His divinity.

He made clay from His spittle to show that He who had formed the first man from clay could also reform the deficient members of a man. Thus, just as He formed the first man from clay, so He made clay to re-form the eyes of the one born blind.

He rubbed the clay on the eyes of the one born blind to show, by healing the most important part of the body, that He was the creator of bodies. For man is more excellent than all other bodily substances; among his members, the head is the most excellent; and among the organs of the head, the eye is more excellent than the others: The eye is the lamp of the body (Matthew 6:22). Therefore, by repairing the eye, which is more excellent than other bodily members, He showed that He was the creator of the entire man and of all physical nature.

He said, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, so that it would not seem that the clay He rubbed on the eyes had the power to heal them. Thus, as long as the man had the clay on his eyes, he did not see; he saw only after he washed.

He sent him some distance to wash at the pool of Siloam for two reasons. First, to overcome the obstinacy of the Jews. For the man had to cross the city, and so all would see him going with clay on his eyes and then returning with his sight restored. Second, He did this to highlight the obedience and faith of the blind man. Perhaps the man had frequently had clay put on his face and had often washed in the pool of Siloam, yet had not seen. He could have said, "Clay usually makes it worse, and I have often washed in the pool but was never helped," as we read of Naaman (2 Kings 5:10). Yet he did not argue, but simply obeyed. Thus it follows, So he went and washed. The reason He sent him to the pool of Siloam was because the Jewish people were signified by that water: because this people have refused the waters of Shiloah that flow gently (Isaiah 8:6). Therefore, He sent him to Siloam to show that He still loved the Jewish people.

The effect follows, because he came back seeing. This was predicted: Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened (Isaiah 35:5).

Augustine gives the mystical and allegorical explanation. He says that the spittle, which is saliva descending from the head, signifies the Word of God, who proceeds from the Father, the head of all things: I came forth from the mouth of the Most High . Therefore, the Lord made clay from spittle and earth when the Word was made flesh.

He spread the clay on his eyes—that is, on the eyes of the human race. These are the eyes of the heart, anointed by faith in the incarnation of Christ. But the blind man did not yet see, because this anointing makes one a catechumen, who has faith but has not yet been baptized. So He sends him to the pool of Siloam to wash and receive his sight—that is, to be baptized and in baptism to receive full enlightenment. Thus, according to Dionysius, baptism is an enlightenment: I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses (Ezekiel 36:25). This Gospel is therefore appropriately read during Lent, on Holy Saturday, when those about to be baptized are examined.

Nor is it without reason that the Evangelist adds the meaning of the pool, saying, which means Sent. This is because whoever is baptized must be baptized in Christ, who was sent by the Father: For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27). For if Christ had not been sent, none of us would have been freed from sin.

According to Gregory, however, the spittle signifies the taste of intimate contemplation, which flows from the head into the mouth, because through love for our Creator we have been touched even in this life with the taste of revelation. Thus, the Lord mixed spittle with earth and restored sight to the man born blind, since supernatural grace illuminates our carnal understanding by the admixture of His contemplation and heals our understanding from its original blindness.