1 As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, 7 saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. 8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.” 13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. 14 Now it was a Sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” 16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. 17 So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18 The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” 20 His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” 24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out. 35 Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.
John 9:1-41 has the theme of the fifth sign, the healing of the man born blind (Mk 8:22-26, Mk 10:46-52),[1] as an aftermath to the Feast of Tabernacles. I have structured the narrative into five scenes, followed by an application that connects the story to broader human experience. I explore
· The theme of light vs. darkness in John’s Gospel.
· The symbolic meaning of blindness as a metaphor for spiritual ignorance.
· The role of Jesus as the light of the world and the transformative power of faith.
· Historical context, including the relationship between early Christians and the synagogue, referencing the birkat ha-minim.
· Literary artistry in John’s narrative.
· Application to modern life, using examples from hymns, poetry, and everyday attitudes.
I hope that the theological insight, historical references, and practical application, will make it suitable for study, teaching, or sermon preparation.
The story reveals the triumph of light over darkness. This story needs to be understood against the background of John's theology of light and darkness. Considering the whole chapter, the blindness since birth is a statement of the state of all humanity. He is blind to the power and presence of God until Jesus, the light of the world, reveals the God capable of curing our vision disorder. It illustrates the theological theme of this section, lamely adding the dimension of breaking the Sabbath commandment. [2] As a sign that Jesus is the light, John continues with this healing of a man born blind. One who sat in darkness comes to the light. The Pharisees, who claim to see, become spiritually blind. The fact that a man born blind is healed illustrates the extraordinary and transcendent greatness of the miracle. It also points to the symbolic horizon against which one must understand the story, that humanity is born blind to the light of revelation. A dogma of retribution is behind the question of why blindness afflicted this man, lamelyalthough more difficult to explain is the question that the man himself may have sinned. He is paradigm and symbol illustrating the truth of the human condition and that Jesus is the light of the world, so that those who do not see may do so. Christ makes the blind to see but also makes those who think they can see blind.[3] This chapter forms an independent unit, but John has also skillfully fitted it into its context. The story finds interchangeable the term “the Pharisees” and “the Jews.” The gulf that has opened between Jesus and the Jews deepens further. The Pharisees, who reappear here as speakers, reject Jesus obstinately and irrevocably. Their unbelief, their sinful blindness, contrasts with the attitude of the blind man, who opens himself to God’s call and comes to faith in Jesus. There is further reference to being a disciple of Jesus, and more questions about the origin of Jesus and identity. Biblical scholars debate much over to what extent conflicts between the community of John and the synagogue at the end of the first century shaped the way John presents his stories and dialogues. J. L. Martyn even believes that the whole narrative moves on two levels, that of the original events and that of the immediately contemporary situation. The chapter is a masterpiece of narrative that combines theological and historical strands with dramatic skill. This is a sharply worded exchange between those confessing Jesus and those espousing the pharisaic party line. John transforms this healing story into an intricately constructed framework for discussing the human condition and divine salvation. John's theology of light provides the backdrop for this text, with its images of vision and blindness. The entire chapter, as well as being a confessional text, is a tribute to John's disciplined artistry as a writer.
