Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this 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, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he." Others 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

Last week we read Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John, in which Jesus taught about the Bread of Life. Today the lectionary takes up where we left off before we read Chapter 6. In previous readings, Jesus has been teaching at the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles. He has already taught, in Chapter 8, that He is the light of the world. In the reading prior to today's, He taught, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM," sparking the temple leadership to take up stones to throw at Him. But He "hid and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by" as it was not yet His hour.

Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. My study bible has a fascinating note on today's entire passage: "Of all the miracle stores 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."

And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this 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." It was a common assumption in the ancient world that personal misfortune or ailment was a consequence of personal sin (as examples, my study bible gives Ex. 20:5 and Ezek. 18:20). The great question of sin and suffering is central not only to the questions of our religion but also that of others; there is no doubt that the existence of sin in the world is the cause of so much suffering -- but, as my study bible puts it, "by no means is all sickness the result of a specific person's sin." Here, Jesus gives us a great insight for our use of the suffering in the world: this particular illness is an occasion for the glorification and revelation of God!

"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." Jesus has a short time in the world, and must do His work while it is possible for Him to do so. The "darkness" of evil and suffering - and those who would be proponents of such - will be coming, and He will use that occasion also for the glorification of God. My study bible says, "Jesus speaks of the urgency of bringing light into the darkened world, for the duration of His time upon the earth is limited."

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. We recall from a previous reading (see 7:37-39), when Jesus spoke of "rivers of living water" that this pool was used for the rites of the Feast of Tabernacles. Of course, Siloam - meaning "Sent" - symbolizes Christ and His work in the world. Apostles are also those who are "sent" - from Christ, bringing us all the balm of healing of the Spirit and its "living water" in the world. So, this is another fulfillment of an Old Testament "type." Christ, my study bible points out, is the One "sent" by the Father.

Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" Some said, "This is he." Others 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 points out that the making of the clay from dust with Jesus' spittle was said by St. Irenaeus to be a type of mirror of the creation of humanity from the earth. It says, "Jesus reveals His deity by restoring part of the creation in the same way He had created humanity in the beginning." Jesus' act of creation and restoration of humanity in restoring the sight of this blind person becomes an occasion for a debate about who He is, and what is His nature. The glorification and revelation of God will necessarily provoke this response in all people.

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." And we have more debate. The healed man, predictably, is brought before the religious authorities. The blind man testifies as to what happened, and also gives his opinion about Jesus. Those who are experts in Scripture of course must know the testimony of Isaiah as well, who wrote of the messianic signs: "Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped." But the glorification and revelation of God is an occasion for an inevitable choice. My study bible says, "As the story progresses, the once-blind man gradually comes to an awareness of who Jesus is, while the Pharisees lapse into deeper darkness."

So, I think that what we can take away from this powerful story (which will continue tomorrow) is first of all the occasion for suffering in the world, and what it may provide us with in terms of an opportunity for the glorification of God. I read once a comment by a woman who had converted to Christianity from Hinduism. She said that the great religions of the East concern themselves with suffering, and find justice in the laws of karma - but that Christianity finds a spiritual use for suffering to bring us closer to God. I think this is a good illustration of the type of "karma," if you will, that Christianity engages us into - the power of the Spirit at work in the world. Have you yourself found occasions of your own suffering for the introduction of spiritual sustenance and guidance in your life? Can we respond to suffering through an invocation of God, and our own willingness to find His will midst a suffering world? If we can but think of our own -- or others' -- misfortunes as occasions for seeking to bring God into our world, perhaps most powerfully first through prayer, then how will we see salvation and restoration as works of God that proceed through our own faith? We recall that Jesus said, in Chapter 6, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." So we begin with our faith, in prayer and relationship, on occasions of suffering, to ask Christ to be in our midst, with us, and we act as our prayer (and as the prayers of the Church and all its faithful of history) will lead us. What occasion can you find for the glorification of God, the work of faith today and the practice of love and its healing and the "illumination" it gives? How do you see the Spirit at work, with its "karmic" action? We also note the response - the work of God in the world will always demand of us a choice, and we choose one way or the other, in a continuous stream through life. At any time, we may also practice a "change of mind" and go the other way. What will wake us up to faith, or keep us down the path of blindness? How do we glorify God and discover God's love?