Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down

 

 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."

He also spoke this parable:  "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.  Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'  But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  And if it bears fruit, well.  But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"

 

- Luke 13:1–9 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!  But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!  Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth?  I tell you, not at all, but rather division.  For from now on five in one house will be divided:  three against two, and two against three.  Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."  Then He also said to the multitudes, "Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, 'A shower is coming'; and so it is.  And when you see the south wind blow, you say, 'There will be hot weather'; and there is.  Hypocrites!  You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?  Yes, and why, even of yourselves, do you not judge what is right?  When you go with your adversary to the magistrate, make every effort along the way to settle with him, least he drag you to the judge, the judge deliver you to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison.  I tell you, you shall not depart from there til you have paid the very last mite."

 

  There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.  And Jesus answered and said to them, "Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.  Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."  My study Bible comments that these two historical incidents are only reported in Luke.  The slain Galileans, it says, were probably Zealots, Jewish nationalists, who triggered some disturbance against the Romans.  The collapse of the tower in Siloam, whether by accident or sabotage, was believed to be divine justice on sinners.  Very importantly, Christ denies that this suffering was God's judgment.  On the contrary, He is using these illustrations for those who perish because they will not repent, shifting the assumptions about judgment to the gospel message of the Kingdom.  

 

 He also spoke this parable:  "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none.  Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, 'Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none.  Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?'  But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it.  And if it bears fruit, well.  But if not, after that you can cut it down.'"  My study Bible says that the fruitless fig tree is universally interpreted in the Church to be fallen humanity.  The three years, it says, represent God's covenants with represent God's covenants with God's people through Abraham, Moses, and Christ -- all of which are rejected, as well as the three-year earthly ministry of Christ.  The keeper of the vineyard is Christ Himself.  He intercedes on our behalf so that He will suffer His Passion and send the Holy Spirit to us before the final judgment takes place.  

Jesus' parable of the fruitless fig tree is a very important portrayal of the ways of the kingdom of God.  Christ continues to make every effort to save, to nurture and feed human beings with what they need for spiritual fruit, to give us more time to repent and grow and receive the kingdom of God He preaches.  This is the way that we need to understand God, and God's ways, for it appears over and over again in the ways that Christ preaches and the stories He tells us.  Even when He tells another parable -- this time of a vineyard -- against the religious leaders in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:33-46) -- the parable of the Wicked Vinedressers still illustrates God's repeated efforts to send help to reap the harvest of the vineyard.  It's important that the parable of the Barren Fig Tree (the latter verses in today's reading) comes after Christ's teaching on judgment.  He's clearly addressing the people who hold presumptions that the terrible fates or deaths that happened to some people are signs of God's judgment on them, and He is telling them that they are mistaken and do not understand judgment.  He shifts their attention to the one thing that really matters in terms of the resurrection and life that He preaches, an acceptance of the gospel message of the kingdom of God.  This, He tells them, must be their focus when they think of judgment, for that is the door (and He is the door) to eternal life.  The continual entreaty of God, in the persons of the prophets repeatedly sent to the people throughout Jewish spiritual history, and in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, in the martyrs and saints to come, in the Holy Spirit, in the angels that seek to guide us -- all of these things reflect the nature of God who is love, and God's love for us.  Humankind is given an extended time, and all kinds of help, for the saving gospel of Christ to reach to all the nations.  Like a dedicated and loving parent who will not give up on their child, God continually seeks to show us the way to His life and the fullness that awaits our true spiritual health.  Will we find our way to God?  How many do not care, or fall victim to all the things Christ says interfere with our faith?  These stumbling blocks He names throughout the Gospels, such as the "cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches" mentioned in the parable of the Sower, the hypocritical practices of the Pharisees and scribes (Matthew 23) or of any religious leadership, and all the myriad temptations we face (Luke 4:1-13).  We should remember that God's unfailing constant entreaties come to us not simply within the arc of time as given in Scripture, but also within our own lifetimes.  Repentance allows us to be transfigured and to grow in our faith and understanding throughout our lifetimes; there is no moment when we are truly alone without God's presence in some way attending and awaiting our attention and opening to the gospel.  Let us practice the fullness of our faith with Jesus' message of the true judgment and its central focus on the gospel of the Kingdom, and also God's unwavering love which awaits us always (Luke 15:11-32).