Scene one is verses 1-7 is introductory. In a connection with the previous chapter, Jesus departs from the Temple. As he walks along, he sees a man blind from birth. His disciples immediately ask a bizarre question as to whether the cause of this blindness was the sin of this man sinned or that of his parents. The emphasis of Jeremiah 31:29-30 and Ezekiel 18:14 already emphasize personal responsibility for sin. The response of Jesus is neither, but rather, that the works of God might find a revelation in him. In the presence of Jesus, suffering can serve the glory of God.[4] Here the rejection of sin as a reason for blindness has an implication in that the New Testament does not view every aspect of human suffering to sin.[5] As Jesus continues, “we” must work the works of the one who sent him while it is day, for the night is coming when no one can work. This response suggests this blindness is a canvas for a demonstration of the transforming power of God. The blindness from birth also focuses on the theological state of all humanity. The point is, this one man, like all the rest of us, is blind to the power and presence of God until Jesus, the Light of the World, reveals the God capable of curing our vision disorder. Then, in an expression of the theme of this chapter, and building on the word of revelation in 8:12, Jesus says that he is the light of the world, the light confronting the unenlightened world oriented to illumination.[6] The healing miracle takes place simply and quickly.[7] Then, Jesus spit on the ground, made mud by kneading the spittle into clay, which is expressly listed among the 39 chief tasks forbidden on Sabbath (Shab 7,2),[8] and spread the mud on the eyes of the man, telling him to wash in the pool of Siloam, a name that means “Sent.” When the man returned, he was able to see. Such washing in Siloam for healing became quite early in the history of the church became a lesson on baptism. In fact, some scholars think the purpose of this story was to offer instruction for those who seek baptism within the community of John.
Scene two occurs in 9:8-17, the healed man is back in his community, but now arguments among neighbors and Pharisees surround him. For the purposes of this story, what immediately follows confirms the healing has taken place and that Jesus is the source of the water. As often in John, we are to imagine evidence brought to the court. The neighbors knew him only as a beggar and began wondering what had happened. In fact, he had to insist he was the one they have known as born blind. They asked how he could now see. He related that the man called Jesus made some mud, put it in his eyes, and had wash in Siloam pool. They wondered where Jesus was, and the man did not know. The neighbors brought him to the Pharisees. We now learn it was the Sabbath. The religious leaders will now reject the testimony of the man born blind. When the Pharisees found what had happened, they say that this man is not from God because he does not observe the Sabbath. Other people disagreed, wondering how a sinner could perform such signs. Thus, we see a division within the community regarding Jesus. Therefore, they asked the man born blind whom he says Jesus is. His response is that Jesus is a prophet (Προφήτης), the common verdict among the people concerning him,[9] but a less than satisfactory opinion of the fickle crowd, a stage along the way to genuine faith.[10] The parallel between the physical sight the man receives from Jesus and the steady discovery of spiritual sight is one this chapter will skillfully develop.
Scene three is 9:18-23 has religious leaders quiz the parents of the healed man. This time, “the Jews,” that is, the Pharisees, did not believe that he had been blind and received his sight until they called the parents. They asked if this is man is their son. They also ask how it was that he can now see. They respond that he is their son, that he was born blind, and that they do not know how he sees now. They do not know who opened his eyes. They tell the Pharisees that they can ask the man, for he can speak for himself. The parents spoke this way because they were afraid of “the Jews,” that is the Pharisees, for they had already agreed that those who offered the confession of Jesus as the Messiah (χριστόν) would be put out of the synagogue. We learn that this second interrogation by the Pharisees is a threat to the parents. However, it also reveals the deteriorating situation after 70 AD and the destruction of the Temple. Therefore, this passage becomes an important consideration in the dating of this gospel, reflecting the final breach between Judaism and the first century followers of Jesus.[11] In the decades that followed, Judaism struggled with its new identity. The presence of Jews who professed Jesus as their Messiah did not help this process. Some scholars have suggested that it was in response to this situation that the first century synagogue composed the birkat ha-minim (the benediction against heretics). The 12th in a series of 18 benedictions, this prayer helped establish boundaries between the shaky synagogue community and those whom they would now consider outsiders. Scholars remain divided over how direct the relationship was between this benediction and the circumstances experienced by the Johannine community.[12] According to the Encyclopedia Judaica, its exceptional importance in Christian-Jewish relations from the first century C.E. to the present has focused intense scholarly attention on this benediction. The crystallized wording of the benediction in the extant early siddurim (ninth to twelfth centuries) makes it likely that the text preserved there closely resembles its original formulation. We find the following wording in a Palestinian siddur from the Cairo Genizah:
For the apostates let there be no hope. And let the arrogant government be speedily uprooted in our days. Let the noẓerim and the minim be destroyed in a moment. And let them be blotted out of the Book of Life and not be inscribed together with the righteous. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who humblest the arrogant" (Schechter).
