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, the lectionary gave us readings from chapter 6 of John's Gospel.  In Friday's reading, we read that Jesus taught, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.  For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.  He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him."   On Saturday, we read that therefore 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 to 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 had 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.  Today's reading consists of a healing which comprises the sixth sign (of seven) given in John's Gospel.  Of all the miracle stories in the Bible, my study Bible teaches, this is the only one in which the person was blind from birth.  This man, it says, is symbolic of all humanity.  We all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  Today the lectionary picks up in chapter 9 which follows the readings from chapter 8 the week before last.  (Last week the lectionary gave us John's chapter 6, centered on the second Passover given in John's gospel, and focused on Christ as the bread from heaven, featuring a eucharistic message preparing us for His sacrifice on the Cross, and the Communion which would follow in the Church.)  Chapter 8 focused on elements of Himself as light in Christ's preaching, and events at the Feast of Tabernacles, which began in chapter 7.  This setting is now the autumn of Christ's final year of His earthly life, and continues at the Feast of Tabernacles.

 

 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."  Our Savior rejects the assumption -- which my study Bible says 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 Ezekiel 18:19-21).  Although suffering can be the direct result of personal sin, it notes, this is most certainly not always the case.  In this instance, this man's blindness provides the occasion for the works of God to be revealed.  It was not related directly 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."  The work that people do consists of faith (John 6:29), good deeds (John 5:29), and repentance (John 12:40), my study Bible says.  The night which follows is a reference both to the time after a person dies and also to the age to come, when there will no longer be an opportunity to express faith.  On that day, my study Bible notes, citing the commentary of St. John Chrysostom, there will not be faith, but all will submit, either willingly or unwillingly. 

 

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." The unprecedented healing of a man born blind is  confirmation of Christ's claim that He is the light of the world.  At the Feast of Tabernacles, which is now in its final, eighth day, the great lamps were lit in the courtyard of the temple.  They towered over Jerusalem, and were so bright that they lit up the city.   Jesus made this same claim at John 8:12, declaring Himself to be the fulfillment and the divine object of all celebrations of light.  God the Father, in the Scriptures, is Himself light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), which is an attribute bestowed on followers (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  

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 reveals His divinity here 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 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 explains that the pool of Siloam was on the outskirts of Jerusalem, a considerable distance from the temple.  It notes that water was taken from this pool for the rites connected with the Feast of Tabernacles.  Siloam, translated, Sent, is symbolic of Christ, who is the One sent by the Father (John 5:36; 20:21).  As the healing of this blind man confirmed Jesus' claim to be the light of the world (see above), so also, His making use of this 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."   Earlier, in chapter 5 (John 5:10-16), the Pharisees had ignored the healing of the paralytic, and focused only on the perceived violation of the Sabbath.  So, here, also, many of them cannot see the glory of God through their own prejudices.  