 

 

 

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 

 

Over the course of last week, we were reading John's chapter 6.  On Saturday we read that, after Christ taught about His Body and Blood, many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

  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."  In today's reading, the lectionary once more skips forward, and the events pick up from where we left off before last week, taking place following this reading, which completed chapter 8.  We recall that Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles, an eight day autumn festival which commemorates the time Israel wandered seeking the Promised Land.  Many elements of that festival, including the lighting of the great torches at night (recalling the pillar of fire that led Israel by night), form the background to Christ's teaching.  These events take place in the final year of Christ's earthly life.  Here Jesus rejects the assumption, which was common in the ancient world, that all troubles and maladies are necessarily the consequence of personal sin, or even, as my study Bible notes, the sins of one's parents (see Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:19-21).  Although suffering can be the direct result of personal sin, my study Bible notes that this is certainly not always the case.  In this instance, Jesus teaches that this man's blindness provided the occasion for the works of God to be revealed, and was not directly related to the man's personal sins, nor those of his parents.

"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 comments that the work people do consists of faith (John 6:29), good deeds (John 5:29), and repentance (John 12:40).  It notes that the night that comes is a reference 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.  On that day, according to St. John Chrysostom, there will not be faith, but all will submit, whether willingly or unwillingly.

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  Jesus makes this statement in preparation for the sign which He is about to reveal, and also against the backdrop of the Feast, in which the illumination of the great torches (four 75-foot menorah oil lamps) would light up the city of Jerusalem at night.  To heal a man blind from birth was unprecedented, and it confirms Christ's claim here that He is the light of the world.  Note that He is repeating His words spoken earlier at the Feast (John 8:12).

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 cites St. Irenaeus here, who sees in this mixture of clay and saliva a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).  Jesus effectively reveals His divinity by restoring part of creation using the same material with which He created humanity in the beginning.  

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 explains that the pool of Siloam was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, a considerable distance from the temple.  From this pool there was water taken for the rites which were connected with the Feast of Tabernacles, particularly a commemoration of the water flowing from the rock struck by Moses (Exodus 17:1-7), but also for a purification of the altar.   Siloam, translated, Sent, is a symbol of Christ, the One who was sent by the Father (John 5:36; 20:21).  My study Bible says that just as the healing of the blind man confirmed Christ's claim to be the light of the world (John 8:12), so also, His making use of the pool of Siloam confirms that He is the true purification of the temple and those who worship in it.  

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."  My study Bible comments here that just as the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath (John 5:10-16), so here many of them cannot see the glory of God through their own prejudices.  Thus, the seemingly astonished response, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"

