ACC ~ John 9 v35 - 41

OVERVIEW:

Jesus elicits a confession of faith in his encounter with the blind man as a gift of life, not as a condition of healing (HILARY). Jesus is the personification of Siloam (“the sent one”) for this man, since he performed the work of the Father who had sent him in healing this man (AUGUSTINE). When he asks the man if he believes in the Son of man, the blind man recognizes the voice of the one who healed him (THEODORE) but still is on the borderline between unbelief and faith (ORIGEN). But when the Lord reveals himself to the man, he does confess his faith, and worship follows this confession (BASIL).

In this miracle, we see our Lord once again dividing between the light and the darkness, between the sight and blindness of faith (AUGUSTINE). Jesus’ purpose in coming into the world becomes clear in his desire to save it (THEODORE). Because the Pharisees refuse to see this, their sin remains (AUGUSTINE). Jesus heals both the physical and the spiritual blindness evident here (CHRYSOSTOM).

9:35 | Do You Believe in the Son of Man?

CHRIST ELICITS A CONFESSION OF FAITH

HILARY OF POITIERS: When the man was already healed and had suffered ejection from the synagogue, the Lord put to him the question, “Do you believe on the Son of God?” This was to save him from the thought that he had lost everything by being excluded from the synagogue. It gave him the certainty that confession of the true faith had restored him to immortality. When the man, his soul still unenlightened, answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him?” the Lord’s reply was, “You have both seen him, and it is he that speaks with you.” For his goal was to remove the ignorance of the man whose sight he had restored and whom he was now enriching with the knowledge of so glorious a faith. Does the Lord demand from this man, as from others who entreated him to heal them, a confession of faith as the price of their recovery? Emphatically not! For the blind man could already see when he was thus addressed. The Lord asked the question in order to receive the answer, “Lord, I believe.” The faith that spoke in that answer was to receive not sight but life. ON THE TRINITY 6.48. [1]

[1] NPNF 2 9:115-16**.

JESUS HIMSELF WAS SILOAM

AUGUSTINE: Of course God listens to sinners. But the man who said that had not yet washed the face of his heart in Siloam. The sacrament had already taken place in his eyes, but the benefit of grace had not yet been achieved in his heart. When did this blind man wash the face of his heart? When, after he had been thrown outside by the Jews, the Lord brought him inside into himself. You see, he found him and said to him, as we heard, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” And he answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?” He could already see him, certainly, with his eyes, but with his heart? Not yet. Wait for it; he will see in a moment. Jesus answered him, “I am, I who am talking to you.” Did he hesitate? He washed his face immediately. After all, Siloam was talking to him, “which is translated as ‘the One sent.’” [1] Who is the one sent but Christ who frequently asserted, “I do the will of my Father, who sent me”? [2] So he himself was Siloam. The man blind in heart approached, heard, believed, worshiped, washed his face and saw. SERMON 136.2. [3]

[1] Jn 9:7.

[2] Jn 4:34; 5:30; 6:38.

[3] WSA 3 4:354.

9:36 | Who Is He?

HE RECOGNIZES THE VOICE

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: The blind man, recognizing his voice—remember he had not seen him yet—said, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” With good reason he thought that he who had given him sight even though he was beyond hope could also show him the Son of God. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 4.9.34-37. [1]

[1] CSCO 4 3:194.

A BEGINNER’S CONFESSION OF FAITH

ORIGEN: Since he could not yet say “I believe” but as in ignorance answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?” he was therefore on the borderline, so to speak, between unbelief and belief. FRAGMENT 71 ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. [1]

[1] AEG 4:10; GCS 10 (4):539-40.

9:38 | Lord, I Believe

WORSHIP FOLLOWS FAITH

BASIL THE GREAT: Worship follows faith, and faith is confirmed by power. But if you say that believers also know, they know from what they believe; and vice versa, they believe from what they know. We know God from his power. We, therefore, believe in him who is known, and we worship him who is believed. LETTER 234.3. [1]

[1] NPNF 2 8:274*. Cyril Commentary on the Gospel of John 6.1 sees the worship of the Gentiles prefigured here.

