A MAN BORN BLIND RECEIVES SIGHT THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD In the previous chapter, we have read the Lord’s proclamation that He is the light of the world (8:12). The Lord tells the Jews that He has come to denounce and dissipate darkness. In this manner, He would pull away those walking in it and carry them unto the light of His glory. The children of Satan (8:44) are in need of the real liberator who would grant them inner enlightenment. They would consequently rejoice with their father Abraham because they would see the amazing day of the Lord (8:56). However, they sought to stone Him. Therefore he disappeared from among them; and appeared to the man born blind in order to grant him sight. This probably occurred a few days or months after that earlier confrontation with the Jews. They should have tried to open their hearts and minds to the One who grants sight. Then they would have realized that He grants insight and understanding as well. This is the only chapter in all of the Old and New Testament books where there is any mention of opening the eyes of a person born blind. In the Old Testament we read that the light of sight granted to the blind is one of the deeds of the awaited Messiah: “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness,” (Is 29:18); and “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped,” (Is 35:5). It is also said of the servant of God (the Incarnate Word): “ I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light to the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes,” (Is 42:6-7). The Psalmist also worships the Lord and says “The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind,” (Ps 146:8). By mentioning the deed of granting sight to the blind and specifically to this one who was born blind, it is as though the evangelists are proclaiming the fulfillment of these prophecies. They are being fulfilled through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, as He is the awaited Messiah. He is the Lord who opens the inner eyes of the heart as well as the physical eyes. In Him the prophecies have been fulfilled; for through Him such acts are achieved that no one else could perform, except God alone or through His name. The healing of the blind man proclaims the person of the Lord and the reason for His coming: to open the inner sight so that believers would comprehend the mysteries of God. At the same time, the blindness of the proud and hypocritical leaders would be exposed. Sadly, they could not discover their spiritual blindness and sinfulness! Although this unique miracle is greatly significant due to the creation of the eyes of the man born blind, yet the Evangelist does not mention the name of the man. Neither does he provide any details. Rather, he presents the arguments that were raised as a result of the miracle. We are informed of the dialogue between the Lord and His disciples; that between the Lord and the blind man; and that between the Lord and the Pharisees. St. John does not underline the highly miraculous act of healing because he is more preoccupied with the blessings mankind enjoy as a result of the Lord’s divine work in their lives and thoughts. 4 https://coptic-treasures.com/ The Lord used clay to create the eyes of the man. This serves as a confirmation that He is the Creator and Savior. By asking the blind man to go wash in the pool of Siloam, He indicated the need for baptism as it allows us to enjoy the Light of the Holy Spirit through the new birth. The Jews responded by throwing out the enlightened man. However, he found a place in the Lord Jesus Christ: The Messiah of the rejected and of the despised. Some of the Jewish people realized their blindness, besides many of the Gentiles. These two groups were better than the Pharisees who claimed they had sight in spite of their blindness. By such claims, they had no hope through their own stupidity. In contrast, the tax collector and the adulteress confessed their blindness. Therefore the door of hope was opened to them and they enjoyed ultimate insight and eternal life with the Lord Jesus Christ. Through confession, it is possible to gain insight; which progressively enables a person to get acquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ: * A Man called Jesus (11) * He is a prophet (17) * A Man from God (33) * The Son of God (35) * He is worthy to be bowed down to and worshipped as He is the Lord (38) This chapter is read on the ‘Sunday of Baptism’ as it is associated with the mystery of baptism which represents inner insight and enlightenment. 1- The Healing of the Blind Man. 2- Dialogues after the Miracle A- Dialogues between the neighbors and the blind man 8-12 B- Dialogue between the Pharisees and the blind man 13-17 C- Dialogue between the Pharisees and parents of blind man 18-23 D- Dialogue between the Pharisees and the blind man 24-34 E- Dialogue between the Messiah and the blind man 35-38 F- Dialogue between the Messiah and the Pharisees 39-41 1- The Healing of the Blind Man “Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.”[1] The Lord Jesus Christ passed through the crowd of Jewish leaders and disappeared as they picked up stones to throw at Him (8:59). We then see Him passing by the poor blind man who looks at the Lord. The Lord looked at him in a manner that is different from the way the other people looked at him. He looked at the man with love and compassion. This is a living picture of the Messiah whom the Jews rejected. They took pride in the temple, while the Lord went through the streets seeking the Gentiles. They were disabled to see Him for they had no knowledge of the prophecies, the Divine law, or the symbols. They were like the man born blind whose place was on the roadside and who was poor and begging in a state of misery. Accordingly, Job says 5 https://coptic-treasures.com/ “Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in soul;” (Job 3:20). The Evangelist does not provide the name of the place through which the Lord was passing by or where He was. However, He was passing by as the Bearer of sufferings and He saw this man begging. The man was sitting in a place where charitable people could give him something to help him survive. The man was known in the city as the one born blind. No one around him, not even the Lord’s disciples, asked or prayed that his eyes would be opened. May be this was because no one expected that it could happen. The Lord looked at home so that the poor blind person would find Him. Accordingly, the holy Word states in Is. 65:1: “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, ‘Behold me, behold me’, unto a nation that was not called by my name.” He first loved us, and He loved us before we knew Him. The apostle says in this context: “when ye knew not God,” (Gal. 4:9). * The Lord truly loves mankind and is concerned with our salvation. He wishes to bridle the mouth of the stupid and will not cease from working even though no one listens to Him. The prophet knew that and said, “that you might be justified when you speak, and be clear when you judge,” (Ps. 51:4). Consequently, in this chapter, we find the Lord leaving the temple and healing the blind. He does so after the Jews had rejected His words, accused Him of being possessed by a demon, and had tried to kill Him. He did the miracle to pacify their cruelty and violence and to underline the facts. He did a supernatural miracle that had no precedence. Listen to the healed person who states: “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind,” [23]. May be some physician had opened the eyes of someone who had become blind, but this never happened to one born blind. Upon leaving the temple, the Lord intentionally went to work. This clearly indicates that it is He who saw the blind man and not vice versa. The Lord looked at him jealously and the disciples understood His compassion1. St. John Chrysostom * This blind man represents the human race. Such blindness found a place in the first man through sin. We all have our origins in this first man and therefore have inherited not only death but evil as well. Now if lack of faith constitutes blindness and faith is enlightment, then who is the believer that the Lord will find at His coming? The apostle, who traces his origin to the family of prophets, states: “…were by nature the children of wrath, even as others,” (Eph. 2:3)... since evil has found roots for itself within us, then every person has been born mentally blind. For if a person could really see, he would not have needed a mentor: but since he needs someone to guide and enlighten him, then he has been blind ever since his birth.2 St. Augustine “And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” [2] 1 Homilies on St John, 56:1 2 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:1 6 https://coptic-treasures.com/ The Lord left the temple (Jn. 8:59) accompanied by the disciples who did not forsake Him during His trials. They enjoyed getting acquainted with Him and they were having tremendous new experiences. They noticed how the Lord turned His eyes to the poor blind man. He did not look at him in the usual manner for His eyes were full of love. They too, therefore turned their eyes to the blind man. Yet instead of praying the Lord to heal him, they questioned Him for the reason why he had been born blind. * We might wonder: where did this question come from? Our answer would be: when the Lord healed the paralytic man earlier, He told him “Look, you have been made well, sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14). Therefore the disciples remembered that the man had suffered paralysis due to his sins. However, this could not be applied to this blind man for he was blind since birth. So had his parents sinned? This too cannot be concluded because the child does not suffer punishment due to his parents… the disciples here wondered because of their own confusion and not because they searched for information.3 St. John Chrysostom. There is a popular rabbinical saying (quoted allegedly by the rabbis) ‘There is no death without sin and no pain without evil.’ This saying was justified by them as they based it on the words cited in Ezekiel 18:20, and Psalm 89:32 These words were imprinted in the minds of the Jews, including the Lord’s disciples who did not ask if this blindness was due to sin or not. In their opinion, this matter did not need to be questioned or debated. So the question they asked was: ‘who was the one who had sinned and therefore brought this terrible calamity on that person.’ What confused the disciples was: ‘how could the man have sinned before birth and was consequently born like that? Could this be the result of his parents’ sin?’ Some believe that the soul of a person could sin before it is embodied in the flesh. Origen the Scholar believed that some suffer pain before they act wrongfully after birth. Others have depended on human logic to explain Divine Justice and how some are born poor while others are born rich, or why one person is born with sharp intelligence and another could lack it altogether; or why one is born physically strong while another is suffering many ailments. Besides, some have depended on affirming the potential to commit error before birth based on the story of Jacob and Esau when they were still in the womb: “…the children struggled together within her…’ (Gen. 25:22). In the writings of the rabbis they deal with what befalls the sons due to the mistakes of the parents. In the context of the need for a man to avoid gazing at a woman, one rabbi states: ‘A man who gazes at the heel of a woman will have a handicapped son born to him.’ Another rabbi says that this happens to someone who approaches his wife during her impurity. Still another says that a man who has a marital relationship while his wife still has menstruation would have children who would suffer of epilepsy. There are numerous sayings similar to these and which underline the conviction of the rabbis that the sins of the parents are punished by appearance of flaws in their children and of which the children suffer throughout their lives. This clarifies that what the disciples said was not inspired by their imagination, for it was the result of teachings strongly imprinted in the minds of many Jews. These ideas were the result 3 Homilies on St John, 56:1 7 https://coptic-treasures.com/ of the rabbinical writings and teachings. Some believe that the disciples had heard about the Pythagorean ideas. These claimed that the soul pre- exists the creation of its body. The Pharisees might have adopted that line of thought too. This is evident in their words to the man born blind: “… you were completely born in sins,” [34]. Many nations believe in the transmigration of souls. Hinduism is still interested in defining the sin a person had committed when he lived in another body before birth. Origen the scholar borrowed a speech given by Jacob that is found in the unofficial Book to the Hebrews where he says: “I am the angel of God, one of the first ranks of the spirits. People call me Jacob, but my true name given me by God is Israel. Plato believes that the air is full of spirits; and that some of these bind themselves to bodies due to their naturally active inclinations. Other spirits detest such a union.” Jesus answered: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned but that the works of God should be revealed.” [3] Rather than condemn the man born blind or his parents, the Lord directed the disciple’s attention to the supreme care of God and His hidden plan. God had allowed this blindness in order to grant that person spiritual insight. Consequently, he would testify to the Divine truth before the violent Jewish leaders and would glorify God. The Lord Jesus Christ did not say that the man born blind or his parents had not sinned. All mankind had fallen into sin. What this blind man was suffering of was not related to any particular sin. What the disciples and all believers should do is to be preoccupied with God’s works and His plan for man. He wants us to enjoy inner sight, to get acquainted with the mysteries of God, and to receive fellowship in His eternal glory. God’s hand works incessantly and through hard and happy times. Under all circumstances, He seeks our salvation. Believers have not been promised a life with no trials or sufferings that afflict all other beings. Conversely, they are faced with more tribulations. However, what comforts them is their understanding that God has a plan for everything. Besides, because they enjoy Divine grace they feel they are fully content. This is what God has promised us through St. Paul’s words: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9) The believer does not complain in the midst of trials. His eyes are fixed on God his tender Father; and his heart is receptive and comprehends God’s plan for him. * The Lord Jesus Christ is the Savior and He mercifully does what He has not granted in the womb. Surely when God had not given eyes to that blind person, it was not due to some error He (the Creator) did. Rather, the plan was to postpone it until the time would come to do a miracle…… “Neither this man nor his parents sinned…” God did not grant what He could have granted. He did not grant what He knew He would grant when the time would come for that 8 https://coptic-treasures.com/ need. The blindness was not due to sin committed by the blind man or his parents; ‘but that the works of God should be revealed in him.’ For when we were born, we were all bound with the original sin. Yet in spite of that we were not born blind. Nevertheless, search carefully for we have been born blind. So who has not been born blind? I mean blind in the heart. Yet the Lord Jesus Christ, who has created both heart and body, heals both of them.4 St. Augustine The Lord’s words about the blind man: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned”, do not clear his parents of sin. He did not just say, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned”, for He added “but that the works of God should be revealed in him.” Indeed this man and his parents had sinned; however the blindness was not a result of that. It is not valid to punish a person for a sin committed by someone else. This fallacy has been rejected by Ezekiel the prophet who says: “The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, “What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die,” Ezek 18:1-4. In this context, Moses the prophet also says: “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin,” (Deut 24:16). If someone says: How did God tell Moses the prophet “for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” (Ex 20:5)? Our response would be:” Because this cause cannot be generalized; for it was said of people who had come out of Egypt. This was what it meant: When the Jews left Egypt; they became more experienced through many miracles and wonders. In spite of that, they became more evil than their parents and grand parents who had not seen such miracles. Therefore they were to suffer the same calamites that their predecessors had suffered if they followed the same course of action. * The Lord says these words not as someone who wants to indicate that they have not sinned since both that person and his parents have sinned. However, his blindness is not the reason of that…. But it is intended for the proclamation of the Glory of God through him. Someone may say: ‘Why should that person suffer for the glory of God? How unjust, explain to me? Then what if God had never created that man?’ Our response is: ‘The man has benefited from his blindness for he received the healing of his inner vision.’ What benefit do the Jews enjoy as they have eyes yet their condemnation has become greater. They saw yet were incapacitated. What is the harm that befell that man as a consequence of his disability… indeed, because of it, his eyes were opened? Therefore the evils of this present life are not evil, neither are the blessings beneficial. Only sin is evil, whereas disability is not evil. 5 St. John Chrysostom. 4 Sermon on N.T.Lessons, 86:1 5 Hom. 56.PG 59:327 9 https://coptic-treasures.com/ St. Jerome wrote to Castrutrus of Pannomia to comfort him due to his physical blindness and said: * I write to ask you not to consider the physical calamity that has happened to you as the result of a sin…do we not see many idolaters, Jews, heretics and those who adopt different thoughts just wading in the mud of lust. They swim in a sea of blood and violence and are worse than savage wolves and stealthy hawks. In spite of that, they have not been inflicted with this epidemic. They are not inflicted like others and they grow in their arrogance towards God, raising their faces up to heaven. Conversely, we see the saints afflicted with sickness, pain, and need …If you imagine that your blindness is due to sin; and that your sickness which doctors are often capable of healing are proof of God’s anger, then you seem to consider that Isaac is a sinner. You think that is why he was afflicted with blindness, was deceived, and gave the blessing to the one whom he had no intention to give. We accuse Jacob of sin when his eyesight weakened so much he could neither see Manasseh nor Ephraim (Gen. 48:1).Yet, with his inner vision and prophetic spirit he could foresee the distant future, and that the Lord Jesus Christ would come from a royal line (Gen. 49:1) 6 St. Jerome It is not appropriate for believers, having comprehended the supreme mysteries of God, to condemn anyone or to consider that matters that befall others are divine punishments inflicted for some hidden sin. If we do so we belittle others even though their sins are apparent. The Jews fell into this error as they considered the righteous One who is without sin, as deserving to suffer and be crucified for some evil or blasphemy he had committed. The Psalmist says: “For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded” (Ps. 69:26). Isaiah the prophet also says: “……….we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement for our peace was upon him and by His stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:4-5) “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” [4] These were critical moments when the Lord turned His eyes to the man born blind. They were moments dedicated not only to heal the man born blind but also to reveal the person of the Lord Jesus Christ: He is the light of the world and the giver of inner vision. In spite of that, no one could discover what lay behind this blindness. Until these moments, even the disciples could not read or understand the book of Divine care. However, the time came later on when it became possible to comprehend this Divine mystery and the supreme Divine work. The Lord did not perform works in order to underline his power to do miracles. Rather He did so to perform the works of His Father who sent Him. However, He does not say I do the work that My Father has commanded Me to do but He just performed the same deeds of His Father. We notice here the following: First: The Lord came into the world on a mission. He came in the form of the Son of man to 6 Letter 68:1 10 https://coptic-treasures.com/ fulfill His Father’s will and in complete obedience to Him. The Father’s will is identical to the Son’s will. That is why any person who is obedient shares the feature of obedience with our Lord Jesus Christ. Second: The Lord performs the same works as the Father. This is what He affirms in the Gospel of St. John: the unity of Divine work. This will become evident in the rest of this Gospel. Third: In a spirit of love for humanity and in obedience and union with the Father, the Lord finds pleasure in accomplishing His work. Committed by love, the Lord says:” I must work….” Fourth: The Lord works while it is day; and before the Jews move to kill Him as they are driven by envy and hatred. The period of His service is an opportunity to work openly even if that is done on the Sabbath. This is an invitation for us to move and work and to seize every hour of our lives; lest our work remains unfinished when the day of our lives comes to an end. The Lord has granted us the day so that we may labor (Ps. 104:22-23). Therefore it is appropriate that we do not spoil and idle away the days of our lives. Indeed, we should struggle in obedience to God our Father so that when the night comes we could rest. Fifth: The Lord invites us to work through Him and with Him. The apostle says accordingly:” For we are fellow workers…” (1 Cor. 3:9). For in working with Him, we find peace, honor, and glory. We share with Him in service as long as we are alive and before the night sets in. * What do these words convey? What are the ultimate conclusions based on these? So many. What the Lord says implies this: ‘As long as there is light, the nation could believe in Me; and as long as this life goes on, I need to work.’ The night is coming: that is, ‘it is bound to come in the future when no one would be able to work.’ The Lord did not say: ‘I cannot work’ but rather ‘When no one can work.’ This indicates that there will not be any more time for faith, or service, or repentance7. * Why had St. Paul called this life ‘the night’ (Rom. 13:12)? But here the Lord calls it ‘the day’? St. Paul is not contradicting the Lord for he is saying the same thing. Even though the words are different, yet the meaning is the same. He says: “the night is far spent. The day is at hand.” St. Paul calls the present time ‘the night’ since he compares it to the forthcoming day. The Lord called the future ‘the night’ as no time will be left to perform acts of repentance, faith or obedience in the next world if we neglect any sin done in this world. As for St. Paul, he called this present life ‘the night’ because anyone who persists in evil and disbelief exists in darkness. Therefore he directs his speech to believers saying: ‘The night is far spent, the day is at hand.’ Believers need to enjoy that light, and St. Paul calls the old life as darkness: ‘Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armor of light’8. St. John Chrysostom In this manner, the Lord directs His words to unbelievers. Their lives here are considered to be ‘day’ if they are compared with their lives in the world to come. Now, they could enjoy the light of the sun of righteousness in the inner hearts, through living faith and true repentance. As for the world to come, they will be enveloped in darkness where there is no way they could return to the Lord and offer repentance. In contrast, St. Paul directs his words to believers. He considers their previous lives as ‘darkness’ since they performed acts of darkness. Now, the time had come to travel into the future world where they would enjoy the eternal light of the Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Hom 56. PG.59.328 8 Hom on St John, 56:2 11 https://coptic-treasures.com/ Coming into His presence, our present life appears as the darkest night... * Dear brothers, if we always bear in mind the condemnation we have inherited, then we will know that the whole world is blind. Now the Lord Jesus Christ, who grants enlightenment, has come. Satan causes blindness and he has caused all mankind to be born blind, as he is the one who deceived the first man. Let all run to Him who grants light. Let all run and believe and receive the clay made of spit…..let all wash their faces in the pool of Siloam …This is Siloam: wash your face, be baptized. In this manner you will be enlightened and see while you could not see before9. * First: Open your eyes to Him who says: ‘I must work the works of Him who sent Me’ (Refer to John 9:4). A follower of Arius would immediately respond: ‘As you see, the Lord did not perform His works but rather the works of the Father who sent Him.’ Are these works not His works? What does He say who is Siloam and the Messenger Himself, the Son Himself, the only Son, the one to whom you complain and belittle His status? What is the response of the Lord? ‘All things that the Father has are mine’ (John 16:15)… He did not say: ‘all that the Father has, He has given Me.” Yet, had He said that He would also have revealed His equality with the Father... Hear His words in another verse: “and all Mine are yours, and yours are Mine” (John 17:10). So the doubt ends here: for what the Father and the Son have are in harmony and consist of the same thing. Therefore there is no conflict: what the Lord calls ‘the work of the Father’ are His works too since all that are ‘Yours are Mine’… “For whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner (in the same way) (John 5:19).10 St. Augustine Thus the Lord offers Himself as a model. Indeed, He acts on our behalf so that when we disappear within Him we are enabled to perform the same deeds through His Spirit. He did not have to struggle since He performed His Father’s work with inner joy, and in spite of the constant resistance of those around Him. He will continue to act even through our union with Him. Therefore we should not cease to struggle and we should be committed to serve. We need to do so before the night of death comes upon us and the days of our lives come to an end on this earth. “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” [5] The Lord Jesus Christ works as long as it is daytime. That means that He works as long as we are able to enjoy His redeeming deeds. For when the day ends and the night of the grave prevails, it will be impossible to benefit any longer of His service. The opportunity to repent and return to Him will have passed away. During the days of our lives, He shines upon us, as He is ’The light of the world’: The light of righteousness who gives light to our souls, our minds and all our inner depths. Earlier, the Lord had proclaimed that His mission involves bringing His light to those sitting in 9 Sermon on N.T. Lessons, 85:1 10 Sermon on N.T. Lessons, 85:3 12 https://coptic-treasures.com/ the darkness (John 8:12). As He is the light of righteousness, He grants enlightenment and healing through the rays of His love or with the scope of His wings. As the Head of the Church, He transforms his believers into ‘the light of the world.’ They just have to be fervently fired by divine love to serve others. * The Lord said these words so that we may believe that He was speaking about the incarnation; and that it was valid as long as He was a human being. He was in the world for a while, yet as He is God and therefore He is present at all times. In another context, the Lord says: “… I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matt. 28:20)11. St. Ambrose * Here the Lord reveals that even after His crucifixion, He will grant His tender care to the wicked and attract many to Him because it is still day. However, when the day is over, He will abandon them completely. He proclaims this by saying: ‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” He also told others. ‘…while you have the light, believe in the light…” (John 12:36)12. St. John Chrysostom. The only incarnate Son is the light of the whole heavenly creation and not only of the whole world13. St. Cyril the Great. * He is called “The light of the world” due to His act of giving light to the world: what lies within Him is the light. He is called the resurrection since He tears away that which is dead and sets up the fullness of life within all those who come earnestly to Him. On account of other acts, the Lord is also called ‘The Shepherd’ (John 10:11-12); ‘The Teacher’ (John 13:13); ‘The King’ (Zech 9:9; Matt. 21:5; John 12:15), ‘the chosen Arrow’ (Ps. 44:6; Is 49:2); ‘The Slave/ Servant’ (Is 49:3); ‘the Mediator and Sacrifice’ (1 John 2:1-2; Rom 3:25) He is also called the ‘ Logos’ as He strips away all that which is illogical ‘alogon.’ He truly transforms us into wise beings acting always in a manner that glorifies God even as we eat and drink (1 Cor. 10:31) Due to such wisdom, we are enabled to fulfill completely and generally all our acts in this life to the glory of God. Through fellowship with Him, we are enabled to awaken and be enlightened. Besides, He watches over us and directs our lives. Clearly, we walk wisely and divinely as He destroys every irrational and deadly matter within us since He is the Word and the Resurrection (John 1:1; 11:25)14. Origen the Scholar * What is this night in which no one can work as soon as it sets in? Listen to what ‘the day’ stands for; then you will comprehend the implication of ‘the night’…let the Lord tell us: “As 11 Of The Chrstian Faith,3:7 (48) 12 Hom. 56 PG:59:330 13 Explanation on the Gospel. PG 73: 601B 14 Commentary on John, Book 1:267-268 13 https://coptic-treasures.com/ long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”[5]. See how He Himself is the day. ‘Let the blind wash his eyes in the day so that he might see the day… Then the night, in a certain manner, corresponds to a person’s lack of recognizing Me. Thus when the Lord is no longer there, no one can work’15. * It is the night of the wicked. The night of those to whom it will be said at the end of time: ‘Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.’ Now faith works through love. Therefore if we now work- then it is now daytime for the Lord is present now. Listen to His promise and do not imagine that He is absent; for He Himself has said: “I am with you.” Until when? May we, who are alive, never experience anxiety. As long as we have full faith that His words stand throughout all generation, this is possible. The Lord said:” I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” (Matt 28:20). There is a time to work, and a time to collect wages. The Lord will reward everyone according to his deeds (Matt. 16:27). Go on working as long as you are alive…. For the terrible night will come when all the wicked will faint. In the present, every unbeliever who dies enters into the night where it is impossible to do any work. In this kind of night the wealthy one keeps burning, suffering, and repenting. However, he could not get any relief. He tried to be good when he told Abraham: “Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my father’s house…that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment” (Luke 16:27-28) What a sad person! When you were alive you had time to work. Now you are in the night where no man can work16! St. Augustine. “When He had said these things, He spat on the ground, and made clay with the saliva; and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. [6] The manner of healing the man born blind is unique. It is well known that mud would damage a healthy eye. So how does the Lord make mud with His saliva and anoint the eyes of that man? And why did He not heal him in secret in order to avoid arousing the hostility of the religious leaders? Besides why did He not wait till after the Sabbath and then heal him? First: The Lord confirms that He performs His work in accordance to his divine thought and not according to our wishes and human means. Second: His prime concern is to grant the blind man sight to his eyes and insight to his heart. He is not concerned with the resistance of the Jewish leaders against Him. Third: He did not wait until the Sabbath had ended because it was as a day of rest. 15 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate44:5 16 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate44:6 14 https://coptic-treasures.com/ Therefore the spirit of the Lord finds rest in doing divine acts and in granting enlightenment and rest to others. Fourth: He sets an example so that we may not postpone doing good works to the next day. Indeed, we should seize every chance to hurry in doing good deeds lest the opportunity is no more there tomorrow. Fifth: The Lord made clay out of spit and anointed the man’s eyes with His hands. In doing so He confirms that the secret of that power lies in Christ Himself and in the work of His hands. Everything that proceeds from the Lord Jesus Christ possesses power, life and enlightenment. Indeed, His arm is almighty. * Notice that when the Lord sought to heal the blind man, He did so in a manner that could make his blindness even worse, as He applied mud17. * The Lord took earth from the ground and that is just the same thing He did when He created Adam. It would have been true if He had said: “I am the one who took soil from the ground and formed man.” But this would have been very hard on His hearers, as well as too unbearable and repulsive to them. Therefore He chose to reveal His identity through a practical event, which nothing could hinder. By taking earth and mixing it with spit, He proclaimed His hidden glory. Indeed, it was not easy for the crowds to comprehend and believe that they stood before the glorious Creator Himself18. * If you wonder: ‘Why did the Lord not use water in the mud but rather used spit?’ Our response is: ‘So that the spring of water would not be considered the source of healing. Besides, it is intended to indicate that the power evident in His mouth is responsible for creating the eyes of the blind man and opening them. St John Chrysostom . * He granted him new eyes19. St. Paulinus * He formed eyes from clay. Light emanated from the soil This is how it happened in the beginning… He ordered that there be light, and it was born out of darkness. Similarly, here too. He made clay out of His spit, And he offered perfection to that which was lacking in nature and that was the case since the beginning. This was intended to reveal that what He held in His hands was the power to bring perfection to what was imperfect in nature... As they refused to believe that He was there before Abraham came, He proved to them, through 17 Hom 4. PG 61:27 18 Hom56.PG59:328 19 Poem 23. ACW 40:219 15 https://coptic-treasures.com/ His deeds, that He is the Son of the One whose hands had shaped the first Adam out of the earth20 . St. Efram the Syrian * He made clay out of the spit and anointed our eyes with it (John 9:6, 7). He made us see clearly (Mark 8:25). He opened the ears of our hearts (Mark 7:33-35) so that we could hear. Therefore we could smell His sweet fragrance (Eph 5; 2 Cor 2:15), and distinguish His name as the aroma of a spilled sweet ointment (Song of Sol 1:3; Phil 2). Now we could taste and see how great the Lord is (1 Peter 2:3; Ps 34:8). Now we can touch Him in the manner that St. John describes: ‘That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the work of life’ (1 John 1:1). Consequently, we have become enabled to kill the Lamb, eat it, and as a result come out of Egypt21. ‘And He said to him, “Go; wash in the pool of Siloam (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing’ [7] ‘Siloam’: It is also known as Shiloh, Silo, and Shilooh. This is a natural spring that lies beneath the strong citadels on the east of Jerusalem, in between the city and the waters of Kidron. Some consider that Siloam is the same as En Rogel, which is mentioned in Joshua 15:7; 18:16; 2 Sam 17:17; 1 Kings 1:9. The waters of this spring were gathered in a great storage for the consumption of the city. A stream flowed out of it that fed the pool at Bethesda. The pool of Siloam got its water from a spring that originated in mount Zion thus the waters of the Tabernacle “were streams that make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle the most high”(Ps 46:4). These are living and healing waters (Ezek 47:9). (Which is translated Sent): The name is derived from the Hebrew ‘Shalach’and means ‘Sent.’ This was due either because they considered this spring as a blessing granted by God in order to water the city; or because its waters were channeled through canals or pipes to different regions. Some believe that the name refers to a prophecy by Jacob to Judas that the Messiah would be his descendant: “….. Until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people” (Gen 49:10). Thus it is a symbol for the Lord Jesus Christ, sent from the Father to enlighten and heal souls. The Lord Jesus Christ is called “the Messenger” for He is the carrier of the covenant (Malachi 2:1). He repeatedly says in the Gospel of St. John that the Father had sent Him. Thus when he tells the blind man to go to the pool of Siloam or Sent, He is calling every soul in need of enlightenment to go to Him. He is the messenger who purifies man from sin, and shines with His light upon him. Consequently, he/she enjoys heavenly understanding, and darkness can no longer have a place in him. * Just as the Lord Jesus Christ is also the spiritual rock (1Cor 10:4), so is the spiritual Siloam 20 Commentary on Tatation’s Diatessaron, 28 21 Peri Pasha 18, 19 ( Translated by Robert J.Daly- ACW) 16 https://coptic-treasures.com/ also22. St. John Chrysostom The Lord Jesus Christ underlined the obedience of the man born blind. On the one hand, he submitted himself to the Lord, whom he had never seen, and let him put clay on his eyes without any objection or even asking how the Lord could use clay to heal eyes? One the other hand, he obeyed, went and washed in the pool of Siloam. He probably had gone and washed there previously but had not recovered his sight. Besides, surely many others had washed in the pool yet had never heard of any blind person being healed by its waters. Consequently, the Lord proclaimed the virtues of that poor blind man which were evident in his assurance, confidence, and calm. Note the mind set of the blind man: he was obedient in every way. He did not say: ‘If the mud and spit will truly heal me, why do I need to go to Siloam? Or, if I need to go to Siloam, why is there a need for clay? Why does He anoint me with (clay)? And why does He command me to get washed?’ He did not think of these matters, as he was ready to do one thing only: he was prepared to obey completely the one who commanded him and he was not inclined to do anything to oppose Him23. St. John Chrysostom The man born blind came to enjoy the light of which he had been deprived before. It is as though he had been granted a new birth that differed from his previous birth. The pool of Siloam represents the baptismal waters that grant inner vision besides purification and redemption from sin. The waters refer to the Messianic age or the Kingdom of the house of David: “In as much as these people refuse the waters of Shiloah that flow softly….” (Is 8:6) The blind man returned with his sight restored. He could see intangible things and he praised with all his might the One who had granted him enlightenment. Accordingly Isaiah the prophet says: “…your watchmen shall lift up their voices, with their voices they shall sing together; for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord brings back Zion” (Is 52:8). * The Lord told the blind man to go and, wash in Siloam. If you were to ask: ‘Why has the Lord not done the miracle immediately? Why did He send the man to Siloam?’ Our response would be: ‘To test the blind man’s faith and in order to silence the arguments of the Jews.’ Besides, it was necessary for all who met him to see him going there with his eyes covered with clay. Such a strange sight would attract everybody’s attention, whether they knew him or not. Everybody would notice him in every detail. It would not be easy to recognize the blind man after his eyes were opened (for his features would be changed). That is why the Lord intended to have many witnesses testifying in different ways by creating a strange sight that would be definitely remarkable… in this manner people would be unable, after the miracle had been done, to deny that it was the same person. 22 Homilies on St John, 57:1 23 Homilies on St John, 57:1 17 https://coptic-treasures.com/ St. John Chrysostom * The man washed his eyes in this pool whose name is translated as “sent.” He was baptized in the Lord in a manner that granted him enlightenment. When the Lord anointed him with clay He made him becomes a believer24. St. Augustine believes that in making the clay with spit, the reference is to the Word being incarnated25. 2. Dialogues after the Miraculous Healing A. The dialogue between the Neighbors and the Blind m\Man The neighbors, who were eyewitnesses to the miracle, knew the blind man very well. Due to the miraculous healing and their great astonishment, they went through three stages of doubt, leading to three questions: The first stage: their doubts in the person of the blind man [8], therefore he assured them he was that same blind man they had known [9]. The second stage: Who had made the miracle? And the answer was “A man called Jesus” [11] The third stage: “Where is He?” And the answer was: “I do not know”, [12]. The blind man was completely accurate and faithful in answering all the three questions and according to what he knew at that time. ‘Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” [8] The neighbors were astonished as he had been born and had grown among them. They were accustomed to see him blind. Often, he would sit and beg in misery. Suddenly now he could see and his sight was whole for he was walking joyfully everywhere. He had not been able to work on account of his blindness and his damaged psyche. His parents had been unable to support him; therefore he sat by the roadside and begged most of the day. Even his manner of speech and words had become different. Instead of beggars’ words that would were intended to let people give him alms; his words were now full of praise and thanksgiving. All this made his miraculous healing a public event rather than a hidden matter! In spite of that, some were suspicious concerning his identity. There were conflicting views since the healing of a person born blind is something hard to accept. Indeed, according to human knowledge, healing appeared to be impossible in such a case. * How tender is God! Wherever He went, He tenderly healed even beggars. In this manner, He silenced the Jews. He did not give special attention to famous or outstanding persons or to rulers. 24 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:2 25 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:2 18 https://coptic-treasures.com/ Rather He attended to those who seemed unworthy to receive His attention. Indeed, He had come to save everyone26. St. John Chrysostom Some said: “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” He said: “I am he.” [9] Probably, those who said: “This is he” were the ones who had witnessed what had happened to him for everything had been done in public. As far as the others, they did not believe and said:” He is like him.” This was also because his opened eyes made him look different than how he used to look. By saying: “I am he” he testified that he is the same one who had been begging people; but now he was enjoying God’s supreme blessing. * He was not ashamed of his former blindness; and he did not fear the anger of the crowd. Moreover, he did not conceal his identity for he wanted to testify to the One who had been kind to him . St. John Chrysostom Therefore they said to him: “How were your eyes opened?” [10] When the blind man testified that he was the one who received the blessing of healing, the neighbors asked how it happened. They wanted to know and find the Maker of the miracle. The Psalmist accordingly says:” The works of the Lord are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them,” (Ps 111:2). He answered and said: “A man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes, and said to me: ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight” [11] He presented the truth simply and according to his experience. He said: “A man called Jesus made clay…” He had not seen Jesus before, but had heard of Him. He heard the Lord’s voice when He commanded him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. He felt that the Lord’s hand put something over his eyes. He discovered it was clay after he had been healed; and that the Lord hade made it Himself and anointed his eyes with it. * Look how he became a preacher through grace. Look how he preaches the Gospel. Having received insight, he became a confessor. This blind man became a confessor and that agitated the hearts of the wicked. This was due to the fact that they had not received in their hearts what this man had received in his eyes27. St. Augustine 26 Homilies on St John, 57:1 27 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:8 19 https://coptic-treasures.com/ Then they said to him: “Where is He?” He said: “I do not know.” [12] Their second question was “Where is He?” Was this question raised due to their doubt in the person who had made the miracle and had broken the law and incited breaking it? On one hand, the Lord had made clay and anointed the eyes of the blind man. On the other hand, He had commanded him to walk to the pool and get washed. May be some asked the question out of curiosity and to find out who was that one that could do such an act; while others could have asked out of a sincere desire to meet Him. The blind man answered: “I do not know” as the Lord seems to have withdrawn immediately after He had commanded the man to go to the pool of Siloam. He did not wait until the man would return to thank Him. This reveals that the Lord finds joy in giving freely and without expecting a word of thanks or praise. When He reprimands on account of ingratitude it is intended to teach others who need to be grateful, to rejoice, and to give praise just as the angels do. * Notice the Lord’s humility. He did not stay with those whom He healed as He did not seek to gather a reward. Neither did He want to boast nor draw the attention of the crowds28. St. John Chrysostom B. The Dialogue between the Pharisees and the Man Born Blind ‘They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees.’ [13] We would have expected the neighbors to be looking for the Maker of the miracle in order to get acquainted with Him and enjoy being with Him. However, they laid hold of the blind man and brought him to the Pharisees and as though he had committed a crime. They led him as a guilty man who had agreed to break the Sabbath even though his eyes had been restored on that day. The matter was greater than just presenting it to one or more priests. It had to do with the whole nation and so they brought him before the Sanhedrin. In the minds of the crowds, the Council was responsible for issuing the final verdict. Most of the council members were Pharisees and most did all they could to resist the Lord Jesus Christ. Some of the crowds had brought the blind man to the Council in order to reveal the truth, and expose to the Pharisees how this One, whom they resisted, had created eyes for the man born blind. Consequently the crowds would be attracted and adhere to Him rather than resist Him. Some writers believe that the word ‘Pharisees’ refers to a secondary committee under the council of the Sanhedrim. This would be made up of high priests and Pharisees. The Council consisted of two committees, each included twenty three members. Each member had the right to judge a few cases. In the big cities, there were similar committees. 