 In many places in John's Gospel, the property of light is emphasized.  In Scripture, God the Father is described as light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), an attribute also bestowed on believers (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  In this great sign given in today's reading, which is the sixth of seven signs in John's Gospel, Jesus opens the eyes of a man born blind.  That is, He gives "light" to the man's eyes, which were previously in darkness, thus fulfilling the promise that He is Son, couched in the words of the Creed, that He is "Light of Light and true God of true God."  My study Bible comments that of all the miracle stories in the Bible, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth.  It adds that the blind man is symbolic of all humanity:  all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  This sign, it adds, is an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."  So, as Jesus manifests the quality of light, or we could say, Light-Giver, through the opening of the eyes of the blind man, if we look at the full text, we have an additional quality of His light or illumination that might be easy to miss, but is nevertheless extremely important.   When the disciples assume there must be some sinful reason why this man was afflicted with blindness since birth, Jesus tells them, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."  This gives us a hidden reality of all of the works of Christ, and the effects of grace -- and thus the light of God.  When we ourselves may be afflicted or burdened with something that is hard to bear, or seemingly unfortunate, the light of Christ may reveal the possibility of a "good work" even through a difficult circumstance.  The care for an older parent, or a child who cannot care for themselves, might be an occasion for an illuminating work of God -- even revealing the power of prayer in a difficult situation.  To help another in need, or one afflicted by sudden trauma or accident, is an important charitable action often prompted by faith.  Very often in my own life, seemingly hard circumstances or problems that are impossible to solve by drawing on past experience or ideas from the past, become resolved through inspiration in prayer.  Frequently that means a different objective than resolving the problem by evading it or erasing it, but rather approaching it differently, or even learning to live with it and cope with it.  Such problems have the additional benefit of teaching us resilience and persistence.  Speaking just from personal experience, prayer and Christ's illuminating light have taught me to navigate sadly broken relationships, a workplace ordeal of shunning and harassment, and seeking ways forward in dealing with a loved one's end-of-life care and dementia before that.  It has been a path dotted with revelations that taught me what resources I had available, character traits I could develop, and patience in Christ that I did not think was possible for me.  This "illumination" has brought me through what were devastating circumstances for me, and into a good place.  He is the light of life indeed; the One who turned the Cross into an instrument of salvation can do the same with our bad circumstances, in so many ways we absolutely cannot predict.  So let us go forward and remember this light.  Let us give gratitude, for without being grateful, how will we ever realize what we have, and go on for more?  For we are each made for the works of God to be revealed in some sense or another, even -- and especially -- through our own prayers and those who pray with us.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man 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 this 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 our recent readings, Jesus is attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, and it is the final year of His earthly life.  He has been disputing with the Pharisees and others among the religious leaders.  In yesterday's reading, He told them, "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 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."  Today's reading gives us the sixth sign of seven recorded in the Gospel of John.  Let us note first that this man was blind from birth.  Of all the miracle stories in the Bible, my study Bible says, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth.  Here Jesus also rejects the assumption, which was common in the ancient world, that all troubles and maladies are necessarily the consequence of personal sin or even the sins of one's parents (see Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast with Ezekiel 18:19-21).  Although suffering can be the direct result of personal sin, my study Bible reminds us, this is most certainly not always the case.  In this particular instance, the man's blindness provides the occasion for the works of God to be revealed, and was not related directly to the man's (nor his parents') 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 comments that the work that people do consists of faith (John 6:29), good deeds (John 5:29), and repentance (John 12:40).   It says that the night that comes refers both to the time after a person's death and also to the age to come, when there is no longer an opportunity to express faith.  On that day, according to St. John Chrysostom, there will not be faith, but all will submit, whether willingly or unwillingly.  

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  We should recall that, as Jesus is at the Feast of Tabernacles, this is the last, eighth day of that feast.  On this day the great lamps were illumined at night in an outer courtyard of the temple, a commemoration of the pillar of fire which guided the Israelites at night as they followed Moses.  These huge oil lamp menorahs burned so brightly and with so much fire that they illumined great sections of Jerusalem at night.  In this context, Jesus makes this claim, and will go on to bring "light" and sight in an unprecedented way to the eyes of one who was born blind as a manifestation of what is true for all 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 notes the commentary of St. Irenaeus, who sees in this mixture of clay and saliva a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).  It says that Christ reveals His divinity by restoring part of creation using the same material with which He created humanity in the beginning.

 

 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 this 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."  The pool of Siloam was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, so Jesus has directed this man to go a considerable distance from the temple.  Water was taken from this pool for the rites which were connected to the Feast of Tabernacles, to purify the altar and as remembrance of the water flowing from the rock struck by Moses (Exodus 17:1-7).  Siloam, translated Sent, is a symbol of Christ, the One sent by the Father (John 5:36, 20:21).  As the healing of this blind man confirms Christ's claim to be the light of the world (John 8:12), so also, my study Bible comments, His making use of the pool of Siloam 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."  My study Bible notes that just as the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic and focused only the perceived violation of the Sabbath (in John 5:10-16), here many of them cannot see the glory of God through their own prejudices. 