This was also the version commonly used in the Babylonian rite, in which the penultimate sentence, "And let them be blotted out," was replaced by a petition to cut off all enemies, "may all the enemies of your people and their opponents be speedily cut off." Other variants reflect a longer, more elaborated request for obliteration of enemies. The language of the benediction clearly demonstrates that it was directed, not at non-Jews in general, but rather specifically aimed against external persecutors of the Jews and against Jewish separatists who posed a danger to Judaism's internal cohesion. Nonetheless, as early as the first centuries C.E. we find church fathers voicing the claim that the Jews curse the Christians in their prayers.
Scene four is 9:24-34 has the religious leaders question the healed man again. The man born blind will offer his personal testimony and will make a rational appeal. “They” called the man born blind back and exhort him to give glory to God, for they know this man (Jesus) is a sinner. The blind man responded that he does not know whether the man Jesus is a sinner, but he does know that once he was blind, and now he sees. They then ask what he did to open the eyes of the man. He said he told them already, so why do they want to hear again. He wonders if they want to become disciples of Jesus. They “reviled” him, telling him that while he is a disciple of Jesus, they are disciples of Moses. They regard Moses as their teacher, consciously regarding themselves as links in the chain that stretches back to Moses and the revelation of the will of God for the people through him. This self-designation denotes a deliberate contesting of the authority of Jesus by the Jewish leaders on the ground that his authority is personal. This brings John close to the synoptic gospels, basing the decision for or against commitment to Jesus on a personal relation to Jesus and not on material considerations.[13]They know God spoke to Moses, but they do not know where this man, Jesus, comes from. The blind man finds this astonishing. They do not know where Jesus has come from, but he has opened his eyes. “We” know God does not listen to sinners, but God does listen to one who worships God and obeys the will of God, showing an advance in what the blind man understands of Jesus. The reference to one who worships God is close to the notion in Cicero of the religious person. He distinguishes religion from superstition, stressing that religion is a moral duty.[14] Since the world began, no one has opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man, Jesus, were not from God, yet another advance of the understanding of the blind man, he could do nothing. “They” responded that the man born blind was also born entirely in sins, and yet, he is trying to teach them. They “drove” him out of the synagogue, suggesting excommunication.
Scene five is 9:35-41, is the climax. Here the transformation from blindness to clear-eyed discipleship takes place. Here, too, the Pharisees, despite their physical eyes and spiritual privileges, sink into a dark abyss of sightlessness. Light comes to those who recognize that life is blindness without Christ. Darkness comes to those who claim to see without Christ. Jesus heard that they had driven him out. He sought the man out. Jesus asked him whether he believes in the Son of Man (τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου). The point of the question is whether he believes in Jesus as the Son of Man, thereby valuing the title as messianic, setting it in service of his realized eschatology, the present experience of the community anticipating the future redemptive act of God, with the goal being a new dignity in his confession.[15] The man wonders who the Son of Man is. If he knows who he is, he will believe in him. Jesus identifies himself as the Son of Man. The blind man responds, “Lord, I believe.” The man born blind worshiped him. This action is the expression of formal adoration of Jesus, but of the honor duty to the God-sent bringer of salvation that itself gives honor and adoration to God. It shows the man’s advance from his Jewish faith to Christian faith. The man has not just received sight of his eyes, but sight in his believing heart. Jesus then said that he came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind. Those who outwardly see only apparently see; in reality, they are blind and are losing their ability to perceive spiritual and divine realities. Jesus' words complete this scene, summing up the ironic message of this whole episode - those who were blind will see, but those who already see may plunge into darkness. The Pharisees heard him and asked Jesus if he is saying that they are blind. Jesus responds that if they were blind, they would not have sin. However, now that they claim to see, their sin remains. The blind are those who cannot understand the sign of Jesus, do not perceive his divine origin, and who will not be called out of the darkness of the world and their preconceptions into the light of Christ.[16] Through all specifically first-century polemic, this story exposes a fundamental feature of human behavior. The person locked within self and wants only advantage for self is not open to the claim of God because it challenges this form of life. As such, persons harden their attitudes.