As my study Bible noted (see above), this blind man is symbolic of all humanity -- we all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  It further notes that this sixth sign of seven given in John's Gospel is an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."  We might note how Baptism also corresponds to the use of this pool, named Siloam meaning "Sent."  So, in some sense, Christ "recreates" this man's eyes using His saliva and earth, and then the eyes of creation are washed in the waters called "Sent."  This mirrors our own "recreation," and "washing" in the waters of Holy Baptism, which do not simply cleanse but also give us a rebirth "from above" (the literal meaning of the words translated as "born again" in John 3:3).  Perhaps in this context it is highly important to take in Jesus' words regarding sin and this man born blind.  As my study Bible explained the ancient assumption that such an affliction from birth was caused by a sin of either the man himself or his parents, so Jesus dispels this notion, and gives us instead a joyful cause even for his affliction:  so "that the works of God should be revealed in him."  This is a marvel, somewhat akin to the Crucifixion, a means of death given as penalty to the worst of criminals, but used by God to instead destroy death for all of us, giving Resurrection and our capacity to participate as well in Christ's Resurrection.  This marvelous sense given to us of how God works is another sort of revelation of God's love, and stands on its head the notion of affliction merely as means of punishment for some transgression.  It also is mirrored in St. Paul's understanding of his own affliction, for which he earnestly prayed several times for relief.  St. Paul writes of the response to his prayer, "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" (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Suppose we each were to observe that our Baptism functions as a chance for God's grace to shine for us through our own afflictions in life?  Or that even God's love is present for us through all things?  We know through His life and especially through the Cross that Christ suffers with us, has chosen to be one of us in His life as incarnate Jesus.  But what if we were to understand from today's reading, and others like it (such as those we cite here) that our own occasions of suffering are meant to be occasions for inviting in the grace of God so that our own suffering is transfigured into something which has deeper meanings?  How many unfortunate circumstances may also turn into opportunities in which God's grace is sufficient for us?  If we know that God is love (1 John 4:8), that through Baptism and through our faithfulness we are adopted as God's children and "born again" in this sense, then what are the limits of healing our unfortunate and hurtful circumstances of life?  It is very important to consider that reliance upon God is much more than a simple formula for strength, but also found within a communion of love and healing, the creativity of the Creator (as expressed in the healing of the man blind from birth in today's reading), and that this is included in the Body of the Church and the communion of saints as well.  How many can testify to the power of God to heal a soul, release a burden, give renewed hope and life to those whose lives have been harmed by abuse and unfortunate choices, whether those choices are theirs or others?  Let us consider that grace works in God's way (see for example John 3:8; Isaiah 55:8-9) and not to our demands or expectations.  In fact, we might not really know what our own healing will look like. But nevertheless, we know God is always present, and grace belongs within our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

- John 8:12–20 

 

Yesterday we read that on the last day, that great day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."   But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?   Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  My study Bible comments that these words were spoken by Jesus ("I am the light of the world") in the context of the great lamps being lit at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles.  This is now the last day of that feast.  Therefore, my study Bible says, Jesus declares Himself to be the fulfillment and the divine object of all celebrations of light.  In the Scripture, it continues, God the Father Himself is light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), an attribute which God bestows on the faithful (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  Christ confirms His claim by performing the great sign of opening the eyes of a man born blind in the chapter that follows (John 9:1-7; see especially verse 5).  

 

 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Earlier in this chapter, Jesus gave four witnesses to His identity (see John 5:31-47).  That took place during Christ's time in Jerusalem at the Feast of Weeks (the Old Testament Pentecost; see this reading).  Here, once again, He anticipates their argument, and responds accordingly.  Jesus cites Jewish tradition, in which a valid testimony required two witnesses.  Here He gives two:  Himself and God the Father.  

 

 Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.  My study Bible comments that, because the Son and the Father share the same divine nature, one cannot be known apart from the other (John 14:7-11).  Note once again how the Gospel emphasizes that no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

Once again (as in the reading in which Jesus gave four witnesses to His identity) we are invited today to think about witnesses and witnessing.  In today's reading Jesus gives two witnesses to back up His claim that He is the light of the world:  Himself and God the Father.  Jesus replies, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one."  How many of us can say with confidence that our witness is true in this same sense that Jesus claims it.  There is the obvious understanding that He knows where He came from and where He is going, and no one else knows that -- certainly not the men who challenge Him.  Note how His claim that His witness is true is linked to the next statement:  "You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the who sent Me."  Christ's judgment is based on that which He is given from the Father, not His own perspective in terms of a worldly point of view (according to the flesh).  How can we best be true, and how can our own witness be true?  Let us practice what Jesus does, let us seek to defer to God our judgments.  In this way is Christ true, for He will repeatedly say that His goals and ambitions are not worldly, not for Himself alone as human being, but rather His choices in all things are made to serve the will of the Father.  He aligns Himself with the Light and Source of all light (as He is "light of Light, true God of true God"), and therefore is His witness true.  Later in this chapter, Jesus will declare, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things" (John 8:58).  This is how His witness is true, even as the Father teaches Him, so He speaks.  He affirms this in today's reading when He says, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  So closely does Jesus reflect the Father that we know the Father through Him.  Our endeavors in our own lives, in order to be true, should always attempt to follow this pattern, that we seek to do the will of the One who is the light of the world.  We seek to align ourselves with Christ, to bear His light into the world, for He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), and so in this sense we also can best be true witnesses.  Let us remember that the word in Greek for witness is μαρτυρας/martyras; we have come to know this word "martyr" in English as one who witnesses for Christ (and of course, one in particular who has perished rather than deny one's Christian faith).  To witness then, or to testify, is to be present in that truth through all things, to bear witness to the truth of Christ as best we can through all circumstances.  In order to do so let us emphasize in our own lives that we seek to align ourselves with His light, to seek God's will in all things, to practice what we know and to pray at all times for what we don't.  To seek God's truth is also to delve into mysteries, but that means primarily that we put our trust in God through all things.  Listen to Christ's words of absolute, unshakable confidence in the Father.  For Jesus knows His witness is true, and He knows who He is.  Let us be those who also know who we are in our faith in Him.  