Today's reading gives us the sixth sign of seven in John's Gospel, the restoration of sight to a man born blind.  My study Bible says that this man is symbolic of all of humanity:  all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  It says that this sign is an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."   We get other suggestions of baptism in the reading as well, as the man is told to go wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam (meaning "Sent"), the waters of which were also used in the temple ceremony at the Feast of Tabernacles for purification of the altar.  There are ties between baptism and this pool also in addition to its aspects of purification, in the context of restoration and rebirth.  The pool was used for ceremonies commemorating the water flowing from the rock struck by Moses.  But Christ has already taught that, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38).  This living water is the Holy Spirit, which grants a rebirth in baptism, and ongoing regeneration.   Therefore in the granting of sight to the man blind from birth, we see a kind of baptism, of illumination as well as the Lord's gift of the Holy Spirit to the faithful.  Christ as Lord is also clear in the symbolism of the clay made from earth and His saliva.  We know that figures of clay were made into false idols, supposedly given life in pagan ceremonies, but dead and lifeless.  It is only the Lord who can give life, and it is He who through the clay gives life more abundantly to the blind man, illumination in the restoration of his sight.  The magnificent lamps of the temple courtyard illumine Jerusalem in commemoration of the pillar of fire that went before the Israelites as they followed Moses.  Here, the healed blind man grasps for an understanding of who Jesus is, and tells the people who question him that Jesus must be a prophet.  But He is more than a prophet, and this we know, and the blind man, in his ongoing illumination on a number of levels, will also come to know.  Christ is the Lord who sent the pillar of fire to illumine the way for Israel through the darkness, and He is the light who shines in the darkness for us (John 1:5).  In all of these ways, we can come to understand the symbolism present, which, particularly to ancient eyes, and throughout the understanding of the Church, is a means whereby we perceive the poetry of God, the meanings and substance that echoes and manifest through these images.  Let us consider their powerful message, and seek Christ's light for ourselves -- and to live out the promise of our baptism.  We should note how Christ leads the disciples with His light shed on the man's blindness from birth.  Moreover, as the Cross will be transfigured by His Passion, so this man's blindness becomes occasion for the works of God.  Let us seek that same light that transfigures our lives and our own circumstances, and gives us insight into things we are otherwise blind to.

 

 

Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?

 

 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 

 

On Saturday, we read that many of Christ's disciples, when they heard Jesus' teaching about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

 

 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.  For the mid-Lent week (which has just passed), we were given readings from John chapter 6, a parallel to the Exodus story.  Today's reading begins where we left off before last week, and picks up from the final reading in chapter 8 (see this reading).  In chapters 7 and 8 we read about events at the Feast of Tabernacles, in which Jesus healed a paralytic, and we continue readings from this event in today's lectionary reading.  This first verse of chapter 9 gives us the framework for the sixth sign (of seven) given in John's Gospel.  Out of all the miracle stories in the Bible, my study bible says, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth.   This blind man, it continues, is symbolic of all humanity:  everyone needs illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  This sign is an illustration of Holy Baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."  

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."  Christ rejects the assumption, which was common to the ancient world, that all troubles and illnesses are necessarily the consequence of personal sin or even the sin of parents (see Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9 -- contrast with Ezekiel 18:19-21).  My study bible notes that although suffereing can be the direct result of personal sin, this is not always the case!  In this instance, the man's blindness, as declared by Jesus, provides the occasion for the works of God to be revealed, and was not linked directly to this 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 explains that the work that people do consists of faith (John 6:29), good deeds (John 5:29), and repentance (John 12:40).   The night that comes, it says, refers both to the time after a person's death, and also to the age to come -- when there is no longer an opportunity to express faith.  On that day there will not be faith, but all will submit, according to St. John Chrysostom, whether willingly or unwillingly.

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."   My study bible comments that the unprecedented healing of the man born blind is a confirmation of Christ's claim here that He is the light of the world (see this reading from chapter 8).   This is the second time at the Feast of Tabernacles that Jesus has made this statement (see John 8:12).  

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.  In the mixture of clay and saliva, St. Irenaeus sees a type of creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).  My study bible adds that Christ reveals His divinity by restoring part of creation using the same material with which He created humanity in the beginning. 

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.  The pool of Siloam was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and it was a considerable distance from the temple.   At the Feast of Tabernacles (which Jesus is presently attending), water was taken for the rites connected with the feast.  Siloam, which the text tells us is translated, Sent, is symbolic of Christ, who is the One sent by the Father (John 5:36, 20:21).  My study bible comments that just as this healing of the blind man confirms Christ's claim to be the light of the world in John 8:12, so also, Christ's making use of the pool of Siloam is a confirmation that He is the true purification of the temple and of those who worship in it. 

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."   As we have come to observe, John's Gospel gives us the voices of the many varieties of witnesses to the miracles of Christ, and the varied testimonies.  Here the neighbors and others who knew this man was blind speak to one another.  Some answer that he looks like him.   The blind man affirms he is the same.  He testifies to what Jesus has done.  

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."   My study bible comments that just as the Pharisees had previously ignored the healing of the paralytic (at the Feast of Weeks -- see this reading) and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath (John 5:10-16), here many of them cannot see the glory of God through their own prejudices.   Once again, John's Gospel gives us the varied testimonies midst the questioning and debate of the religious leaders, and the division among them.

