CHAPTER 9
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. John 9:1
In the previous chapter Jesus spoke of being the Light of the World. In this chapter the Lord demonstrates that aspect of his divine nature. 1 It is likely that this event took place soon after the Tabernacles celebration, with its emphasis on light. Jesus will also weave into this account the ideas of light and darkness incorporated with figures of sight and blindness. 2
We note that this man was blind from birth. It is this miracle alone in the gospels that we see a person afflicted from birth.3 Guthrie says, “It is worth noting that the healing miracles in John are specifically stated to concern people in a chronic state (cf. 5:5).” 4 In this approaching action of the Lord we will see the continuation of a pattern in his ministry. There is generally a healing that is followed by a controversy.5
“His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’” (9:2). With their question, the disciples were only reflecting commonly held opinions of that day. The rabbis even had the strange idea that a baby could sin even in its mother’s womb.6 It is clear in the Old Testament that children can inherit curses from their parents. We are told that the iniquity of the parents can be visited upon the children to the third and fourth generation of people who hate the Lord (Exo. 20:5; cf. 34:7; Num. 14:18).7
Sometimes people’s sins do cause them problems in the physical realm. Although it is tricky business to make judgments about this, no doubt many people in our rest homes whose bodies are in terrible condition got that way by abusing their bodies. We think of the ravages of tobacco, alcohol and drug abuse. What is not so visible are the ravages of fornication and adultery, yet the Bible does say that such things lead to death (Prov. 2:18; 5:5; 7:27). It was a widely-held view in those days that such an affliction as blindness was due to the person’s sin.8 Obviously, there is no hard and fast rule about this as Jesus points out.
“‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him’” (9:3). Clearly, all of people’s problems and sufferings are not due to their sin. There is a suffering that is simply a part of living in a curse-infested world. This suffering may manifest itself in many ways, such as conflict, corruption, frustration, anxiety, drudgery, etc. There are thorns and thistles in humanity’s path as we see from Genesis. No doubt, God wanted to put a little redemptive pressure on fallen humans to have them cry out for mercy. There is also physical suffering and death that is strictly part of the curse. Even apostolic workers got sick (1 Tim. 5:23; 2 Tim. 4:20; Phil. 2:25-27). We thus cannot claim that all sickness is due to lack of faith or sin.
There is suffering that we strictly bring upon ourselves. Sometimes we just do dumb things. For instance, we may not pay attention while driving and have a collision with another vehicle. Because of it, we may suffer and perhaps others will suffer needlessly with us. Often we have wrong attitudes and opinions about ourselves or others. This type of suffering is an extremely painful and intense kind to bear.
When we fail to ask the Lord for guidance, we often suffer for it. God allows us to go in a wrong and foolish direction until we realize our mistake. Then there is the suffering brought on by our deliberate sin. When we disobey the Lord and walk contrary to his way, we suffer. It may be a part of the Lord’s chastisement (Heb. 12:6). One of the most mysterious forms of suffering is that which we are called upon to do for the sake of the Lord’s kingdom. Israel has long suffered this way (Psa. 124; 129). The clearest pattern for this suffering is the Lord Jesus who suffered and died for sinners (Heb. 2:9). In scripture, believers are warned that the same type of suffering may await them (1 Pet. 4:1; Phil.1:29).
There are even more subtle forms of suffering under the headings of rejection, slander, persecution, opposition, spiritual attack, and sickness that is of a redemptive nature (2 Cor. 12:7; 2 Tim. 3:12 and the whole Book of Job). We should note that most other kinds of sickness can be healed by prayer. This type cannot be.
So, in the case of the man born blind it was not his fault or the fault of his parents. In this case God wanted to show forth his power and glory. Long before, Isaiah had spoken of the Suffering Servant who would cause the blind to see (Isa. 29:18; 35:5; 42:7). Now those prophecies were about to be fulfilled. “The disciples regarded this man as an unsolved riddle; but Jesus regarded him as a suffering person needing relief.” 9
“As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world” (9:4-5). Jesus continues to keep the symbols of light and darkness before us. He is aware of his impending death and the dark night that was approaching. While it was day he was intent upon working. All of us like the Lord must labor while it is day. The night is also coming for us in our physical demise and also in the coming of the antichrist at the end of the age. No one will be able to work on that dark day.
Abraham Heschel said, “It is the dimension of time wherein man meets God, wherein man becomes aware that every instant is an act of creation, a beginning, opening up new roads for ultimate realizations. Time is the presence of God in the world of space…” 10
Jesus had no time to waste and neither should we. We need to make the most of every opportunity. It is interesting that Jesus said he was the light of the world while in the world, but he plainly taught that once he was removed, we his followers would become the light of the world (Matt. 5:14), as he would shine through us. He instructs us, “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).