9:39 | Coming into the World for Judgment

AUGUSTINE: The day then was divided between light and darkness…. And this is only right since you, O Lord, are the light, you are the day, you deliver us from darkness. Every soul accepts and understands this. But what is this that follows, “And those who see may become blind”? Because you have arrived, shall those who saw now be made blind? Hear what comes next, and maybe you will understand. “Some of the Pharisees” were disturbed by these words “and said to him, ‘Are we also blind?’” What had moved them were the words “And those who see may become blind.” “Jesus said to them,… ‘If you were blind, you would have no sin,’” that is, if you identified yourselves as blind you would run to the physician…. For I have come to take away sin. But now you say, “We see.” Therefore your sin remains. Why? Because when you say that you see, you are not looking for a physician, and that is why you will remain in your blindness. Therefore, what he has just said before about coming for those who do not see so that they may see concerns those who acknowledge that they do not see and seek a physician so that they may receive their sight. “And those who see may become blind” concerns those who think they can see without looking for a physician, and so they remain in their blindness. He calls this act of division “judgment,” saying, “For judgment I came into this world.”… He is not referring here to that “judgment” when he will judge the living and the dead at the end of the world. TRACTATES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 44.16-17. [1]

[1] NPNF1 7:249**.

THE PURPOSE AND OUTCOME OF JESUS’ COMING

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA: What Jesus said elsewhere, namely, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order to save it,” [1] is not contrary to this statement. For there it states the purpose of Jesus’ coming: that all people may be saved. Here he talks about the outcome of his coming. In fact, even though this is his will, that is, to save all people, the unbelievers nonetheless must be absolutely punished because of their choice not to believe. Here he indicates what seems to be the outcome of these events. As is only reasonable, he says, I came to test individuals in order to ascertain who are blind and who are able to see. Now he who was believed to be blind, twice received eyes to see. He received bodily eyes and, to the perfection of his soul, he received saving doctrine. Those [i.e., the Pharisees] who think they see with bodily eyes, who have been entrusted with the teaching of the precepts of the law, appear to be blind, both because they do not accept the truth and because they do not believe the works that they have seen with their own eyes. COMMENTARY ON JOHN 4.9.39-41. [2]

[1] Jn 3:17.

[2] CSCO 4 3:194-95.

UNCONFESSED SIN REMAINS

AUGUSTINE: That is why, when the Pharisees who were listening to what he was saying, themselves said, “We are not blind too, are we?” They were obviously like the one who had gone up to the temple and was telling God, “I thank you, because I am not like other people, unjust, adulterers, rapacious,” [1] as though to say, “I thank you that I am not blind but can see, unlike other people of the same sort as this tax collector.” What did those ones say? “We are not blind too, are we?” And the Lord answered them, “If you were blind, you would not have any sin. Now however, because you say ‘We can see,’ your sins remain.” He did not say “your sin occurs” but remains. You see, it was already there; because when you do not confess it, it is not taken away but “remains.” SERMON 136B.2. [2]

[1] Lk 18:11.

[2] WSA 3 4:364.

TWO RECOVERIES OF SIGHT, TWO TYPES OF BLINDNESS

CHRYSOSTOM: In this passage he speaks of two recoveries of sight and of two types of blindness: one sensory and the other spiritual. … But they were intent only on the sensory things and were ashamed only of sensory blindness. And so, in order to show them that it would be better for them to be blind than seeing as they do, he says, “If you were blind, you would have no sin,”… your punishment would be more tolerable…. “But now you say ‘We see,’” but you do not see at all. He shows that what they considered as so great and praiseworthy actually brought them punishment instead. At the same time, he also consoles him who was blind from his birth concerning his former maimed state. And then he speaks concerning their blindness. For he directs his whole speech toward this purpose, that is, so that they cannot say, “We did not refuse to come to you because of our blindness, but we turn away and avoid you as a deceiver.” And there is also a reason the Evangelist adds, “And some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words.” He wants to remind us that those were the very persons who had first withstood Christ and then wished to stone him. For there were some who only followed in appearance and were easily changed to the contrary opinion. HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 59.1-2. [1]

[1] NPNF 1 14:213**.