It's interesting to observe the witnesses and others who hear about Christ's miracles.  It seems to be given as a truth that people will look for their own explanations.  The healed blind man concludes about Jesus that He is a prophet, when the Pharisees quiz him.  The Pharisees declare that Christ is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.  Others ask how a sinner can do such signs.  Some of the neighbors declare the healed man simply looks like the one who was blind.  Everyone must find a way to explain what they are seeing, what they observe.   But with Christ, as the text indicates, there is nothing that is conventional or expected.  This is a first, this healing of a person who's been blind from birth.  Moreover, Jesus turns conventional expectations upside down.  There is no sin to blame for the blindness.  Neither this man, nor his parents sinned in a way to cause his blindness.  So Jesus also dispels this conventional understanding.  Here is His surprising statement, that this man is blind "that the works of God should be revealed in him."  This turns the conventional thinking of the time truly topsy-turvy:  a condition that one would normally mourn exists so that God's work should be revealed.  It is akin to St. Paul's thinking, when he writes, "And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).   The way of the Cross seems to be a way in which times of mourning might be turned into joy or celebration, a sense in which even when we feel we have a loss, there is also a sense of gain -- an opportunity for the Lord to work in our lives.  This is what a sense of grace does when we come to realize that God can create opportunities out of what would conventionally be seen as tragedy or occasion for grief or mourning of some kind.  An unhappy childhood may be the impetus for finding a deep relationship with the Lord, and being blessed with that gift of communion that so many seek.  A time of loneliness can be turned into revelation, as we take time for a deeper search for God with prayer and meditation.  Even the enforced quarantine period we've spent with the COVID-19 virus has proven to be an occasion for many for a deeper time of study and reflection.  Lent is conventionally called a time of "bright sadness" in the Eastern Church, as fasting traditions are understood in the light of preparation for Easter, a time of joy and celebration for the time we are ultimately united with the Bridegroom (Matthew 9:14-17).  By fasting we learn a discipline that helps us to serve and focus upon the Lord, and to share in the expressions of Christ's transcendence.  There are countless stories of saints whose occasions for loss or sadness turn into joy through the work of the Lord.  This is simply one aspect of the power and revelation of Christ:  that He brings the unexpected.  Things which were previously assumed and understood now can't cover the mysterious grace that is at work.  Conventional explanations and reasoning no longer suffice for what is given.  God will always be a step beyond our own boundaries and assumptions, and cannot be confined to barriers we impose.   As the story of this healed blind man continues, so will the revelation Christ offers for our faith, and so that all of us may have our eyes opened to what is possible with God.

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 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus said:  "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."  Christ rejects the assumption, which was common in the ancient world, that all troubles and maladies are the consequence of personal sin, or even the sin of parents (see Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:19-21).  My study bible comments that although suffering could be the direct result of personal sin, it is by no means always the case.  At this time, Jesus makes it clear that the man's blindness is providing an opportunity for the works of God to be revealed.  It is not related directed by 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."  The work that people do, my study bible tells us, consists of faith (6:29), good deeds (5:29), and repentance (12:40).  The night that comes, it says, refers both to the time after a person dies and also to the age to come, when there is no longer an opportunity for the expression of faith.  My study bible cites St. John Chrysostom, who comments that on that day there won't be faith, but all will submit, willingly or unwillingly. 

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  In this section, we will read the sixth of seven signs in John's Gospel, the healing of this man blind from birth.  This unprecedented healing is a confirmation of Jesus' claim that He is the light of the world (8:12).  

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 cites St. Irenaeus, who sees in this mixture of clay and saliva a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).   Christ's divinity is revealed by restoring part of creation using the same material with which humanity was created in the beginning.

And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  The pool of Siloam was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and a considerable distance from the temple.  From this pool water was taken for the rites connected with the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the setting for our recent readings.  My study bible says that Siloam, which is translated, Sent, is a symbol of Christ, the One who is sent by the Father (5:36; 20:21).  It says that just as the healing of the blind man confirmed Christ's claim to be the light of the world (8:12), so also, Christ's making use of the pool of Siloam confirms that He is the true purification of the temple and all those who worship in it.