Application
In the act that is Jesus of Nazareth, the distinctiveness of his existence, and his likeness to God are actual allowing readers to see and comprehend it. His life is his act, and it has therefore the character of history. In the acts of his life, he turns toward those who suffer, which is to turn toward the whole person. Human life is one that involves suffering. Jesus finds people under the shadow of death. His miracle is to bring the person out of the shadow, to free, release, and unburden the person from this prison. The focus is not so much sin as it is suffering. The man Jesus acts in free grace, an action that in turn reveals the truth and reality of God. This story becomes such an action by the man Jesus. At the beginning of the story is an action, the removal of the blindness of this man, as a demonstration of the free grace of God. What we discover in the story is that faith is a freedom.[17]
Through all specifically first-century polemic, this story exposes a fundamental feature of human behavior. The person locked within self and wants only advantage for self is closed to the claim of God because it challenges this form of life. As such, persons harden their attitude; the more brutally are they confronted with the demand of God if they do not free themselves from the straitjacket of their egoism.
The story is apologetic concerning who Jesus is. He is the light of the world.
The story is a lesson on baptism. Note the healing source of the water. The emphasis on being born blind suggests the healing power of water. In any case, after the third century the early church identified the text with baptism. Since a Christian community is addressed, the question arises whether it was not intended to receive instruction from this story about baptism, its necessity and meaning. Patristic exegesis and the early church saw such a connection in the story, and the idea has received prominence again in modern exegesis. However, if the writer intended an allusion to baptism, the writer would have to give clearer signs than the text allows.
Many human beings think they see quite well. Many are quite unaware of the quite real problem they have. Even religious leaders become quite confident that they know exactly the way God works. They will not allow for any other way than their way.
The human condition is one of blindness. For some people, they become cynical, as if the light will never dawn upon them. For still others, they will go on seeking, as if they are the judge of what constitutes the light they need. Still others are confident that they know precisely the light, as if God may not work in new ways. The deeper one gets into a set of beliefs, the more unbelieving one may become.
I suspect that throughout our walk with God, something of the open-hearted seeker needs to be part of our lives. We cannot pin down the ways and works of God so precisely that we do not allow for the possibility that God may still work in new ways. We are blind to our situation, until God steps in and brings light to our lives.
If a person becomes open to the light God has brought into the world through Jesus, the clarity he brings may go through stages. We may think of Jesus as a great man, a great spiritual leader, and after a process of learning come to see him as the Son of God. It takes time to learn these things. It takes time to disclose to us the depth of our blindness, as well as to see what it will be like to walk in the light of Jesus. Sadly, people can go the other way as well. Those who think they see so well may plunge into deeper darkness.
The beloved hymn, “Be Thou My Vision,” is set to the tune, “Slane,” a traditional Irish ballad. It was first transcribed in the early 20th century but is likely much older. The words are a translation of a text attributed to Saint Dallán Forgaill, a sixth-century Celtic monk, poet, and follower of Saint Columba. The hymn’s text and tune were first combined in the Irish Church Hymnal in 1919, and it has spread round the world ever since. The name, Dallán, means “little blind one.” He earned that name after losing his sight, reputedly for studying the Scriptures too intensively. Following the death of his mentor, Columba, Dallán composed an epic poem, the Amhra Coluim Cille, telling the story of the saint’s life. The legend is that, upon completing that work, Dallán’s sight was restored.
The opening verse of the hymn poignantly draws upon its author’s experience of blindness:
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Imagine what those words must have meant to a man who knew only darkness! Amidst the gloom, Dallán focused on God, his “best thought.” Whether “by day or by night,” God’s presence was the only light he knew.