 

 

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 our present readings, Jesus is attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.  It is an autumn harvest festival, commemorating the time when Israel wandered the wilderness of Sinai, dwelling in tents or "tabernacles."  Jesus has been disputing with the religious leadership, and this is now the final year of His earthly life.  Yesterday we read that 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.  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."   In this chapter Jesus will perform the sixth sign of seven in John's Gospel.  Of all the miracle stories in the Bible, my study Bible says, this is the only one in which the person who is healed was blind from birth.   This man, it says, is symbolic of all of humanity; we all need illumination by Christ, who is the Light of the world.  This sign  is also an illustration of baptism, which is also called "holy illumination."   Here Jesus also rejects the assumption (common in the ancient world) that all troubles and illnesses are necessarily the consequence of personal sin, or even the sins of parents (see Ezekiel 20:5; Deuteronomy 5:9; contrast Ezekiel 18:19-21).  My study Bible adds that although suffering can be the direct result of personal sin, this is certainly not always the case.  As Christ says, in this case this man's blindness provided the occasion for the works of God to be revealed; it is not related directly to the man's personal sins.   Regarding work, as Jesus uses the term here, my study Bible says 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, is a reference both to the time after a person has died 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 all will submit, whether willingly or unwillingly. 

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."   This unprecedented healing of a man who was born blind is a confirmation of Christ's claim that He is the light of the world.  See also John 8:12, in this reading.  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).  Jesus 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, my study Bible notes, a considerable distance from the temple.  From this pool water was taken for the rites connected with the Feast of Tabernacles, such as for purification of the altar, and to commemorate the water that flowed from the rock struck by Moses (Numbers 20:10-11).  Siloam, translated, Sent, is symbolic of Christ, the One sent by the Father (John 5:36; 20:21).  Just as the healing of the blind man confirmed Christ's claim to be the light of the world, 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. 

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.  

There is an interesting tie in today's reading between water and light.  Both are symbols of the Holy Spirit, but in some sense, it's almost as if these things of the world that are so necessary for all life also combine to represent elements of divinity, even the Persons of the Trinity working together to heal and restore life to us in the deepest sense, even of soul and spirit, leading to healing of the whole human person.  Light is, of course, associated with God.  John's Gospel begins by speaking to us of the Father as light (John 1:4-9) and also John's first Epistle does the same (1 John 1:5).  As my study Bible commented, baptism is also called "holy illumination," for we are led to sight through Christ's light and the light of the Holy Spirit; and, of course, Christ speaks of Himself as the light of the world in today's reading.  He shows us the way, lights the path for us, so that we may walk through world which also will show us darkness and confusion.  Of course, the tie with the blind man who now sees is clear; eyes that cannot see are those that cannot perceive the light of the world as it reflects all things and surfaces, giving us color and perception.  To wash in the pool of Siloam, meaning Sent, is to be cleansed of the things that take away our focus, blind us to what we need, just as this water is used to purify the altar, and symbolizes the water flowing from the rock which Moses struck -- necessary and saving water in the desert, provided through the guidance of God and holy power bestowed by God upon the prophet Moses.  But we also know water as the "living water" that flows as rivers from the heart of a person receiving the grace of God, the Holy Spirit, as promised by Jesus and through our faith made possible by grace (John 7:38).  Every single living thing we know needs light and water for life, but of these two elements we are given in a kind of surpassing abundance by Christ, with spiritual power that touches more than what we understand as our flesh.  Our very lives are magnified through these elements in the spiritual sense which we can receive through Christ, in the ways that God can work within us to heal on all levels.  God can give us spiritual sight, and our hearts may be filled with rivers of the living water that is life itself.  Let us consider these images of light and water, how they provide us with life in the world and life in ourselves, giving in abundance.  Both are necessary for us in a worldly sense, and spiritually both are necessary to true life as well.  In the fullness of life God bestows, the life of the Kingdom which is everlasting, both are also necessary and give us a substance to life that will not die which can become a part of ourselves.  To be a slave of sin is also to dwell in darkness, without light that shows us the way out of this slavery, into the truth that makes us free (John 8:32).   If our sight is cleansed by the One who washes away the things that distract us from the truth we need, then we are illumined indeed.  Let us follow Him, the light of the world, so that our works may also reflect His light.