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."    This particular healing is the sixth of seven signs in John's Gospel.  Out of all the miracle stories that are in the Bible, only this one involves a person who was blind from birth (verse 32).  The blind man is symbolic of all humanity:  everyone needs illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  My study bible says that this sign is also an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."  Easter (or Pascha) is the traditional day to receive catechumens into the Church.  The lessons which follow reflect a baptismal theology.

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."   My study bible comments that just as the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath (5:10-16), here many of them cannot see the glory of God through their own prejudices.  

In tomorrow's reading, this story will continue.  But starting here, we should keep a close eye on the conduct of this healed blind man, and the testimony he gives.  It will be pertinent to our own way of witnessing, teaching us something about how we conduct ourselves.  He is not afraid to answer that he doesn't know, but he is also not afraid to say what he does know.   While we must understand the stupendous nature of the healing of  man who was blind from birth in terms of tradition in the Scripture (and Jewish spiritual history), and also in the context of Christ as the Light of the world, there is something that is couched in this story -- and as it will continue in tomorrow's reading -- that is very important and is not to be missed.  It is a thread that runs throughout John's Gospel.  What we find "hidden in plain sight" in today's reading are notions of justice and witnessing.  How do we judge?  How do we know what is what?  What evidence do we take to mean something?  How are we fair?  The religious leadership is already understood to have it in for Jesus, so to speak.  They want to get rid of Him.  They have called Him a blasphemer.  They have tried and failed to have Him arrested.  They have already accused Him in the past of violation of the Sabbath by healing on the Sabbath.  We begin with what is already "not fair."  This man has been blind since birth.  It is no one's "fault."  Jesus says it is not because his parents had sinned, but rather it is an occasion for the glory of God, "that the works of God should be revealed in him."  This is a reversal of what is unjust; it is also a kind of prefiguring of the Cross, where the occasion of the greatest injustice is turned into liberation for all of humankind.  The rest of the text also delves into justice in the questioning of the healed blind man:  how we decide, how we condemn or exonerate.  The division among the Pharisees in debating whether Jesus is simply violating the Law or if He is good because He does good things makes us think about how we see things, and how we judge a person.  Caught in the middle, as it seems we so often are in John's Gospel, is the witness, the blind man himself.  He can simply answer honestly to some questions, "I don't know."  And on the other hand, he can simply say what he knows.  This will continue in tomorrow's reading.  As we read through John, the notions of judgment and judging will continually be raised.  "Witnessing" and "testimony" are significant in this orientation toward language of the courtroom, just as accusations are.  John's Gospel places us in the context of an unjust world, in which Jesus is the One sent to heal and to liberate, and to bring the Father to the world for our communion with God.  Judgment becomes a deeply profound piece of this story when we understand that for true judgment, there is only one place we can go, and that we must look beyond ourselves and our world for the truth that will take us to that place.  Let us keep all of this in mind as we look toward tomorrow's reading, and think about how we witness in life, what we know and don't know, what our experience can reveal, and how we seek a path to righteousness.  In this context Jesus tells us that He is the light of the world.

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

The lectionary has been taking us through John chapter 6 over the past week (beginning with last Monday's reading).  On Saturday, we read many of his disciples, when they heard Jesus teaching regarding His Body and Blood, said, "This is a hard saying; who can understand it?"  When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, "Does this offend you?  What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before?  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.  But there are some of you who do not believe."  For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him.  And He said, "Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father."  From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?"  But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.  Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."  Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

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."  In today's reading, the lectionary returns to the events of the Feast of Tabernacles.   The readings concerning the events at this Feast began with chapter 7 (starting from this reading).   At the end of chapter 8, Jesus declared Himself to be the I AM, thus provoking the religious leaders to take up stones to throw at Him for what they perceive to be clear blasphemy, but Jesus hid and passed out of the temple (see this reading).  Today's reading continues events at the Feast from that point.   What unfolds in today's reading constitutes the sixth of seven signs in John's Gospel.  Nowhere else in all the miracle stories of the Bible is a healed person blind from birth.  My study bible comments that this blind man is symbolic of all of humanity.  All need illumination by Christ, who has declared Himself at this Feast to be the Light of the world.  My study bible adds that this sign is an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."  As we head toward Easter (or Pascha), let us recall that it is the traditional day that catechumens are received into the Church, and consider the baptismal theology we encounter at this time.  Noteworthy in Jesus' response to the disciples is His rejection of the assumption common to His time that all problems and illness were the result of personal sin, or possibly even the sins of parents (see Exodus 20:5, Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:19-21).  Although suffering can be the direct result of personal sin, this is not always true.  In this case, Christ declares that, on the contrary, this man's blindness is an opportunity for the works of God to be revealed.