THE HEALING
After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. John 9:6
To western ears this whole episode sounds a little strange. For us, spitting is crude and unsanitary. However, in ancient times “…there was enormous superstition attached to the spittle of a renowned person.” 11 So in popular thought spittle was considered as a healing agent. We see Jesus using this method again in Mark 7:33 and 8:22-25. We know today that spittle does not cure but it is interesting how Jesus uses this ancient symbol and understanding to transmit his curative power. Barclay does mention that when we burn our finger today our first impulse is to place it into our mouths.12
The idea of mixing spittle with clay may have spiritual implications. In the beginning man was made from the clay-like dust of the ground. Jesus created man from clay and now he is using clay in the process of re-creation.13 We see from scripture that the opening of blind eyes was a specific work of the Messiah (Isa. 35:5). The opening of blind eyes was almost a hallmark of Jesus’s ministry (e.g. Matt. 9:27-31; 11:5; Mk. 8:22-26; 10:46-52; Lk. 4:17; 7:22; 18:35-43). We would think that the scholars of Israel would have quickly connected up these scriptures with the work of Jesus, but alas, they never did.
“Go,’ he told him, ‘wash in the Pool of Siloam’ (this word means ‘Sent’). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing” (9:7). The popular Pool of Siloam came into being during the days of Hezekiah. The water source of ancient Jerusalem was in the valley directly outside the city. King Hezekiah knew that the city would not be able to withstand the siege of the Assyrian King Sennacherib unless the source could be secured. In haste he had his engineers bore through ancient Mt. Zion and transfer the precious water to the inside of the city walls (2 Chron. 32:2-8; 32:30; Isa. 22:9-11; 2 Ki. 20:20). This was a distance of over one thousand feet (304 m.). The engineers started digging from each end and met in the middle. The stone inscription describing this meeting has been discovered in modern times.14 Today, tourists to Israel are able to walk through this tunnel. The flowing and cooling water is about knee-deep and it empties into the ancient Pool of Siloam.
The name “Siloam” is taken from the Hebrew word for “sent.” 15 This name was probably derived from the sending of the waters from the spring to the pool. The name has implications applying to Christ who was sent from the Father.16 Not only was Christ the Sent One from God but the blind man is also sent to the pool so that his obedience and healing could be complete.
The command for a blind man to walk to the southern extremity of the old City of David to the Pool of Siloam (perhaps 3000 ft. or over 900 m. away) was a difficult one with many steps and a steep downhill path. It would likely have been much easier to walk to the nearby Pool of Bethesda, but he would not have been healed at that pool. There is great importance for us in strictly obeying the Master. The man washed in the pool and came back seeing. Pett remarks how the word of God can open blind eyes for all those who sit in darkness today (Eph. 5:26).17
John gives us a very abbreviated account of the man’s healing. No doubt he was ecstatic as he came back up the hill. We can almost hear him exclaiming, “So that is what a tree looks like!” or “Wow, so that is what the Mount of Olives looks like!” He may have exclaimed, “Praise God, I can actually see the Temple Mount!”
THE NEIGHBORS
His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” John 9:8-9
We did not know before that the man was a beggar, but that was about the only way a blind person could make a living in those days. Wiersbe thinks that the man and his parents were well known.18 But obviously, people were having a difficult time recognizing him. We know today that the shape and color of one’s eyes play a big part in our ability to recognize people. This man’s face and countenance had really changed. While even the neighbors doubted him, the man assured them that it was he who was the blind beggar.
“‘How then were your eyes opened?’ they asked” (9:10). Keener informs us that people who were born blind were not known to recover in the ancient world.19 We can see how the eyes of the neighbors were open wide in amazement at this wondrous healing.
“He replied, ‘The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.’ ‘Where is this man?’ they asked him. ‘I don’t know,’ he said” (9:11-12). Obviously, the blind man did not know much about Jesus. He knew his name but he had never seen him because he was blind. This clearly illustrates the fact that we do not have to know much about Jesus today to be saved. The Bible says simply, “for ‘Whoever will call upon the name of the LORD will be saved’” (Rom. 10:13 NAS).
THE PHARISEES
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. John 9:13
The people were so puzzled and overwhelmed by this great miracle that they took the man to the religious authorities, the Pharisees. By now we have understood that the Pharisees felt it was their mission to douse every spark of hope and every flame of faith. But supposedly they were the experts on the law and the people turned to them.
“Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath” (9:14). No doubt, this information was partly what caused the neighbors to refer the man to the Pharisees. According to Pharisaic doctrine healing was strictly forbidden on the Sabbath. We discussed in 5:9-10, how the Scribes and Pharisees had devised thirty-nine categories of work on the Sabbath. In this legal muddle it was not permitted to heal a person on the Sabbath. It was also not permitted for a person to produce a clay mixture. Jesus, who kept God’s law perfectly, looked with scorn on these man-made laws. He knew it was legal to do good things on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:12). Kretzmann comments, “Jesus had, as it seems, purposely performed the miracle on the Sabbath, in order to give offense to the Pharisees.” 20 He knew his Father was still working on the Sabbath to maintain the world and universe and thus he too would work on the Sabbath (5:17).
“Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. ‘He put mud on my eyes,’ the man replied, ‘and I washed, and now I see’” (9:15). There seems to be a total lack of wonder on the part of the Pharisees that an outstanding miracle had just taken place. We must always be careful that the minutiae of our religious laws do not blind us to the presence and glory of God.
“Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’ But others asked, ‘How can a sinner perform such signs?’ So they were divided” (9:16). Barnes says, “They assumed that their views of the Sabbath were correct, and by those views they judged others. It did not occur to them to inquire whether the interpretation which they put on the law might not be erroneous.” 21 We can hold the Bible in our hands and read it religiously and still become enemies of the Lord. It appears that some of the Pharisees or some in the crowd had some sense of amazement that a so-called “sinner” could do such marvelous works. How could the others reject an astounding miracle because of their petty man-made laws? Stedman says it was a lot like rejecting the gift of a very expensive diamond just because it came in a plastic box.22
“Then they turned again to the blind man, ‘What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.’ The man replied, ‘He is a prophet’” (9:17). Clarke says of him that “…as the mercy of God had given him his sight, so the wisdom of God taught him how to escape the snares laid for his ruin.” 23 Meyer comments: “It is marvelous to note this man proving himself more than a match for his opponents, and answering them with a simplicity and a majesty that confounded them.” 24 When we are brought before courts to testify of our belief (and that day is coming) we would be wise to heed the words of our Lord who assures that the Holy Spirit will give us wisdom to answer at that time (Matt. 10:19-20).
THE PARENTS
They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” John 9:18-19
We gather that this miracle was a huge problem for the Pharisees. Somehow, they had to prove that it was bogus if they were to defend their narrow bigoted interpretations of scripture. Guthrie comments: “…their enquiries do not appear to be made in the spirit of impartial examination…” 25 Their purpose seemed to be that of intimidating the parents and getting them to answer in some way that would discount the miracle.
“‘We know he is our son,’ the parents answered, ‘and we know he was born blind. But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself’” (9:20-21). The parents frustrate the Pharisees by identifying him as their son and by verifying that he was born blind. They have no desire to speak further lest they anger the Pharisees and find themselves excommunicated from the synagogue. Their son was of age and he could speak for himself. In the Jewish world a son became of age at the age of thirteen.26 At that point he was able to give testimony concerning himself. This man was obviously much older than thirteen years. Bruce feels that “…they were unhappy that he should be mixed up with someone who was in disfavor with the authorities.” 27 The Pharisees were obviously frustrated that their hope of denying the miracle was fleeing away from them.
“His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him’” (9:22-23). To be cast out of the synagogue (Gk. aposunagōgos) was a dreadful thing for Jewish people. It was very similar but probably worse than excommunication in the church. This whole thought must have struck terror in the minds of the Jewish believers to whom John was writing. From AD 70 onward the Romans had allowed the Sanhedrin to be reconstituted. In the 90s one of the tragic things the Sanhedrin did was to turn one of the synagogue blessings into a curse against heretics, particularly the Nazarenes or Jewish Christians. From that point on they were essentially excluded from synagogue services because they could not take part in cursing themselves.28
BACK TO COURT
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” John 9:24-25
The Pharisees charged the man with the words “Give the glory to God.” These words were used long before in Joshua’s trial of Achan (Josh. 7:19). Achan was guilty of causing Israel’s defeat on the battlefield and Joshua wanted him to “come clean” before he and his family were stoned to death. Of course, the man who was born blind had already confessed the truth to the Pharisees, even if they did not like it and would not accept it. Wiersbe says of this man, “After all, he had been blind all his life, and there was so much now to see. He certainly did not want to spend much longer in a synagogue court, looking at angry faces and answering the same questions!” 29
At this point the man did something which should serve as a lesson for all of us. He did not resort to some theological explanation or some proof text. He simply told what Christ had done for him. Most often that is what people really want to hear from us. Even today a person’s simple testimony is often the most effective tool in evangelism. As Morris says, “No fine-spun web of airy theory can budge a person who can say with conviction ‘one thing I do know.’” 30
“Then they asked him, ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ He answered, ‘I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?’” (9:26-27). Here we sense the great frustration of the Pharisees. They had not found a way to discount the miracle so they decided to hear it all again that they might find some flaw.