I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

- John 8:12–20 

 

 In our current readings, Jesus is attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, which commemorates the time that Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai, dwelling in tents or "tabernacles."  This is an eight day autumn harvest festival, and it is now the final year of Christ's earthly life. Yesterday we read that the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.  Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."  But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers of the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."  

 

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."   My study Bible observes that Jesus spoke these words in the context of the great lamps being lit at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles.  These lamps (oil-fueled menorahs) towered over the city of Jerusalem, and when they were lit, they created such a blaze that it seemed the whole of Jerusalem was illumined in bright light.  Here, my study Bible says, Jesus declares Himself to be the fulfillment and the divine object of all celebrations of light.  In the Scriptures, it notes, God the Father is light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), an attributes bestowed by God on followers (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  Jesus will confirm His claim by performing the great sign of opening the eyes of a man born blind, at the beginning of chapter 9 (John 9:1-7; see especially verse 5). 

 

The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.  The Pharisees demand again witnesses, testimony as to who Jesus is, and where His authority comes from.  But Jesus has already offered four witnesses:  John the Baptist, the works that Jesus does, God the Father, and the Scriptures (see this reading).  Here He responds again, affirming that His witness is true, because He knows where He came from and where He is going, and they do not.  Once again, Jesus affirms an emphatic choice in judging with true judgment, as He relies on the Father who sent Him; and judges not according to the flesh, or to appearances (see yesterday's reading, above).  The two witnesses He names here in this passage, therefore, are Himself and the Father.  My study Bible comments that, as the Son and the Father share the same divine nature, one cannot be known apart from the other (see John 14:7-11).  

Between the readings from yesterday and today, beginning John's eighth chapter, there is a reading that is often skipped over as it has been by the lectionary today.  That is from John 7:53-8:11, and it is the story of the woman caught in adultery.  The reason this passage is frequently skipped over is that it's not found in several ancient manuscripts, and it's not covered in the commentaries of St. John Chrysostom and certain other patristic figures.  But it's still accepted in the Church as authentic, inspired, and canonical, and bearing the authority of all other Scripture.  I mention it today because Christ teaches in today's passage about judgment; that is, about judging good judgment, and that is relevant to the passage on the woman presented to Him in the temple as taken in adultery.  He refuses to condemn her, suggesting to the men who make the accusations that those without sin cast the first stone against her.  In today's lectionary reading, Jesus asserts His own relationship to the Father in repeated ways.  He says that He may bear witness to Himself because He is sent by the Father.  He has come from the Father in heaven, and those who demand witnesses and proof of His authority have not, and do not know where He comes from.  Moreover, it is because the Father is with Him, says Jesus, that He is able to make judgment that is true and good.  In earlier readings, Jesus has taught about judging with righteous judgment (John 5:30; 7:24).  Jesus says, "You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me."  So, in the context of the two passages, one might suggest that the case of the woman taken in adultery is an example of Christ's true judgment, and it is an example for us all to follow.  We might take this as if we should all use the same principles of judgment, but I for one would suggest that Christ offers us to follow Him in seeking a closer communion with the Father, in seeking the Father's will in all we do.  After all, Jesus is in the world, in effect, to "show us" the Father, whom we know through Christ (John 14:8-18).  Not only is He in the world so that we come to know God more truly, but He brings us closer to God through every sacrament initiated through His life (especially the Eucharist), and also because His Incarnation will facilitate the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Let us follow Christ's example of seeking that judgment that sees beyond appearances, that judges with righteous judgment, because we may draw closer to the Father in prayer and worship, seeking that which will help us to see beyond our own limitations, and to grow into the people God asks us to become.  If we but make the effort, the power to accept a maturity we don't yet know is a capacity God will help us to realize, and a path which is illumined by Christ's light.  Some might suggest this is the whole meaning of salvation, the true measure of Christ's Incarnation in the world for us.  Let us endeavor to let Him lead the way, especially in the practice of judgment.  For in this sense He is truly the light of the world, who illumines our way through the darkness.

