John 9:24-34

Ver 24. Then again called they the man that was blind, and said to him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. 25. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see. 26. Then said they to him again, What did he to thee? how opened he your eyes? 27. He answered them, I have told you already, and you did not hear: wherefore would you hear it again? will you also be his disciples? 28. Then they reviled him, and said, You are his disciple; but we are Moses' disciples. 29. We know that God spoke to Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is. 30. The man answered and said to them, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that you know not from whence he is, and yet he has opened mine eyes. 31. Now we know that God hears not sinners: but if any man be a worshiper of God, and does his will, him he hears. 32. Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33. If this man were not of God, he could do nothing. 34. They answered and said to him, You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us? And they cast him out.

CHRYS. The parents having referred the Pharisees to the healed man himself, they summon him a second time: Then again called they the man that was blind. They do not openly say now, Deny that Christ has healed you, but conceal their object under the presence of religion: Give God the praise, i.e. confess that this man has had nothing to do with the work.

AUG. Deny that you have received the benefit. This is not to give God the glory, but rather to blaspheme Him.

ALCUIN. They wished him to give glory to God, by calling Christ a sinner, as they did: We know that this man is a sinner.

CHRYS. Why then did you not convict Him, when He said above, Which of you convinces Me of sin?

ALCUIN. The man, that he might neither expose himself to calumny, nor at the same time conceal the truth, answers not that he knew Him to be righteous, but, Whether He is a sinner or no, I know not.

CHRYS. But how comes this, whether He be a sinner, I know not, from one who had said, He is a Prophet? Did the blind fear? far from it: he only thought that our Lord's defense lay in the witness of the fact, more than in another's pleading. And he gives weight to his reply by the mention of the benefit he had received: One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see: as if to say, I say nothing as to whether He is a sinner; but only repeat what I know for certain.

So being unable to overturn the fact itself of the miracle, they fall back upon former arguments, and inquire the manner of the cure: just as dogs in hunting pursue wherever the scent takes them: Then said they to him again, What did He do to you? How opened He your eyes? i.e. was it by any charm. For they do not say, How did you see? but, How opened He your eyes? to give the man an opportunity of detracting from the operation.

So long now as the matter wanted examining, the blind man answers gently and quietly; but, the victory being gained, he grows bolder: He answered them, I have told you already, and you did not hear: wherefore would you hear it again? i.e. you do not attend to what is said, and therefore I will no longer answer you vain questions, put for the sake of cavil, not to gain knowledge: Will you also be His disciples?

AUG. Will you also? i.e. I am already, do you wish to be? I see now, but do not envy. He says this in indignation at the obstinacy of the Jews; not tolerating blindness, now that he is no longer blind himself.

CHRYS. As then truth is strength, so falsehood is weakness: truth elevates and ennobles whomever it takes up, however mean before: falsehood brings even the strong to weakness and contempt. Then they reviled him, and said, You are His disciple.

AUG. A malediction only in the intention of the speakers, not in the words themselves. May such a malediction be upon us, and upon our children! It follows: But we are Moses' disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses. But you should have known, that our Lord was prophesied of by Moses, after hearing what He said, Had you believed Moses, you would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me. Do you follow then a servant, and turn your back on the Lord? Even so, for it follows: As for this fellow, we know not whence He is.

CHRYS. You think sight is less evidence than hearing; for what you say, you know, is what you have heard from your fathers. But is not He more worthy of belief, who has certified that He comes from God, by miracles which you have not heard only, but seen? So argues the blind man: The man answered and said, Why herein is a marvelous thing, that you know not whence He is, and yet He has opened mine eyes.

He brings in the miracle every where, as evidence which they could not invalidate: and, inasmuch as they had said that a man that was a sinner could not do such miracles, he turns their own words against them; Now we know that God hears not sinners; as if to say, I quite agree with you in this opinion.

AUG. As yet however He speaks as one but just anointed, or God hears sinners too. Else in vain would the publican cry, God be merciful to me a sinner. By that confession he obtained justification, as the blind man had his sight.

THEOPHYL. Or, that God hears not sinners, means, that God does not enable sinners to work miracles. When sinners however implore pardon for their offenses, they are translated from the rank of sinners to that of penitents.

CHRYS. Observe then, when he said above, Whether He be a sinner, I know not, it was not that he spoke in doubt; for here he not only acquits him of all sin, but holds him up as one well pleasing to God: But if any man be a worshiper of God, and does His will, him He hears. It is not enough to know God, we must do His will.

Then he extols His creed: Since the world began, was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind: as if to say, If you confess that God hears not sinners; and this Man has worked a miracle; such an one, as no other man has; it is manifest that the virtue whereby He has wrought it, is more than human: If this Man were not of God, He could do nothing.

AUG. Freely, steadfastly, truly. For how could what our Lord did, be done by any other than God, or by disciples even, except when their Lord dwelt in them?

CHRYS. So then because speaking the truth he was in nothing confounded, when they should most have admired, they condemned him: You were altogether born in sins, and do you teach us?

AUG. What means altogether? That he was quite blind. Yet He who opened his eyes, also saves him altogether.

CHRYS. Or, altogether, that is to say, from your birth you are in sins. They reproach his blindness, and pronounce his sins to be the cause of it; most unreasonably. So long as they expected him to deny the miracle, they were willing to believe him, but now they cast him out.

AUG. It was they themselves who had made him teacher; themselves, who had asked him so many questions; and now they ungratefully cast him out for teaching.

BEDE It is commonly the way with great persons to disdain learning anything from their inferiors.