The man was becoming weary of their questioning. Pfeiffer and Harrison say, “Sensing that the purpose of the questioning was not to learn the facts, the man became impatient…Thoroughly disgusted, he began to do some needling of his own…” 31 Using a little irony he asked if they were interested in becoming disciples of Jesus.
Clearly, they were in no mood for irony. “Then they hurled insults at him and said, ‘You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from’” (9:28-29). They claimed to be disciples of Moses but at the same time they were ignoring what Moses had commanded them to do. Moses had said: “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him” (Deut. 18:15). They were not listening. They were fulfilling the words of Isaiah 29:13: “The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.’”
“The man answered, ‘Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes” (9:30). Coffman says of him: “The poor blind beggar suddenly emerged here as a thinker of remarkable and penetrating insight into God’s moral government of the universe.” 32 His practical wisdom and impenetrable logic were impossible for the Pharisees to overcome. Only one from heaven could do a miracle like the opening of eyes for one born blind.
“We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing” (9:31-33). Plainly, God will not give heed to the wicked (cf. 1 Sam. 8:18; Job 27:9; Pro. 1:28; Isa. 1:15; 59.2). But God has heeded Jesus and worked a mighty miracle through him. It was an unheard of miracle, even from the beginning of the world there had been none like this miracle. “How preposterous was the thought that God would have allowed some impostor to work a miracle like that!” 33 Utley says, “This uneducated blind man had better, more consistent theology then the religious leaders!” 34
“To this they replied, ‘You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!’ And they threw him out’” (9:34). The Pharisees and other leaders of Israel looked upon the people of the land as sinners, because the common people could never keep all the myriads of laws that they had devised. In their prejudice they disputed the words of Jesus who said this blind man’s problem was not because of his sin. He had defeated them and the leaders angrily cast him out.
Most commentators feel that he was cast out of the synagogue or in a sense excommunicated from the Jewish community. This was a terrible thing for the Jew since it cut him off from worship and fellowship with other Jews. It caused him to be shunned, even by his family, and made it practically impossible for him to have employment.35 Barclay speaks of two types of excommunication. The worst was the ban or the cherem, which banished a person from the synagogue for life. The man was anathematized and thrusts from his people and his God. The second kind was temporary, which might last a month or two, or some fixed period.36 Either one was a dreaded terror in the close-knit religious community of Israel. Where could one go? Would he have to flee to Egypt or Babylon?
Tenney sighs as he comments on this sad situation. He says, “Pride prevented their learning any more, and their bigotry caused them to drive away the very man from whom they might have taken lessons in faith.” 37
THE MAN AND HIS FAITH
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” John 9:35-36
It is just like Jesus to look up a poor soul who has just had the world cave in upon him. The man must have been somewhat despondent to be cast out from his own people. Here I think of those lines from the old hymn of Francis J. Crosby:
Take the world, but give me Jesus,
All its joys are but a name;
But his love abideth ever,
Through eternal years the same.38
As Chrysostom said it: “The Jews cast him out of the Temple; the Lord of the Temple found him…” 39 This was the sixth of John’s great signs and once again we see that the signs should lead to faith in Jesus.40 We must remember that this man had heard the voice of Jesus as he was healed but he had never seen the face of Jesus. In seeing that face he was affirmed, and no doubt overjoyed. Pett says, “They had thought that they were excluding him from the worship of God, not realizing that they were rather throwing him into the hands of God.” 41
“Jesus said, ‘You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you’” (9:37). Morris says, “His use of the verb ‘you have seen’ must have meant a good deal to the man who until that day had seen nothing.” 42 The scholar Lightfoot thinks that he was the very first worshipper and follower of Christ to suffer for the Lord’s sake.43
“Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him” (9:38). The Pharisees went back to their temple and synagogue to worship but this man had a true and wonderful worship experience in person with Jesus the Son of the Most High God. Barker and Kohlenberger marvel at the spiritual progression of this once blind man. First he called Jesus a man (v. 11); then he called him a prophet (v. 17); later he referred to him as “from God” (v. 33); then “Son of Man (v. 35) and finally as “Lord” (v. 38).44 He had regained both physical and spiritual sight.
“Jesus said, ‘For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind’” (9:39). Again, Jesus did not come to bring judgment, but as a result of his coming people brought judgment upon themselves. “The Pharisees possessed natural sight, but their reaction to Jesus shows they were really blind. In this sense his coming brought judgment.” 45
“Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What? Are we blind too?’ Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains’” (9:40-41). As the old saying goes, “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” This old saying is sometimes credited to Matthew Henry but may actually be traced back to one John Heywood in 1546.46 As Keener says, “…the religious authorities, who are sure they are not spiritually blind, are the blindest of all.” 47