 

 

I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life." 

The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  

Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

- John 8:12-20 

 

In our current readings, Jesus is at the eight-day Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, an autumn festival.  It is the final year of His earthly life.  Yesterday we read that while everyone went to his own house, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives, staying with the other pilgrims to the feast.  Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them.  Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery.  And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned.  But what do You say?"  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.  But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.  So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first."  And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last.  And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.  When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours?  Has no one condemned you?"  She said, "No one, Lord."  And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."   

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."   At the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles, great lamps were lit in the outer courtyard of the temple, called the Court of Women (perhaps relevant to the story in yesterday's reading, above).  These were four oil-fed menorah lamps, 75 feet high, kept lit all night.   Their brilliance was so stunning that it illuminated the city.  These lamps were meant to remind the people of the pillar of fire that guided Israel on their wilderness journey following Moses.  It is in this context that Jesus says of Himself that He is the light of the world.   In so doing, my study Bible says, He declares Himself to be the fulfillment and the divine object of all celebrations of light.  In the Scriptures, it adds, God the Father is light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), an attribute which is bestowed on followers (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  In the chapter that follows, Jesus will confirm His claim with the sign of opening the eyes of a man born blind (John 9:1-7; esp. verse 5).  

The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  We recall that in chapter 5 (John 5:31-47), Jesus gave four witnesses to Himself as testimony to confirm His identity as Messiah and Son of God:  God the Father, John the Baptist, His own works which bear witness, and the Old Testament Scriptures.  Here, Jesus first defends His own judgment and contrasts it with that of the leaders, who do not truly know "where I come from and where I am going."   Only He knows these things about Himself.  He contrasts their judgment according to the flesh, with His judgment which always comes from the Father.  He offers two witnesses this time for testimony:  Himself, and the Father who sent Him.  

Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.  My study Bible explains that because the Son and the Father share the same divine nature, one cannot be known apart from the other (John 14:7-11).  

Once again, we're given an example in today's reading of how Christ is the fulfillment of the "types" we read about in the Old Testament Scriptures.  As the great lamps of the Court of Women were illuminated, lighting up the whole city of Jerusalem in an image of the pillar of fire that led Israel through the wilderness (Exodus 13:17-22, esp. verses 21 and 22), Jesus declares, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."   We have to consider how Christ is the fulfillment of those brilliant lamps of illumination which commemorate the pillar of fire leading the way in the darkness.  First of all, He is the Lord, and so we consider Christ the divine Son to have been active in leading the people of God throughout Israel's history and in this case specifically through the Exodus.  Jesus has used the language for the identity of the Lord proclaimed to Moses, I AM, in Exodus 3:14.  He will make this connection explicitly clear as we reach the end of this chapter, when Jesus declares to the religious leaders, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58).  We may also understand Jesus as "the light" which illumines our way in the world.  That is, the way of one who would be a pilgrim and disciple to Christ, to find our way to God, even as we pray to our Father as He taught, "Your kingdom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (see Matthew 6:8-15).  Christ is the light that leads the way for those who desire God's kingdom manifest in this world.  He is the light that restores sight to a man blind from birth in the following chapter, as another aspect of His works or signs done at this Feast of Tabernacles.  Of course, St. John's Gospel tells us that He is the light shining in the darkness, that the darkness can neither understand nor take into itself (John 1:1-5).  Whether we believe that He is the One who provided the pillar of light, or Himself was present in the pillar of light, whether we understand the Eternal Word to be that which illumines or enlightens life itself, if we believe that this light is personally present to guide us and communicate with us through the mystery of the great communion of saints, all of the above is at once possible.  What we understand of His light communicates, guides, illumines us spiritually, enlightens our minds, uplifts our hearts with hope, and teaches us what we need in life and how to go forward in the path towards God and God's kingdom.  This is where we start, in that myriad of ways the light can show in our lives and has been present with humankind from the beginning. 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am one who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