Struck blind at the age 44, John Milton ponders in his sonnet, “When I Consider How My Light Is Spent,” why God would give him the talent to work as a government translator of foreign-language documents, only to block him from using it. Later editors, aware of its author’s disability, would rename the poem, “On His Blindness”:
When I consider how my light is spent,
Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide,
And that one Talent which is death to hide
Lodged with me useless, though my Soul more bent
To serve therewith my Maker, and present
My true account, lest he returning chide,
“Doth God exact day-labor, light denied?”
I fondly ask. But patience, to prevent
That murmur, soon replies, “God doth not need
Either man’s work or his own gifts; who best
Bear his mild yoke, they serve him best. His state
Is Kingly: thousands at his bidding speed,
And post o’er land and ocean without rest;
They also serve who only stand and wait.”
In John 9:5, Jesus says he is the light of the world. The promise is that those who were blind can now see. The danger is that those who think they see so well become blind, as if blinded by the light.
The story in John 9 starts out as a simple story of the healing by Jesus of a man born blind. The healing occurs on the Sabbath, the day when Israel sets aside other activities and ponders its relationship to its God. It took place during the Feast of Tabernacles; a festival of lights held in Jerusalem every year.
The story is really about Jesus. He is the light of the world. Yet the coming of the light can expose darkness and make one blind.
John tells us that the man was born blind. The disciples wonder whether the suffering of this man had its cause in sin, either the man or the parents. Jesus dismisses the issue quickly. He is simply toward someone who suffers, as Jesus often does in his healing of people in his ministry. Yet the story is about so much more. This physical blindness becomes an example of the blindness that afflicts all of us from birth. In this, he becomes a parable about the human condition, often in darkness, seeking its own way. When Jesus comes, and is the light for our lives, we begin to see the world, and ourselves, in a separate way. We need to receive the light.
Before the story is done, we have opportunity to ponder the irony that the religious leaders, the ones who have the job to see spiritually, are blind. The story is about the keepers of religious tradition who have forgotten why they are there. As John develops the story, the religious leaders reveal several types of blindness to what God is doing through Jesus.
In other words, this story reveals another aspect of the human condition. We live in a shadowy world. Our lives are full of darkness. John tells us the truth about Jesus, as Jesus said, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
And what about us? What sort of new eyes do we need? Do we need a new outlook on life, the ways we see with the eyes of the soul?
When we look at the people around us, those we encounter every day, do we see them as they have always been … small-minded, petty or otherwise flawed? Or do we see them as God sees them … human children with infinite potential?
When we look at people different from us — people who come from another ethnic heritage, or another religion, or a different sort of community — do we assume certain things about them based on old prejudices? Or do we approach each encounter open to whatever God’s ready to show us?
When we look at the physical world around us, do we see it only as a scientist or engineer is taught to see it … a place governed by physical laws alone? Or do we see it as the place where God rules, a place where miracles sometimes happen? Do we hear in birdsong a hymn of praise, and see in the sunset a benediction?
When we call Jesus Christ to mind, do we see him only as a historical figure, a wise teacher, an ethical example, or a superstar who had a lot of fans in his day? Or do we see him as a risen Lord who walks beside us, who speaks to us of love and compassion, and who guides us in the way we should go? Do we see him as our Lord and our Savior? He can be those things to us, our Lord and our Savior. He wants to be those things for us. He seeks us out, as he sought out that formerly blind man. He asks us if we, too, believe in the Son of Man — and if we know the one speaking to us is he. Do you know that in your own life? Do you really know it, deep in your heart? If you want to know it, then pray to him for the gift of new eyes. For it is a gift he is more than eager to give you.
I want us to take a few moments to look at how Jesus brought light into the darkness. I would like to focus upon "the four c's" in terms of the attitude toward life that we find expressed in this chapter. I will do so by alternating between what we find in the text and how we might apply it to our lives.