"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 comments that the work that people do consists of faith (6:29), good deeds (5:29), and repentance (12:40).  It notes that the night that is coming refers both to the time after a person's death and also to the age to come -- when there is no longer the opportunity to express faith.  St. John Chrysostom comments that 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."  My study bible notes here that the unprecedented healing of the man born blind confirms that Christ's truly is the light of the world (8:12).  We recollect that on the last day of the festival, considered to be the eighth day as it continued into evening, the huge great lamps of the temple outer courtyard were lit, illuminating the surrounding neighborhoods of Jerusalem.

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 cites St. Irenaeus here, who sees in this mixture of clay and saliva a type of the creation of humanity from the earth (Genesis 2:7).  He reveals His divinity in restoring part of creation by using the same material with which humanity was created by Christ as Lord in the beginning.

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.   The pool of Siloam was a pool on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and quite a distance from the temple.  This is the pool from which water was taken for the rites connected with the Feast of Tabernacles.  As Siloam is translated, Sent, it is symbolic of Christ Himself, who is the One sent by the Father (5:36, 20:21).  My study bible comments that just as the healing of the blind man confirms Christ's claim to be the light of the world (8:12), so also His making use of the pool of Siloam confirms that He is the true purification of the temple and those who worship in it.

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."  Once more, John's Gospel gives us the mixed response of the people to Christ and to the works He does.  Christ's illumination of the sight of the blind man is paralleled in the partial understanding of the people, and the gradual illumination of the healed man regarding the identity of Jesus.

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's Gospel illuminates for us not only the division regarding Jesus among the people, but also among the religious leadership.  My study bible comments that Just as the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath at that time (5:10-16), at the healing of this man blind from birth many of them cannot see the glory of God through their own prejudices.  The healed man reveals his as yet partial understanding of Christ by saying that He is a prophet.

What does it mean to be enlightened, or illuminated?  In the context of faith, to become enlightened or illuminated is to burn with the light of Christ.  Since His true light is so much greater and infinitely intense than what we are capable of perceiving, we must grow in that illumination.  Indeed, one might say that the true light of Christ is so much greater than our capacity to perceive at any one time that we may even see it as a kind of hiddenness or in the traditional language of mystic theology a certain type of darkness -- another term for mystery that is beyond our grasp, something we cannot quite see.  In that sense, even the most illumined among us may be like this blind man, coming to grasp the truths of Christ within the journey of faith, in which all things culminate and are reconciled in Him.  If we ponder, as my study bible notes, that baptism is traditionally called "illumination," we come closer to the workings of spiritual enlightenment.  We need a light to see by, we need to be healed like the blind man, we need to be brought along this road of cleansing and healing and purification of spiritual sight through our own faith, our response to Christ, and the journey of faith in which we seek to follow His commands.  The blind man must make his way to the pool of Siloam (or Sent), which we may take as metaphor for our own journey in the healing light of Christ.  In a particular way, we can conceive of the healing of this man through the application of clay, made from the ground and the spittle of Christ, as a sacrament:  the world is returned to Christ, even to that which comes from His mouth, and in so doing is healed -- and we who might otherwise be "dust to dust" are restored as His creation.  Washing in the pool called Sent is a kind of baptism, in which we must be baptized with the Spirit, as made possible through Christ, so that we may receive illumination -- and like the formerly blind man, this is just the beginning of illumination, and marks the start of a spiritual road.  We are like the blind man in the sense that we are all in need of healing, and also in the sense that we must walk this road.  We are not simply given a pass, or automatic enlightenment and the fullness of spiritual understanding.  He wants us to walk this road with Him, and come to the fulfillment of our own possibilities as His children.  We, in our true healing and restoration, are meant for something we can't grasp, and as creations of the Lord have potentials we will only discover through walking this road He puts us on.  Lent is precisely the time to consider the road we're on, translated in the Gospels as Christ's "way" (14:6).  This "way" asks of us patience, work, faith, and a constant process of repentance (or "change of mind" as the Greek term literally means).  Lent is a traditional time of fasting and prayer, and we make our way to the fullness of sight we can't yet understand, but guided with so much help to our own fulfillment in our capacity to take in His light.  Let us follow Him.