28 Homilies on St John, 57:2 20 https://coptic-treasures.com/ Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. [14] Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them: “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.” [15] The Pharisees posed the same question that his neighbors had asked. It was not intended to get the truth from its original source. Rather, they hoped to find a fault that could enable them to accuse the Lord of guilt. In this manner they would be enabled to damage His image before the crowds who had gathered around him. Notice how the man born blind did not get agitated. He did not deny or say anything different from what he had said before. The Pharisees and the other people had brought him hoping he would reject the One who had healed him. Consequently, they were faced with disappointment due to his answers. They got to know fully well the miraculous act of the Lord. That afflicted man had beaten them in every way due to the Lord’s miracle. St. John Chrysostom The answers of the blind man to the Pharisees were identical to those he had given to his neighbors. However, he did not mention that the Lord had “made the clay.” This could be due to the fact that he had not seen Him make it. Even though he could have guessed, he did not want to present to an official council a testimony they could oppose. How could he see the Lord making clay when he was blind? He could have avoided mentioning it since making clay is considered work and he did not wish the Jews to accuse the Lord of breaking the Sabbath. For that same reason, the man did not use the expression “He told me….” Besides, the Lord would be accused of tempting people to break the law since He had told him to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. At the same time, he boldly said:” I washed” and he did not fear them! Therefore, some of the Pharisees said: “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said: “How can a man who is a sinner do such miracles?” And there was a division among them. [16] The creation of eyes for the blind man should have been sufficient to silence the Lord’s opponents. However, there arose a division among them: one party observed worship literally and were preoccupied with false glory, these considered that the Lord had broken the Sabbath and so had broken the divine commandments. Instead of enjoying the presence of the Lord, they persecuted Him as though He were a criminal: “This man is not from God.” The other party considered His deed to be a work of supreme love and an execution of the law. Healing, they believed, is a real sign of the Lord’s true mission. However, the second party represented a small minority that could not stand up to the angry majority. At the end of every teaching or the performance of a miracle, there arose divisions among the crowds. The opponents would go to the Pharisees as they were the judges and 21 https://coptic-treasures.com/ possessed religious power. However, this time, the division was among the judges themselves. Maybe this led to the postponement of the judgment concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. * St. John the Evangelist reports that “there was a division among them” as some loved authority and power so much that it prevented them from recognizing the Lord Jesus Christ, while others kept silent due to their cowardice and fear from many of the people. St. John Chrysostom. The Lord intentionally healed the paralytic at Bethesda on a Saturday. He commanded him to get up, carry his bed and walk (John 5:8). He also intended to heal the man born blind by making clay, and anointing his eyes. In the Book of Gemara29 it says that whoever applies medicine for the eyes on a Saturday is considered sinful, and the Lord also ordered him to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. As Lightfoot mentions, the Lord Jesus Christ broke the Sabbath in a number of ways. Could he not have healed the man on any other day but Saturday and without all these actions? Why did He insist on healing on a Saturday? The Lord did so to underline the true meaning of the Sabbath, for it is intended for resting in the Lord; and in going about doing the Lord’s deeds of love and mercy. He wanted to expose the misconception of the literal interpretation and observation of the law which imposed banning essential daily acts and services of love. * Those who threw the Lord out continued to be blind. They encouraged opposing the Lord for working on the Sabbath, making clay from spit, and anointing the eyes of the blind man. When he healed the blind man with a word, the Jews opened the door to arouse oppositions…. The Lord had broken the Sabbath (literally) but He was not guilty. What do we mean by saying: ‘The Lord had broken the Sabbath?’ He is the Light that came and ended the shadows. The Lord God is the One who instituted the Sabbath. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself was with the Father when He gave the Law. He established it as a forerunner to future events. “Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come.” (Col. 2:16) Why do the shadows cheer us? Open your eyes, O Jews, for the “Sun” is here. “We know….” [24]. What do you know, O you who are blind at heart? “That this man is not from God because He does not keep the Sabbath” [16]. O miserable people, the Sabbath has been established by the Lord Jesus Christ whom you claim that He is not from God. You observe the Sabbath in a physical manner. You have not received the spit of the Lord on your eyes, and you have neither gone to Siloam nor washed your faces. Consequently, you persist in your blindness; you are blind to the goodness found in this blind man. He is no longer blind in body or in heart. “For judgment I have come into the world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind,” [39]30. 29 Gemara 14. 30 Sermon on NT Lessons, 86:3 22 https://coptic-treasures.com/ Clearly, He has observed the Sabbath for there was no sin in Him. This is a spiritual Sabbath: when a person is without sin. Truly, my brothers, this is what God encourages us to do when He commands us to observe the Sabbath: “You shall do no customary (slave) work on it,” (Lev. 23:8). Now go back to the previous teachings and ask for the meaning of ‘servile work’ and listen to the Lord’s words: “whoever commits sin is a slave of sin,’ (John 8:34)31. St Augustine They said to the blind man again: “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” [19] They threw the net before the blind man so that he would deny that the Lord Jesus Christ was the Messiah. He would be thrown out of the Sanhedrin or killed if he did otherwise. After asking about the manner of healing, the Pharisees asked the blind man about the One who had healed him. They asked for his personal opinion in the Man and his actions. They put on pressure so that he might respond, even negatively and in the manner by which his parents had responded. They wanted him to report what he knew concerning his recovery and to leave the decision in the hands of the religious leaders who would judge the matter. However, he disappointed them as he honored the One who granted healing to him. According to a new law they had set, they issued a decree of exile against the man in order to teach a lesson to others. This blind man was like the Samaritan woman (John 4:19). Both thought the Lord was a prophet before they became acquainted with the reality of His being the Messiah- “The Holiest of the holy” and the One who grants eternal righteousness. The light began to shine in his heart and inner vision just as it shone in his physical eyes. In hearing the man’s words: “He is a prophet”, the Pharisees feared the fulfillment of the writings in the Book of Daniel. It mentions that the One who will come from God within three centuries approximately, and while the nation is in darkness and without a prophet, will be the seal of all visions and prophecies: the eternal Messiah, whom all generations await: “ Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city. To finish the transgression, to make end of sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most holy,” (Daniel 9:24) * Notice the wisdom of the poor man. He spoke more wisely than all the Pharisees. He first said: “He is a prophet” [17]. He did not fear the judgment of the Jews or the opposition of those against the Lord and who said: “This Man is not from God because He does not keep the Sabbath” [16], and he responded, “He is a Prophet”32. St JohnChrysostom C. The Dialogue between the Pharisees and the Parents of the Man Born Blind. 31 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:9 32 Homilies on St John, 58:1 23 https://coptic-treasures.com/ ‘But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight’,[18] Here the word “Jews” is intended to indicate the religious authorities, especially the Pharisees and the members of the council of the Sanhedrin. These did not believe that the man was born blind. Therefore they called the parents to confirm that this was their son and that he had been born blind. They hoped to find some fault that would diminish the value of the miracle in the eyes of the people. * Notice the many ways of darkness they used in order to conceal and demolish the miracle. But it is in the nature of truth to work in this manner: it uses the same instruments that evil uses to overcome it. Truth becomes stronger and shines through the same means that were used to blemish or destroy it33! St John Chrysostom And they asked them saying: “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”[19] These leaders could not bear the light of truth. Therefore they posed a question that carried a kind of arrogance and threat to the parents. They were not satisfied with being evil, but also sought to implant fear among the people. They wanted them to share their renouncement of the Messiah and their rejection of divine truth. * They did not say: ‘…who was at one time blind.’ Rather, they said: ‘…who you say was born blind.’ They almost seemed to be saying: ‘…whom you have made blind.’ St. John Chrysostom His parents answered them and said: “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind” [20] His parents were not embarrassed to admit that this was their son, who due to his poverty and blindness used to beg. As they were not eyewitnesses to his healing, they avoided answering the question concerning the manner he was healed. They also feared to be thrown out of the Temple. “But by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age, ask him. He will speak for himself.” [21] It is true that they were not eyewitnesses, yet they surely knew and were assured by their own son who must have told them himself that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One who had healed him. They used human wisdom and consequently lost the blessing of witnessing for the Lord Jesus Christ. They deprived themselves of offering thanksgiving and testifying the truth for the one 33 Homilies on St John, 58:1 24 https://coptic-treasures.com/ who does miracles. They feared mankind so they laid a trap for themselves and their son. In this context, wisdom says: “The fear of man brings a snare but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe,” (Prov. 29:25). His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue, [22]. Being thrown out of the temple meant being isolated from the worshippers. This was known as nidui and it is the lowest form of excommunication in Jewish practice. Anathema and Cheram were applied to Christians in the period following the Resurrection. The punishment for confessing that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah was banishment from the Council. Such a person was treated like someone who had denied the Jewish faith. Therefore a person who would witness for the Lord would know that he would be exposing himself to be isolated from worshippers. He would also be considered a rebel and a traitor to the religious leadership. By being banished, such a person was made to realize that he was unworthy of being related to God’s people; and prevented from enjoying the privileges of being one of the chosen people of Israel. Consequently such banishment had dangerous results: deprivation from joining the people in public worship; being regarded as an outlaw, and consequently being deprived of engaging in commercial transactions. In fact, this would lead to the loss of one’s freedom, and the possibility of sequestering one’s possessions. * Being banished from the temple is no longer a wicked matter, for people would expel but the Lord would receive the outcasts34. Therefore his parents said: “He is of age; ask him” [23] * They asked the parents three questions: Was this their son? Was he born blind? How did he come to see? They admitted to two questions only, while they had no answer to the third one. They did so for the sake of providing the truth. No one else could confess except the one who had been healed. St. John Chrysostom D- The Second Dialogue between the Pharisees and the Man Born Blind So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him: “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner” [24]. They called the blind man a second time and they treated him with great respect and honor. They wanted to win him over, so they said: “Give God the glory.” In other words: ‘Swear by the name of God that you will tell the truth.’ Then they tried to dictate what they wanted him to say. They wanted him to say that the Lord pretended to be a prophet and that He 34 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:10 25 https://coptic-treasures.com/ had transgressed against the law. In this manner, the blind man would please them and they would honor him. Some writers find that this is a legal religious procedure since they intended to issue a very serious verdict. In other words, there was the threat of being expelled from the company of God’s people, or the pronouncement of the death penalty. It is as though they made God a witness against him before banishing or condemning Him to death. Probably, they intended to convey by their words the following: ‘He is a wicked and sinful man. Therefore give more glory to God as He has used this Man as a tool to work through Him.’ They wanted to follow the example of Joshua when he condemned Achan to be stoned, for he asked him first: to ‘give glory to the Lord God’ (Joshua 7:16) and to hide nothing. He had asked him to confess because there was ‘an accursed thing in Israel.’ Earlier, the Lord had loudly inquired: “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” (John 8:46). No one dared convict Him in His presence. However, behind His back they said: “We know that this Man is a sinner.” * They did not say anything to the blind man that would make him ashamed to deny that the Lord Jesus Christ had healed him. Conversely, they wished to mask their renouncement in the robe of piety by saying: “Give glory to God.” Saying such words clearly indicates their arrogance. In speaking to the blind man about the Lord and saying: “We know that this Man is a sinner”, we ask them: ‘How is it that you did not reprimand the Lord Jesus Christ when He said: “Which of you convicts Me of sin” (John 8:46)?! How have you found out that He is a sinner? St. John Chrysostom * What is the meaning of: “Give glory to God”? Renounce what you have been granted. Such behavior would not glorify God; for this would be blasphemy indeed35. St. Augustine. He answered and said: “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see” [25] That poor man did not care to please the religious leaders. Nor did he want to be honored by them. In all simplicity, he told the truth. Thus he became a true witness to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is as though he was telling them that the personality of the One who had healed me is not a valid matter for contention or argument. I do not need such confrontation. His deed is beyond discussion. All I know is that I was blind, but now I see. This is my experience with Him. Or it is as though he is telling them that if you claim that He is a sinner, then this is a matter I know nothing about. What I know is my trust in Him. This makes me reject what you say 35 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:11 26 https://coptic-treasures.com/ altogether. Practical experience is greater and stronger than theoretical discussions. This is the living experience of believers. St. Paul accordingly says:” For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.” (Eph 5:8) They sought to transform the work of the Lord into contentions. Then the crowds would be engaged in them rather than enjoy a living fellowship with Him. However the man born blind chose to experience the new enlightened life rather than engage in stupid arguments. * Was the blind man truly fearless? This could not be so, or how could he have said: “He is a prophet”; and then said: “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know.” He answered in this manner not because this was his way of thinking, or in order to convince himself. Rather, he wanted to vindicate the Lord from this accusation through his testimony of the facts and not through his own proclamations about Him. In this manner, the defense becomes strong as the good deed in itself acts as a witness against them. Therefore after a long discussion, the blind man said: “If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing” [refer to v.33]. They were angered and told him: “You were completely born in sins and are you teaching us?” If he had responded like that from the beginning, was there anything else they would not have said? Or was there anything else they would not have sought to do? “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know” It is as though he was saying: ‘I am not saying anything in praise of this Man. I do not proclaim anything about Him now. However, I definitely know Him and confirm that He would not have been able to do such acts if He were a sinner.’ In this manner, he removed all doubts from his own mind. He neither damaged his testimony, nor spoke with prejudice. Indeed, he presented a testimony backed by facts36. St. John Chrysostom Then they said to him again: “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?” [26] They pursued interrogating him but used a different method in the hope of finding something contradictory to his earlier responses. They sought to find something they could hold against the Lord Jesus Christ. The reason why they asked the blind man how the Lord had opened his eyes was to discover if He had used some devilish method to open them. However, the young man became irritated by their unseemly manners and did not respond to them. He answered each question by asking another one and inquiring if they wished to become the Lord’s disciples. At the same time he considered himself to be one of the disciples. “I told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? 36 Homilies on St John, 58:2 27 https://coptic-treasures.com/ Do you also want to become His disciples?” [27] His response was delivered in a spirit of candidness and courage. It was a living testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. Besides, his question to them was a watershed for they had to choose between two issues: becoming disciples of the Lord just as he himself had learned to do; or end the discussion with him since there was no point in further discussion anymore. * What was his answer? Having overcome and disappointing them, he no longer spoke submissively to them. When it was necessary to question and discuss, he spoke cautiously in order to present the proof of his testimony. Now that he had overcome them and scored a great victory, he was encouraged to step over them37. * Do you see how a beggar can speak courageously before the Scribes and Pharisees? That is how truth is strong and falsehood is weak. When ordinary men adhere to the truth they become glorified; whereas falsehood, even when used by the powerful, turns them to weaklings. What he said implied the following: ‘You have not paid attention to my words. Therefore I will not continue to speak and answer anymore. You have no goal while you interrogate me; and you do not want to listen in order to get informed. Indeed, you only seek to damage my words38.’ * By asking the question: “Do you also want to become His disciples?” the man born blind aligned himself with the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is clear that by saying that, he had become a disciple of the Lord. Now he was speaking sarcastically and this annoyed them greatly. He realized how they felt and therefore pursued to hit them powerfully. He spoke words that were powerful and severe. This was the result of a courageous soul that soared in the heights and that despised their madness. It indicated the grandeur of the honor (of being the Lord’s disciple). He was very confident and he revealed that they were insulting the One who deserved admiration. However, he did not care that they were insulting him, and he regarded their reprimands as an honor to himself39. St. John Chrysostom. * What do these words imply: “Do you also want to become His disciples?” As for me, I have indeed become His disciple. Do you want to do the same too? Now I can see, and I see without any fear40. St. Augustine Then they reviled him and said: “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples” [28] When they could no longer resist the truth, they turned to the language of abuse. This is what anyone who adheres to the truth expects. The Lord says: “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake,” (Matt 5:11). They 37 Homilies on St John, 58:2 38 Homilies on St John, 58:2 39 Homilies on St John, 58:3 40 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:11 28 https://coptic-treasures.com/ possessed hearts filled with hatred against the divine truth; murderous, their words were as sharp as the piercing of a sword (Prov 12:8; Psalm 55:21). They belittled him by saying “You are His disciple.” Although the man had neither seen the Lord yet, nor heard his sermons, yet they considered him a disciple as he witnessed for Him. As for him, he was proud to be the Lord’s disciple. They boasted of their relationship to Moses the prophet. He was their teacher and they did not need or seek another. Previously, they had boasted before the Lord that they were Abraham’s children. Now they were proud to be Moses’ disciples. However, they were estranged form Abraham’s children and Moses according to their deeds and thoughts. If they were truly Abraham’s children, they would have seen with him the day of the Lord and would have rejoiced (John 5:56). Moreover, if they were truly Moses’ disciples, they would have adhered to the Lord Jesus Christ whom Moses foresaw, rather than resist Him. “We know that God spoke to Moses, as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from,” [29] It is as though they were saying: ‘We are sure that Moses had a divine mission; but we have no proof that this person has been called to serve. Therefore how could we abandon Moses and follow an unknown person and stranger who is assuming to have a divine mission? They presented proof to justify their pride that Moses was their teacher and that God’s Word came to him. Yet, they did not understand that the Lord Jesus Christ was Himself the Word of God become incarnate. Moses was the faithful servant, who was entrusted with the house of his Master. However, the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Son and Owner of the house (Heb 3:5, 6) whom Moses served. They sarcastically said: “…as for this fellow, we do not know where he is from” [29]. Indeed, they did not and could not know where He came from for they had to search the Old Testament chapters with a real intention to learn. They needed to pray to God to reveal Him to them. If they had searched they would have realized that they lived at a time in which the expected Messiah would come. However, they were like their fathers, who had lived at the time of Jeremiah the prophet who said: “Neither did they say ‘where is the Lord’…” (Jer 2:6) * They did not say ‘We heard that God spoke to Moses’, but rather said “we know [29]. O, you Jews are you sure what you heard is true? You know this, yet you consider what you see is less trustworthy than what you hear? You have heard about one person but you have not seen him; while you have not listened to the other though you have seen Him41. St. John Chrysostom * Is this how you follow the slave and turn your backs on God? In doing so, you are not following the slave since He himself leads to God42. St. Augustine 41 Homilies on St John,58:3 42 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:12 29 https://coptic-treasures.com/ The man answered and said to them: “Why, this is a marvelous thing that you do not know where He is from, yet He has opened my eyes,” [30] The blind man was astonished that the Jewish leaders considered the Lord to be a novice or foreigner to divine ministry. Indeed, He had done works that Moses the prophet had not; such as opening the eyes of someone who had been born blind. The whole city got to hear about this miracle as the blind man had sat and begged on the roadside. People from all parts of the land had seen him and were certain that this was the man who was blind in the past. He was now there, standing and walking and witnessing to the supreme work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blind man was astonished that the Lord had created and opened his eyes through his care and supreme authority. Now, he was astonished that these blind leaders sat and occupied the seats of judgment yet they could not see the evident truth, although he had presented to them the following facts: * The Lord had opened his eyes and this was a reality and fact that could not be denied. * God does not listen to sinners (Ps 66:18). Yet these leaders claimed that this man was a sinner. * God listens to the pure that do His will. * In history of the world, we do not hear of anybody who has opened the eyes of a blind person. Even Moses did not perform such an act. * If the Lord Jesus Christ did proceed from God then he would have had no power. In this manner they had set up a trap; but they fell into it themselves. “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshipper of God and does His will, He hears him,” [31] The word ‘sinners’ in this verse occurs in the Greek text as ‘hamartooloom’ to indicate atheists or unbelievers. Its antonym is ‘theosebees’ which means ‘worshipper of God.’ God does not listen to someone who is a lip worshipper and prays to be saved while through his behavior and in his heart he/she insists on adhering to evil and finds pleasure in doing it. * The Lord here does not only reveal that He is without sin; but that He has given God great pleasure as He does God’s will. The leaders considered themselves ‘worshippers of God’ and God fearing. Besides they claimed to do ‘His will.’ It is as though the blind man is saying: ‘It is not enough for people to know God, for they need to do His will’43. St. John Chrysostom * Our perception through faith enables us to see that this blind man was also blind at heart 43 Homilies on St John, 58:3 30 https://coptic-treasures.com/ because he too had sinned. We will mention in what respect he had sinned: First: He thought the Lord was a prophet and he did not know that He was the Son of God. Therefore he answered as a sinner: “…we know that God does not hear sinners,” [21]. If God does not answer sinners, then what hope do we have? If God does not hear sinners, they why do we pray? Why do we confess all our sins and beat on our chests? Besides, remember that tax collector who went up to the temple with a Pharisee (Luke 18:10). While the Pharisee stood boastfully before God and recounted all his personal merits; the tax collector stood in a corner, looked down, beat his chest while admitting his sins. This tax collector who had confessed his sins, left the temple vindicated and better off than the Pharisee. Therefore God definitely hears sinners. Indeed, the person who uttered these words (verse 31) had not yet washed the face of his heart in the pool of Siloam. The mystery had passed before his eyes, yet his heart had not been blessed by His grace. When did that blind man wash the face of his heart? When he went to the Lord Himself after the Jews had banished him. When the Lord found him, He said to him “Do you believe in the Son of God?” And the man answered: “Who is He Lord that I may believe in Him?” Indeed, the man had seen the Lord with his eyes; but had not seen Him with his heart? No, he had not yet seen Him with his eyes. Wait and see how he would see Him…. And Jesus said to him: “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.” Did the man doubt? No; he had washed his face now. The man had spoken with ‘Siloam’, which means ‘sent’; and who is that One who has been ‘sent’ other than the Lord Jesus Christ?...He is Himself Siloam. The man born blind at heart drew close to Him, heard, believed, and worshipped Him. He washed his face and therefore saw44. St. Augustine * Similarly, in the Book of Exodus, the priests, who entered into the Lord God’s presence, had to consecrate themselves so that God would not depart from them, (Ex 19:22). This also applied to those who came before the holy altar to serve: they had to have no sin or they would die (Ex 28:43)45. Caprianus the Martyr * We need to put these matters before us and apply them very carefully. We need to consider very seriously these matters as we anoint priests. It is important to choose only those who are upright and clean. Consequently they would be worthy to offer scarifies to the Lord in holiness. Such ministers would be qualified to have the ear of the Lord who will hear their prayers. They would offer petitions for the peace of God’s people46. Caprianus the Martyr “Since the world began, it has been unheard that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind” [32]. 44 Sermon on NT Lessons, 86:2 45 Letter 63 to Epictetus: 2 46 Letter 69 to Asturica: 2 31 https://coptic-treasures.com/ Since the beginning of all time, before the time of the fathers and prophets, we have not heard of anyone, not even Moses, who opened the eyes of a man born blind. “If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”[33] The blind man came to a correct conclusion. That is if this Man were not from God, He would not have been able to do anything. But He is the source of all goodness and no goodness can be achieved without Him. They answered and said to him: “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.’ [34] It is as though they were telling him: ‘It is because of your former sins that you have received a just reward. Therefore you came into the world in a deformed condition and without eyes. You do not deserve to share in worshipping God with other believers. How is it that you take on the role of teacher to the leaders?’ They then issued the order to deprive him of sharing in worshipping God. Because they were unable to answer to his words, they used their authority to deprive and banish him. They despised and humiliated him by saying: “You are not like other persons who were born with sin. Rather, they said: “You were completely born in sin.” You are completely corrupt. You have corruption in your soul as well as in your body. These are the signs of corruption that have left their mark on your deformed body and blindness. Besides, they probably thought that his extreme poverty and need to beg were indications of divine anger due to his sins. They belittled his words and were surprised: how could this illiterate fool, who could not know even the light of the sun since he had never seen it, and who has been sitting and begging, now assume the place of a teacher and stand before the leaders of thought and knowledge? Due to their pride, they rejected to learn; especially from someone of lesser rank and learning. However, a good person does not reject to learn on a daily basis, and until the last breath of life. Such a person can learn even from young children. To reject learning is foolishness itself and a form of ignorance. As he touched their conscience, they could not tolerate him and so cast him out. Probably, they called the guards or soldiers to take him away, by force if needed. When the learned leaders were unable to discuss, they proudly issued the order to cast him out. They threw him out but they could not isolate him from fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. They imagined that he was not worthy of being a member in the Jewish temple, and they did not comprehend that he was qualified to be a member in the body of the Lord Jesus Christ. 32 https://coptic-treasures.com/ They did not realize that their judgment would fire back on them. According to them, the man was completely born in sin because he was born blind. Now he had been cleared of his blindness, and therefore the One who had healed him was also able to tear away and remove his sins. This is the work of God. * These matters have been recorded that we may be guided by them. The blind man and beggar, had not yet seen the Lord. He displayed courage and uprightness before being encouraged by the Lord. He stood up before all the murderers who had listened to the devil and were being driven wildly by him. They wanted to condemn the Lord by any means. But the man did not submit to them or proved cowardly. By his courageous confrontation, he silenced their mouths. He preferred to be cast out rather than betray the Truth. How much more should we be courageous when we speak with those who accuse Christians, and when we need to silence their mouths rather then submit in weakness? Indeed, we are empowered as we have experienced faith for a longer period; we have seen hundreds of miracles performed through faith. We have received greater blessings than this blind man as our inner eyes have been opened. As a result, we have become acquainted with unspeakable mysteries and have been called to such great honor. We believe that we ought to show courage as we speak to those who attack Christians. We should be able to silence them rather than bow down in submissive weakness. We can stand up for the truth only if we have courage, are grounded in the Holy Bible, and earnestly follow the Word while abandoning all carelessness47. . St. John Chrysostom * What does ‘completely’ convey in this verse? Blind to such an extent that even the eyes are blind. However, He who opened the man’s eyes also delivered him ‘completely’: He who had brought light to his features, would also grant him resurrection and seat him on His right hand48. * When they cast the man out, the Lord welcomed him. As much as he had been banished, he had become a Christian to the same degree49. St. Augustine E- The Dialogue between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Man Born Blind. 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?” [35] It is clear that the Lord was looking for the man and wanted to find him. He did find him when the Pharisees had thrown him out and deprived him of being a member of God’s people. 47 Homilies on St John, 58:4 48 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44 49 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:15 33 https://coptic-treasures.com/ His parents probably had refused to welcome him to their home for fear they would have the same treatment and fate. The God of the banished and abandoned found him. He is the Father of orphans and the advocate of widows. He is the One concerned about all those who have no one to look after them. The Lord’s words: “Do you believe in the Son of God?” are synonymous with ‘Do you believe in the Messiah?’ These are two inseparable elements (John 1:34, 49; 10:36; Matt 16:16; Mark 1:1). St. John Chrysostm believes that the Lord Jesus Christ granted the man the yearning for Him before revealing Himself50, because He saw the blind man’s courage and love of the truth. That is applicable to everyone who seriously seeks for the truth and is fearless in confronting falsehood. Through love, truth would consequently attract such a person and then reveal himself. * Those who undergo terrible persecutions and insults for the sake of the truth and for witnessing for the Lord and Messiah, receive special honor... The Jews had cast him out of the temple and the Lord of the temple found him. He was isolated from destructive companionship and he met with the Source of salvation. He was humiliated by those who humiliated the Lord, so the Lord of hosts honored him. That is how the Truth grants rewards. Similarly, when we relinquish the possessions of the world, we will truly gather confidence in the world to come. If we face troubles on earth, we will find rest in heaven. If we are insulted for the sake of God, we will be honored in this life and the one to come51. St. John Chrysostom He answered and said: “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” [36] It is clear that the man had not seen the Lord until that time. However, he had heard His voice when the Lord ordered him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam. Now, he discovered that he stood before the One who had healed him and so he believed in Him. We do not hear of any dialogue between the man born blind and the Lord before he was healed. This is different than when the Lord healed the infirm man of Bethesda. Some explain this by stating that the blind man had not yet seen or heard of the Lord due to his extreme poverty and need to beg. No one had stopped to talk with him, or told him about the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing deeds. That is why the Lord did not ask him the same question he put to the paraplegic: “Do you want to be healed?” When the blind man was deprived of human friends and suffered for his inferior status and isolation, the Lord came to satisfy his needs and to fill his depths with Divine Love. Some thinkers confirm that the unbelief of the man born blind was not an intentional choice. It was the result of a lack of opportunity to hear and meet with the Lord. This is why, 50 Homilies on St John, 59:1 51 Homilies on St John, 59:1 34 https://coptic-treasures.com/ after he had been healed and gone through the many debates around him, and after being banished, the Lord found him. Then He asked him: “Do you believe in the Son of God?”[35]. The man’s answer revealed his yearning to have faith: “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” [36] * The man born blind asked the Lord: “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” because he had not yet recognized Him even though he had been healed by Him. Before he came to his Benefactor, he had been blind. That is why he did not respond and say immediately: ‘I believe.’ Instead his response came in the form of a question: “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” These are words that come from a soul that is eagerly yearning for the Lord. St. John Chrysostom ‘And Jesus said to him: “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you” [37]. A person does not need to travel far in order to meet with the Lord Jesus Christ for the Lord is standing by and is very close. St. Paul accordingly says: “Do not say in your heart ‘…who will ascend into heaven?’- that is to bring Christ down from above- or ‘who will descend into the abyss?’- that is to bring Christ up from the dead-. But what does it say? “The word is near you” (Roman 10:6-8). The Lord had opened the eyes of the blind man so that he may look and see Him. If receiving his sight brought joy to the man, then seeing the Son of God brought him a far greater joy. This was a joy that surpassed the gift of gaining his physical eyes. Seeing the Son of God brought a greater joy to his heart and was more than all the lights of the world could bring. Here we are, presently, enjoying inner insight and therefore seeing the Lord and comprehending the mystery of His being the only Son of God. Truly, we can join the Psalmist in praise and say:” in your light we see light” (Ps 36:9) Then he said:” Lord, I believe!” And he worshipped Him. [38] By saying: “I believe”, the man conveyed: ‘I believe that you are the Messiah.’ To prove his true faith, he fell and worshipped Him. He had not seen Him before, and he had met with the religious leaders who had strongly resisted the Lord. Yet he had experienced personally how his eyes had been opened. Therefore he believed in the Lord’s divinity, worshipped Him, and glorified Him as his Savior. His inner vision was opened and he became acquainted with the divine mysteries. In contrast, it was impossible for the members of the Sanhedrin to comprehend or believe these mysteries. The man born blind believed and confessed his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. There was no need for discussions since he experienced this amazing divine miracle and had gained spiritual insight. He believed in his heart and confessed with his tongue before the Lord, before the people, and even before those who resisted the Lord. In this manner, the rejected reed became a tree planted in the spiritual waters and filled with fruit. ‘He worshipped Him’, and so honored Him in a manner that was different from simply thanking another person. He bowed before Him in a manner worthy of worshipping God. In this 35 https://coptic-treasures.com/ way, he expressed his faith: by publicly and fearlessly witnessing; and by humbly worshipping God. John the Evangelist does not report anything more about this man after he had worshipped the Lord. Yet the words of the Lord indicate clearly that he had become perceptive, followed the light and lived accordingly. The man born blind bowed down before the Lord and probably in the presence of the Pharisees. Therefore the Lord commented instantly before them about the fruit of His divine mission in this world. Some believe that this speech occurred in another meeting with the Pharisees and did not take place after the man had worshipped the Lord immediately. The Lord Jesus Christ had come into the world as a Savior and not as a Judge. However, when the wicked non-believers reject His service they fall into condemnation. The Lord’s divine mission has split humanity into two parties: one party admits its blindness and consequently believes and accepts the light; the other party believes that they can see already and consequently reject the faith. Rejection keeps them in the darkness while the work of the Messiah becomes a sentence condemning them. In this manner, the world is split into believers and non-believers: This is the clear line of thought in most of the Lord’s speeches, which are recorded in this Gospel. His redeeming deeds or His preaching are the essence of life, while they bear the smell of death to the dead. A great light has shone over the Gentiles, granting them light and releasing them from slavery (Is 61:1); but Israel has been stricken with pride and due to its blindness has thrown itself into the circle of death. * With his face washed and his conscience purified, the man finally recognized the Lord. He knew Him not only as the Son of Man, according to his earlier knowledge, but as the Son of God who had taken on our body. So he said, “Lord, I believe”…52 St. Augustine F- The Dialogue between the Lord and the Pharisees And Jesus said: “For judgment I have come into the world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”[39] These were amazing moments that drew the attention of all those standing there. The crowds as well as the disciples and a few Pharisees were amazed as the man born blind bowed and worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ. He proclaimed his belief that the Lord is the Son of God. We believe that such a sight must have drawn the attention of the heavenly hosts as well as those who watched the faith of that person. He was true with himself and faced the resistance against the truth by the highest-ranking religious leaders. Such a sight brings joy to the Lord’s heart because He desires everyone to enjoy the heavenly light; and not because He is in need of someone to witness for Him. The Lord had previously proclaimed that He had not come into the world to condemn it, but had come to save it (John 3:17). By shinning on those that are sitting in darkness, those 52 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate, 44:15 36 https://coptic-treasures.com/ enlightened by His light become a cause of condemnation to those who have loved the darkness more than the light (John 3:19). They condemn themselves because they stumble and fall into the ditch and because they are blind leaders of the blind (Matt 15:14) The Gentiles who had been sitting in darkness for ages received the light of knowledge and true vision. However the Jews, who pretended to be the children of the light and the possessors of spiritual knowledge, abused God’s longsuffering and mercy. They lost their redemption as they rejected it. They were stricken with spiritual blindness. The blind Gentile was able to become acquainted with the divine mysteries; while the Pharisees, who possessed knowledge, were ignorant of these mysteries. The man born blind had not read the Holy Books. He might have heard some Holy verses and stories about the history of salvation and simply and faithfully accepted the teachings. In contrast, these leaders had studied and researched these verses thoroughly and upheld some interpretations. However, they did not sincerely seek to know the truth. Therefore they were not qualified to comprehend the clear references to the Messiah. The mystery behind their blindness lay in their arrogance and belief that they could see: they knew Moses and that they were his disciples; they knew the Sabbath and kept its laws; and they also knew that the man was completely born in sin. * A serious warning! ‘Those who do not see may see,’ [39]. Great! This is the work of the Lord. It is a proclamation of the power of healing! But what is it that you add in this verse, O Lord? ‘Those who see may be made blind?’ [39] These are the Jews. Do they see? According to their claim, they do see; yet according to the truth, they do not see. So how may they see? They imagined that they did. So they believed and imagined that they were protecting the law against the Lord Jesus Christ…those who did not admit their ignorance, became more hardened. Truly, the verse says: ‘Those who see may be made blind.’ Indeed, those defenders of the law, the professors and teachers of the law and its interpreters crucified the Founder of the law. O what blindness took hold of a part of Israel (Rom 11:25). What do these words mean: ‘Those who do not see may see’? ‘Until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in’, (Rom 11:25). The whole world has fallen into blindness, but the Lord has come ‘that those who do not see may see and that those who see may be made blind’… What serious blindness? They killed the light, but the crucified light has enlightened the blind53! * Now is the daytime to make the distinction between the light and the darkness!54 53 Sermon on NT Lessons, 86:4 54 St Augustine: On the Gospel of St John, tractate 44:16 37 https://coptic-treasures.com/ * You have received the law, you want to keep it, yet you are unable to do so for you have fallen due to your pride and you see your weakness. Yearn for the Messiah, confess to him and believe. The spirit has been added to the letter of the law and by this you can be saved. If you tear away the spirit from the letter ‘the letter kills.’ If it is killed, then where is hope? As for the spirit, he gives life (2 Cor 3:6) St. Augustine St. Augustine makes a comparison between the letter and the spirit. The stick that Elijah gave to his servant Hegazi, when the widow’s son was dead, did not revive the dead except when Elijah himself came. The same applies to benefits of the law that we have received from God. We need God Himself to be present so that we may enjoy the power of the Resurrection55. Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him: “Are we blind also?”[40] The Pharisees realized that the Lord was speaking about spiritual blindness. They therefore asked Him if He was directing his words at them. Their question was the result of their arrogant souls that could not enjoy the blessings of the grace of God. They were preoccupied with their honor before the people. They wanted to appear as the ones who possessed knowledge and who occupied the academic seats. They considered the accusation of blindness- which was the result of their unwillingness to learn- to be a deadly stroke. They revealed their inner blindness through their words ‘Are we blind also?’ They revealed what lay in their depths as they considered all the people to be blind. That the Lord would include them among the blind people was something that had not occurred to them. They considered that He had humiliated them and committed an unforgivable mistake. They were not accustomed to hear any criticism from any one. * The words of the Pharisees to the Lord: “…are we blind also” echo their words in another verse: “… we are Abraham’s descendants and have never been in bondage to anyone. We were not born in fornication” (John 8:33-41). This was similar to the response here. Chrysostom. Jesus said to them: “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say “We see” therefore your sin remains.” [41] Had they admitted their ignorance, they would not have fallen into condemnation. However, their mouths testified against them since they claimed they had vision, were able to comprehend the truth, and could distinguish it from falsehood. They claimed to have vision, saw divine truth, and understood the law and the prophets. Consequently, they isolated themselves and their sin remained. *** 55 Sermon on NT Lessons, 86:5 38 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 39 https://coptic-treasures.com/ 40 Inspired by Chapter 9 O Lord, Grant Me Inner Vision! * Your eyes behold me lovingly, as to someone born blind! We have inherited a blind vision from our father Abraham; Therefore we no longer enjoy the beauty of your brilliance! * There are many, even among those who surround you, who condemn me! But because of your love, you pray for the healing of my heart and its vision. You are the day that does not cease to work; you are the light that dissipates the darkness within me! May you shine upon me so that I may become the child of the day. May my eyes never experience sun set O Sun of Righteousness! * You are the Creator and you have formed me from the earth with mud. You grant vision to my eyes. Through your word, I come to you, for you are ‘Siloam’ the ‘Sent’ from the Father. I wash in your blood, consequently my vision is enlightened. I see the gates of heaven opened and welcoming me! * My soul is heavy from constant discussions with friend and stranger. There are no more places in my heart for more words. Your deeds are fully appeasing and witness to your divine power, Your practical love silences rebellious tongues! Your light shines within me, it cannot be overcome by the powers of darkness. * With the man born blind, I do not fear expulsion When all reject me, you appear to me, When I am cast out I find you bearing the Cross outside the gates. You are the God of the banished and the rejected. * May they all be engaged in lengthy talks, But I will bow and worship before you, And enjoy the fellowship of your brilliance and the everlasting gladness of Your heavens!
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