 

- John 8:12-20 

 

 Yesterday we read that on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.  He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.   Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, "Truly this is the Prophet."  Others said, "This is the Christ."  But some said, "Will the Christ come out of Galilee?  Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"  So there was a division among the people because of Him.  Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.  Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why have you not brought Him?"  The officers answered, "No man ever spoke like this Man!"  Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived?  Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?  But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."  Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"  They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee?  Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

 

 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."  My study Bible explains that Jesus declares, "I am the light of the world" in the context of the great lamps being lit at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles.  Therefore, it says, He declares Himself to be the fulfillment and the divine object of all celebrations of light.  In the Scriptures, God the Father Himself is light (John 1:4-9; 1 John 1:5), an attribute which is bestowed on God's followers (Matthew 5:14; Philippians 2:15).  Christ confirms this claim that He is the light of the world in the performing of the great sign of opening the eyes of a man born blind in our following chapter (John 9:1-7; note especially verse 5).  

The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."  Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from and where I am going.  You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.  And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.  It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.  I am one who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."  Earlier in the Gospel, at the Feast of Weeks (also known as the Old Testament Pentecost, which celebrates the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai, Jesus gave four witnesses to His identity (see this reading).  Here, He is again challenged by the Pharisees, and this time He gives two witnesses:  Himself and the Father.  Importantly, Jesus explains that His judgment is righteous because He does not judge according to the flesh; He does not judge according to appearance alone.  In Thursday's reading, Jesus said to them, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."  Why would His judgment be true, because if He were to judge, He is not alone, but with the Father who sent Him.  His bold statement here is that He bears witness of Himself, and the Father who sent Him bears witness of Him.

Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"  Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."  These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.  My study Bible comments that because the Son and the Father share the same divine nature, one cannot be known apart from the other (John 14:7-11).  Christ's hour is the time of His Passion.  

The lectionary has skipped over a passage that begins chapter 8 of John's Gospel.  This is the story of the woman caught in adultery, and presented to Jesus in the temple as a kind of test to trap Him (see John 8:1-11).  This passage does not appear in several ancient manuscripts, and neither is it covered in the commentaries of St. John Chrysostom and some other patristic figures.   Perhaps it is for this reason that it is skipped over in the lectionary readings.  However, my study Bible comments, it is still sealed by the Church as inspired, authentic, canonical Scripture, and bears the same authority as all other Scripture.  But perhaps it is a good idea to take it in context, and specifically in the context of Christ's teachings in today's reading that He is the light of the world, and that His judgment is true because He does nothing without the Father's presence.   Perhaps the story of the woman caught in adultery is illustrative of that true judgment on the part of Christ, giving us a sense of the insight of God, and what it is to know true judgment.  But let us consider that in saying, "I am the light of the world.  He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life," Jesus is offering us a path for our own righteousness.  He offers Himself as guide, the lamp that lights the way in the dark, the road to tread in life so that we also walk in the light of life.  This is related to the true judgment Jesus displays, for this is what His light for -- to help illumine our own potential for discernment and true or righteous judgment.  In John 14:6, Jesus proclaims that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and we should keep in mind that the word for way means also "road."  He is our path, the one that leads to the Father, to the illumination of our lives.  John's Gospel speaks to us of darkness and light, right from the beginning (John 1:1-9).  Darkness is a kind of ignorance that symbolizes evil, the things that are bad and harmful to life.  Jesus as the light of life directs us to life, and life more abundantly:  that would includes righteousness, true judgment, and a path to the Father, a way to walk through this world.  Is righteousness important to us?  Does illumination have meaning for us, and importance?  Is it significant as a worthwhile goal?  We can look around ourselves and see plenty of darkness.  Let us all the more deeply cling to His light, to show us the way to life, and life more abundantly, and to be a part of the light shining in the darkness of the world.

 

 

 

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake

 

 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.  

"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are a light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Now do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

 

- Matthew 5:11-16 

 

Yesterday we began reading the Sermon on the Mount, which starts with the Beatitudes, or blessings of the Kingdom.  Seeing the multitudes who now follow Him, Jesus went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." 