One attitude toward life is that of being critical. At first, the healed man refers to the one who healed him as "the man Jesus." The healing of this man came to the attention of the religious authorities, the Pharisees. At this point in the story, they remind me of the critical people of the world. These Pharisees, after they heard about the healing of the man born blind, instead of celebrating, found something about which to be negative. Jesus did something that was not nice. He spit upon some dirt, turned it into clay, put it on the man's eyes, and healed him. More than that, this occurred on the Sabbath. The law said one could not form clay on that day. They concluded Jesus must be a sinner and a dangerous man.
Is it not odd how some people can be critical of anything, no matter how much they could be celebrating? "The wedding was so beautiful; such a shame the groom couldn't have lost a few pounds for the occasion." Or "Congratulations on your new promotion. But you have still got an awful lot of the ladder to climb, don't you?" Or "The new sanctuary looks wonderful. Of course, we will probably never grow enough to fill it or pay for it!" A new worship service meets spiritual needs and attracts new people. Of course, what they do is not real worship. It seems like for some people, deflating the joy, tarnishing the triumphs, has become their occupation.
It reminds me of the story of three persons who arrived at the gates of heaven. St. Peter met them, but said he had some pressing business, and would they please wait? He was gone a long time, but finally he came back and called one of the new arrivals. "Do you mind waiting?" "No, I've looked forward to this for so long. I love God and I cannot wait to meet Jesus. I don't mind at all." St. Peter said that was good, but could she answer one more question: "How do you spell 'God'?" She said, "Capital G-O-D." St. Peter invited her in. He then got another new arrival. He asked if he minded waiting, and the man said no, for he figured he had eternity to spend here. He also had one more question to which to respond: "How do you spell 'God'?" He responded the same as the woman, and St. Peter invited him into heaven. St. Peter went out to get the third person and asked her if she minded waiting. "As a matter of fact, I do. I have had to stand in line all my life--at the supermarket, when I went to school, when I registered my children for school, when I went to the movies--everywhere--and I resent having to wait in line for heaven now!" St. Peter said, "Well, that's all right for you to feel that way. It will not be held against you, but there is just one more question. How do you spell 'Czechoslovakia'?"[18]
It pays to be focused on the positive, does it not?
Are we quick to criticize rather than celebrate God’s work?
Second, attitude toward life #2: complain. The religious people in the story remind us that some people complain about the smallest items in life. As the story progresses, the Pharisees are not satisfied with what the healed man has told them, so they go to the trouble of getting the man's parents. In fact, later in the century, people were expelled from the synagogue if they believed Jesus to be the Messiah. Part of the evidence could be received from family. The Pharisees are examining the perceived hurt to their cause and to their leadership, namely the coming of Jesus and the light he brought to people, and they make it worse, at least from their perspective. In the meantime, the healed man begins to wonder if Jesus might be more than "the man Jesus." He might be a prophet. He continues peeling away the spiritual blindness that has darkened his life. He begins to see what God is doing through Jesus.
To use a physical analogy, the religious leaders are like people who, when there is a genuine hurt, pull away at the scab. Something fascinates us about that scab. One person talks about a dog that developed a small nick on the tip of his tail. Three inches of infected tail were amputated, and the rest was carefully stitched up. A week later, the dog managed to get at the wound that was healing. It licked and scratched until another surgery was needed. Now left with nothing but a four-inch stump, the dog began to heal again. Again, the dog was drawn to the wound and continued to lick away at it. It caused the bandaged stump to swell, and a horrible infection set in that spread throughout his entire system. Only headgear managed to save the dog's life. A tiny wound had nearly destroyed him.
The attitude toward life of complaining seems only to make matters worse. It will bring you deeper into darkness.
Do we focus on what’s lacking instead of what’s given?
