I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, the man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world." 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. 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. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he." Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" 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." Then they said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know."

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 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." 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 signs?" And there was a division among them. They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."

- John 9:1-17

In the past several readings, Jesus has been preaching at the temple in Jerusalem, at the Feast of Tabernacles. He has taught (among other things) that He the light of the world, that His disciples will abide in His word, and He has tangled with the temple authorities. In yesterday's reading, Jesus declared Himself with the words I AM, and they sought to stone Him. See Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, the man or his parents, that he was born blind?" My study bible notes on this entire passage (which will continue in tomorrow's reading): "Of all the miracle stories in the Bible, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth. This man is symbolic of all humanity: all need illumination by Christ, the Light of the world. This passage is also a picture of baptism, which is also called 'holy illumination.' This healing is the sixth sign of Jesus in John's Gospel. In the ancient Church this passage, along with chs. 3 and 5, was read on the Saturday night of Easter, when Christian catechumens were baptized. It reiterates the paschal themes of washing, illumination, healing, faith, conversion, and salvation." So, the stage is set for us to understand what it is to come out of the old faith (in a sense, the old "world") and into the new. How is the way of thinking different, and what does Jesus bring into our awareness, our consciousness, that changes the ways in which we "see" things, in which we see our world?

Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him." My study bible notes here: "The Savior rejects the assumption (common in the ancient world) that trouble and malady are necessarily a consequence of personal sin (see Ex. 20:5; Ezek. 18:20). Rather, this man's blindness provides the occasion for God's mighty works to be revealed. However, it is true that suffering and death entered the world as a result of sin (Rom. 5:12), and some sinful acts bring about sickness and death (1 Cor. 11:30). There would be no sickness in the world if there were no sin, but by no means is all sickness the result of a specific person's sin."

"I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world I am the light of the world." A note reads, "Jesus speaks of the urgency of bringing light into the darkened world, for the duration of His time upon the earth is limited." I think it's important, also, that we understand the specificity of what Jesus is saying. The blindness in this man will be a contribution to the glory of God, because this illness or disease or weakness is something that God will work through in the world. I believe such opportunities are experienced every day by people of faith; our experience of the evil or hardships of the world becomes an opportunity for salvation, for the invitation of the Holy Spirit to work through our lives. This, however, is an opportunity for Christ Himself, while He is in our world as one of us.

"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." My study bible says, "Made clay with the saliva: St. Irenaeus sees in this mixture of dust and spittle a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Gen. 2:7). Jesus reveals His deity by restoring part of the creation in the same way He had created humanity in the beginning." In Jesus' restoring work in the world, we have a "re-creation of creation" in some sense. In the way that He has recently taught we are to consume His body and blood, so he shares some of Himself (that which comes out of His mouth, as does His word) with the dust of the world, to recreate and heal the ailment of this man, our "stand in."

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. My study bible says, "The pool of Siloam (Gr. for Shiloah) was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, a considerable distance from the temple. What a spectacle was this man, blind and eyes covered with mud, making his way across the city, from the temple to the pool, in faithful expectation of Christ's promised healing! It was from this pool that water was taken for the rites connected with the Feast of Tabernacles (see note for 7:37-39). Siloam, translated, Sent, symbolizes Christ, the One sent by the Father."

So he went and washed, and came back seeing. Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he." Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" 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." Then they said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know." My study bible notes, "That the Lord opened the eyes of the blind man recalls Is. 35:5, with its messianic significance. As the story progresses (vv. 14-41), the once-blind man gradually comes to an awareness of who Jesus is, while the Pharisees lapse into deeper darkness." This is the sixth sign or miracle in the Gospel. The unbelievable, the incredible happens; how will each person react? This is the formula we understand from the whole of this Gospel and its texts: Who is Jesus? What astounding things does He teach? It is the stumbling block, the great rock upon which we fall, one way or the other.

They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 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." 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 signs?" And there was a division among them. My study bible notes here: "The Jewish authorities try to discredit the miracle by discrediting Jesus. They claim that because He works on the Sabbath, contrary to their law, He cannot be from God." In John's Gospel, this is the second time Jesus has violated a rule of the Sabbath. The first was when He told the paralytic to take up His bed (see Do you want to be made well?). Again, I also believe that it is important to note that John's Gospel teaches us that there were divisions about Jesus even among the leadership of the temple. While "the Jews" usually refers to the leadership, we are also taught about specific individuals among the leadership who would become believers.

They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet." The blind man begins to understand, as my study bible pointed out. But he does not yet grasp the full significance of the Christ. However, in the face of hostile questioning by religious authorities, he stands firm.

This story will continue in tomorrow's reading. But let's take it first as an analogy to our own blindness. In recent readings about Jesus' teaching at the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus has taught that He is "the light of the world." This man, blind from birth, truly does "stand in" for all of humanity, as my study bible has noted. I think it is a tremendous analogy for our understanding of Christ's saving work, and the ongoing work of Spirit in our world to enlighten and illuminate. I know many people who have first-hand experience of this saving grace at work in their lives. Stuck in sadness and hardship, it is not so much the miraculous signs of automatic healing or astounding instant feats of transformation in which this experience, this work happens, but in the seemingly (to outsiders) small increments of grace that lift a burden, that "cure" a way of thinking that ails, those moments of insight that come through prayer to help. I know people who will testify of their own reliance on God for this illumination, and how it saves them from tremendous burdens of hardship in their lives. This light is at work with us and in us and among us. We can help each other to find it, and we can strengthen it in one another as well. But first we turn to our blind man, blind from birth with the ailments and weaknesses of our world, and the spiritual blindness into which we are born. We are given a saving grace, a light which not only enlightens and illumines, but which continues to shine for us when we want it and need it. But we should take a lesson from this story: we must have our minds open to it. It doesn't come in forms we expect from our own understanding. We have to give up our point of view to God in order to receive it. Can you receive this blessing? I believe this is what it means to abide in His word, to be His disciples, to continue to learn and to become more free.

"If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:31-32