As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world

 

 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 

 

We are currently reading through the section of St. John's Gospel that covers events which occurred at the Feast of Tabernacles, an autumn harvest festival (John 7-10:21).  This Feast commemorates the time that Israel followed Moses in the wilderness, and dwelt in tents (or tabernacles).  It is now the final year of Christ's earthly life.  At this festival He has been teaching and disputing with the religious leaders.  Yesterday we read that Jesus taught, "He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God."  Then the Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?"  Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon; but I honor My Father, and you dishonor Me.  And I do not seek My own glory; there is One who seeks and judges.  Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death."  Then the Jews said to Him, "Now we know that You have a demon!  Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You say, 'If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.'  Are You greater than our Father Abraham, who is dead?  And the prophets are dead.  Who do You make Yourself out to be?"  Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing.  It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God.  Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him.  And if I say, 'I do not know Him,' I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.  Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad."  Then the Jews said to Him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?"  Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."   Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

 

 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."  As we begin chapter 9, after His disputes with the religious leaders, Jesus encounters a man at the Feast of Tabernacles who was blind from birth.  Here Christ rejects a common assumption for the time that all troubles and maladies are the consequence of personal sin, or possibly the sins of one's parents (see Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:19-21).  Although suffering may be the direct result of personal sin, this is not always the case at all.  In this particular instance, this man provides the occasion for the works of God to be revealed, and was not directly related to the man's personal sins.  

 

 "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."  My study Bible states that the work that people do consists of faith, good deeds, and repentance (see John 6:29; 5:29; 12:40).  The night that comes, it says, refers both to the time after a person's death and to the age to come, when there is no longer an opportunity to express faith.  According to St. John Chrysostom, on that day there will not be faith, but rather all will submit, whether willingly or unwillingly.  

 

 "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  In the previous chapter, Jesus made this same claim, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12).  We should remember that all of Christ's teachings are linked to the backdrop of the events and commemorations of the Feast of Tabernacles, one of which is the remembrance of the great pillar of fire, acting as a torch which gave the light to led the Israelites through the night (Exodus 13:21).  Jesus' proclamation declares that He is that light; moreover the healing He will do will affirm that He is the One who gives light, even to eyes blind from birth.

 

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."  My study Bible tells us that St. Irenaeus sees in this mixture of clay and saliva a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).  Christ reveals His divinity by restoring part of creation using the same material with which He created humanity in the beginning.  The pool of Siloam was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, a distance from the temple.  This pool is also connected to the rites of the Feast of Tabernacles, for water was taken from it, mixed with wine, and poured at the foot of the altar, both as purification and in remembrance of the water that flowed from the rock which Moses struck (Exodus 17:1-7).  Siloam, when translated, means Sent, is a symbol of Christ, who is sent by the Father (John 5:36; 20:21).  My study Bible comments that just as the healing of this blind man confirmed Christ's claim to be the light of the world, so also, as He uses the pool of Siloam it confirms that He is the true purification of the temple and those who worship in it. 

 

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."   Just as the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath at the earlier Feast of Weeks (John 5:1-16), so here my study Bible notes that many of them can't see the glory of God through their own prejudices.

 

 Today we read about the sixth of seven miraculous signs reported in St. John's Gospel.  My study Bible tells us that of all the miracle stories in the Bible, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth.  It says that this man is symbolic of all of humanity; we all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  Moreover, this sign is an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."  It's interesting to think about the way that Jesus "bathes" this man's eyes in order to heal them, and allow the light of his illumination to enter, which as it turns out, will be both physical and spiritual.  As we go through the continuing story in this chapter, his transformation will include body, soul, and spirit.  In some way, the 're-creation' of His eyes involves both the earth and also that which divinity has touched, the incarnate Son's spittle and the dust of the earth.  It's, of course, significant that the word anointed is used repeatedly for what Jesus does to heal this man's eyes.  Just as Holy Baptism prepares us for a life of faith in which our spiritual completeness may be sought as union with Christ, so the anointing of this man's eyes becomes the beginning, the opening of the door to a transfigured life.  Thus, we have a metaphor in the clay of the Incarnation.  Christ became human so that we all may be healed through One both fully divine and fully human.  The mixture of spittle (which proceeds from His mouth) and dust of the earth will act as the transformational beginning for this man's new life of faith.  Of course, the metaphors of blindness and sight are important here, for blindness can mean darkness and limited understanding, while sight is possible through the perception of light, illumination, and is therefore analogous to spiritual sight.  As we will see, the formerly blind man will continue to grow in his faith as the story progresses in the Gospel.  Let us look to our own growth in faith through the light of Christ as our guidance in the world.