Third, attitude toward life #3: condemn. If you have a condemning attitude, you believe you have spiritual superiority over others. The Pharisees call the man back again. This is the third interrogation that they carry out. They know more than the man healed by Jesus does. They have Moses as their teacher. The implication is that they are better than he is. Indeed, one can almost hear them say, "For goodness sake, how do you dare believe in this man when you have Moses?" I want to suggest that we are like them. We feel superior to others and condemn them. I know more Bible than he does. I am friendlier than she is. I pray more, or better, than he does. Whatever standard of judgment we use, we make sure that we come out looking better than someone else that we think worthy of condemning.
This time, the man is angry. If someone condemns you, is that not how you respond? The man asks them, sarcastically, if they would like to become disciples of Jesus. This time, he is moved even closer to the truth about Jesus, as he refers to Jesus as a man of God.
Do we judge others from a place of spiritual superiority?
Fourth, attitude in life #4: confession/celebration. Finally, Jesus talks with the man again. John reveals that the issue has been spiritual blindness all along. Jesus announces himself to be the Son of Man. The healed man confesses him as Lord and worships him. This man becomes one of the positive, celebrative people of the world because he now encounters Jesus as he really is. Is it not strange that it has taken so long for the story to celebrate? Everyone in the story could have celebrated at the beginning. After all, a dramatic healing has taken place. People picked it apart, examined it, had an air of spiritual superiority, but no one celebrates until now. What we see in the man born blind is the steady progression of faith. John Wesley called it prevenient grace, at work in hidden ways and moving us steadily toward that moment when we can confess and celebrate.
Do we move toward genuine faith and celebration of God’s grace?
Frankly, this story is close to the way human life is. We find it so much easier to focus on the negative. The world is never quite the way it should be. The church is never quite the way I like it. The preacher could always satisfy you better if he just did something a little different. The worship service could always be just a little more to my liking.
I think this story exposes one of the realities of a human life. Our lives are never quite the way we want them. We need to notice the imperfections of life but also see the beauty that surrounds the flaws of a human life. One of my friends on Facebook (Ned Steele) posted a blog that referred to an article concerning becoming more approachable. Among the seven ways to do so was to embrace your imperfections. You might as well. Other people embrace you and count you as friend, and believe me, they do not think you are perfect. Some of them may see your imperfections better than do you.
Jesus makes the ironic statement that those who were blind see, but those who already see are plunged into darkness. When confronted with Jesus, some will understand something clearly at last and celebrate. Others will turn away from light and will receive comfort in their darkness. We often wonder why the “unchurched” remain so. We expend much effort to take down barriers that they unchurched may have. Yet the assumption that we so often bring is that the church gets it. This story should remind us that sometimes, we who should see, simply do not. We also resist. We have barriers.
There is plenty of darkness in the world. If we want to focus on that, we can be critical, we can complain, we can condemn. We can stumble around in darkness all our lives, like the man who was blind from birth, and never receive healing. Many people do. Even we as Christians have some fascination with darkness. Yet, if we focus on Jesus, the light of the world, we can be among the celebrative people of the world. Jesus is the light of the world. Nothing gives us more cause to celebrate than this.
Reflection: How do these four attitudes shape your response to God’s work in your life?
Reflection question: In what areas of your life might you be clinging to "seeing" in old ways, and how might inviting Jesus as the light bring fresh clarity?
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[3] Schrage, TDNT, VIII, 288-91.
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[6] Conzelmann, TDNT IX, 351.
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[8] Lohse, TDNT, VII, 28.
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[12] (For more on this see Wayne O. McCready "Johannine Self-Understanding and the Synagogue: Episode of John 9," in David J. Hawkin and Tom Robinson, eds., Self-Definition and Self-Discovery in Early Christianity: A Study in Changing Horizons [Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press, 1990], 147-166.)
[13] Rengstorf, TDNT IV, 443-4.
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[15] Colpe, TDNT, VIII, 465.
[16] Schrage, TDNT, VIII, 291-2.
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[18] (Homiletics, Ja-Mar 1993)
Really enjoyed this.
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