I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work

 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 back 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

In our recent readings, Jesus has been at the Feast of Tabernacles, which is an eight-day autumn harvest feast, which commemorates the time when Israel wandered in the desert following Moses toward the Promised Land.  At that time, they lived in temporary dwellings, tents or "tabernacles."  On the last day of the feast, Jesus preached to the crowds and sparred with the leaderships.  In yesterday's reading, He replied to them, "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.  Today's reading incorporates the healing of a blind man; it is the sixth of seven signs reported in John's Gospel.  Of all miracle stories in the Bible, this is the only one, my study bible says, in which the person was blind from birth.  The blind is a symbol of all humanity; we all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  This sign is an illustration of baptism, my study bible adds, which is called "holy illumination."  Traditionally, the lessons which follow Easter, the traditional day to receive catechumens into the the Church reflect a baptismal theology; therefore in the Eastern Church this passage is read on the Sixth Sunday of Pascha (Easter).

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 all troubles and maladies are the consequence of personal sin, or even the sins of one's parents (see Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:29-21).   Although suffering could indeed be the direct result of personal sin, of course this is not always the case.  In this instance, as per Jesus' words, the man's blindness provides the occasion for the works of God to be revealed, and it is not directly related to the man's personal sins.  This is a kind of marvel, for it reveals that sad occasions, those things associated with hardship, may be occasions -- through faith -- for God's revelation to us.  It is an important part of our understanding of theology; the Cross is the archetypal proof of such work of God.  In this light, this occasion points to the Cross.

"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 tells us that the work that people do (as revealed in John's Gospel) consists of faith (6:29), good deeds (5:29), and repentance (12:40).  The night that comes 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; rather, all will submit, whether willingly or unwillingly.

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  This unprecedented healing of a man born blind confirms Christ's claim that He is the light of the world (see also 8:12).

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 cites St. Irenaeus here, who 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. 

And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent).  So he went back and washed, and came back seeing.  The pool of Siloam was then on the outskirts of Jerusalem, and a considerable distance from the temple.   Water was taken from this pool for the rites connected with the Feast of Tabernacles.  Siloam, translated, Sent, is a symbol of Christ, the One sent by the Father (5:36; 20:21).  As the healing of the blind man confirmed Christ's claim to be the light of the world (8:12), my study bible says that so also, His making use of the pool of Siloam confirms that He is the true purification of the temple and those who worship in it. 

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."  John's Gospel frequently illustrates through particular examples the varied responses of people to Christ.  Here is the debate, the witness, and the viewpoints of the crowds.

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."   The Pharisees are the experts, the authorities, and the people bring the formerly blind man to them.  My study bible says that just as the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath (5:10-16), so here many of them can't see the glory of God through their own prejudices. 

As this man blind from birth is an image of humanity (as my study bible states), so we can see, also, his gradual growth in an understanding of Christ.  Here, when He is questioned about Jesus, He states, "He is a prophet."  This is not exactly true about Christ, He is much more than a prophet.  But this man has only begun the journey of His healing.  His sight is restored, but he only knows what he has experienced.  He will need further contact and experience of Christ to understand Him better and to know Him.  And so it is also with our own journeys of faith, and even the perspective of the Church.  So much depends upon experience when it comes to spiritual insight and understanding.  Once again, in the final paragraph above, John gives us the debate that surrounds Jesus.  Some of the authorities insist upon condemnation of the Sabbath violation, while still others ask the obvious, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?"  Again, it is further experience that gives understanding and illumination.  We accept that we are to be in communion with Christ to truly come to know Him.  Prayer is an expression of such communion, and all the varied forms of worship in the Church are designed to help us to participate in such communion, particularly as exemplified in the Eucharist.  In prayer we seek not simply to talk to God, but to have a dialogue with God, also listening and at times in silence.  All of this is meant to give us experience as we may receive it, communion with Creator.  We are blind like the man born blind, and we seek the spiritual sight that is a gift of God, the wisdom that can come through participation in the life of God.  If prayer is encounter and dialogue, then how do you approach your time alone, in your room, with the Father who is in the secret place and who sees in secret (Matthew 6:6)?  We are like this man who has been given his sight, and we grow in illumination through our encounter with Creator, whose constant renewal of creation may be also at work in us.