 

  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  My study Bible comments that those who suffer persecution for Christ walk the road of the prophets, saints, and martyrs.  The Greek for be exceedingly glad means literally to "leap exceedingly with joy."  (See Acts 5:40-41.)

 

 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?  It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  You are a light of the world.  A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.  Now do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."  Salt and light are important illustrations give by Jesus of the role of disciples in society.  Because of its preservative powers, its necessity for life, and its capacity for giving flavor, salt had religious and sacrificial significance for the Jews and in the practices of the temple (Leviticus 2:13; see also Numbers 18:19, 2 Chronicles 13:5).  To eat salt with someone meant to be bound together in loyalty, my study Bible explains.  As the salt of the earth, Christians are preservers of God's covenant, and give true flavor to the world.    God is the true and uncreated Light, my study Bible adds, In the Old Testament light is symbolic of God (Isaiah 60:1-3), the divine Law (Psalm 119:105), and Israel in contrast to all other nations.  In the New Testament, the Son of God is called "light" (John 1:4-9, 8:12; 1 John 1:5).  My study Bible adds that light is necessary both for clear vision and for life itself.  Faith relies on this divine light, and believers become "sons of light" (John 12:36; 1 Thessalonians 5:5) who shine in a perverse world (Philippians 2:15).  In many parishes the Pascha (Easter) Liturgy begins with a candle being presented and the invitation to "come receive the Light which is never overtaken by night."  When Jesus teaches, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven," He is expressing a truth that Christian virtues and the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) have both a personal and a public function, for such virtue can bring others to glorify the Father.  

Recently I listened to a distraught phone call to a radio psychologist from a mother who was very upset over the problems her daughter was having with "mean girls" in high school.  Although her daughter seemed to be the very responsible and mature one of the crowd (which included even her former best friend's mother), she was the one excluded by the others.  And although this young woman had gone on to make new friends, her former friend (and the friend's parents) continued to spread bad rumors about her in order to hurt her.  It wasn't ever clear to her why this friend had a problem with her in the first place.  Although to many of us the problems of high school age are far behind us, this kind of behavior is not unknown in all kinds of places -- and, as the radio psychologist pointed out, is always about power and how one views the use of power.  This would apply in particular to those who believe that by hurting another, they exercise power.  Into this seemingly trite scenario one might encounter in a TV movie come the words Jesus give us today:  "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  The young woman in the story might not be a follower of Christ (it wasn't the subject of the telephone call), but it was clear that she was a righteous young woman; she had done the right thing and tried to clear the air, being very honest, and seeking dialogue with the people who had hurt her.  She was also clearly forgiving.  But Jesus teaches us about righteousness, and about the virtuous life -- and also that when we live our lives this way, and when we are victimized by those who use power to hurt the nominally "meek" and virtuous, we should consider ourselves blessed, even when we encounter slander and falsehoods told about ourselves, because "so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."  We might not all be prophets, but in following the teachings of Christ, we do enter into a kind of lineage of righteousness, and it is when we lose sight of the evil and cruelties of the world -- even that there are those who might despise us for our virtue -- that we lose track of the reality of the world and our place in it.  The Church, the Body of Christ, is meant to be a community of those who share such values and support one another in the practice of those virtues.  It is not simply a place where people gather because they agree on a belief statement or an abstract of certain truths.  It is meant to be a place for righteous relationships, in which we are supported in a particular way of life, and grow within that life and our participation -- through ritual and faith practices such as prayer and worship -- in the life of Christ, from whom we are meant to understand that God is love, and through whom that love has been revealed to us and lived in the life of the human Jesus.  There are many ways in which the world will present to us a cruel and merciless life as one that is advantageous, but abuse of power in all its forms is nothing new in this world.  What is "new" is that Christ calls us to the righteous life, despite persecution, and He assures us that such a life is, indeed, "blessed," because we are reviled and even hurt for His sake.  He calls us to be salt and to be light, and this is our never-ending mission, the "way" of Christ for life through this world and all that it offers, so that we are set apart for that which is truly blessed.   In so doing, He calls us "the light of the world."