Sidenote: S. John ix. 1.
1. YOU have heard, my brother, the lesson of the Gospel, wherein it
is narrated that as _the Lord Jesus passed by He saw a man which was
blind from his birth_. Now if the Lord saw him He did not pass him
by, neither ought we to pass him by whom the Lord overlooked not;
especially since he was blind from his birth, which is not mentioned
without reason.
2. Now there is a blindness in which by the operation of illness
the sight of the eyes is obscured, and this by the help of time is
mitigated; there is a blindness also which is caused by the entrance of
humours, and this, when the defect is removed, is cured by the aid of
medicine; and this I say that you may know that it was not by skill but
by Divine Power that he who was blind from his birth was healed. For
the Lord gave him health as a free gift, not by any medicinal skill,
for they whom the Lord Jesus healed were they whom no one could cure.
Sidenote: S. John ix. 2.
Sidenote: Ib. 3.
Sidenote: Ib. 5.
Sidenote: Ps. xxxiv. 5.
3. But how foolish was the inquiry of the Jews, _Who did sin this
man or his parents?_ ascribing bodily diseases to the score of sin.
Wherefore the Lord said, _Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents,
but that the works of God should be made manifest in him_. That which
nature created, the Creator, being the Author of nature, was capable of
remedying. He added therefore, _As long as I am in the world I am the
light of the world_, that is, all who are blind may see whether they
need Me Who am the Light. _Approach ye, and be enlightened, that ye may
see._
Sidenote: S. John xi. 43.
Sidenote: S. Mark ii. 11.
Sidenote: S. John ix. 6, 7.
4. In the next place why did He Who restored life at command, Who gave
health by His word, saying to the dead, _Come forth_, and Lazarus came
forth from the grave, saying also to the sick of the palsy, _Arise and
take up thy bed_, and the sick of the palsy rose and himself began to
carry his bed, whereon, when all his limbs were paralyzed, he had been
wont to be carried; why, I say, did He _spit on the ground and make
clay, and anoint the eyes of the blind man, and say to him, Go, wash
♦in the pool of Siloam, which is by interpretation, Sent. He went his
way therefore, and washed, and came seeing_――What is the reason of
this? Great indeed is the reason, if I mistake not, for he who is
taught by Jesus comes to see more clearly.
Sidenote: S. John xv. 3.
5. Observe at the same time both His Divinity and His sanctity; as
being Himself Light He touched and so communicated light to others; as
being a Priest He fulfilled by the figure of Baptism the mysteries of
spiritual grace. He spat, that you might learn that the inner parts of
Christ are light; and clearly indeed does he see who receives cleansing
thereby. His spittle cleanses, and so does His discourse, as it is
written, _Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto
you_.
Sidenote: Gen. ii. 7.
Sidenote: S. John vii. 16.
Sidenote: Ib. ix. 11.
Sidenote: Ib. 25.
Sidenote: Rom. xiii. 12.
6. But His making clay and anointing the eyes of the blind was intended
to signify to us that the Same Who made man of clay, restored him to
health by anointing with clay, and to signify also that this flesh of
our clay must receive the light of eternal life by the Sacrament of
Baptism. Do you also draw near to Siloam, that is, to Him Who was sent
from the Father, as it is written, _My doctrine is not Mine, but His
that sent Me_. Let Christ wash you that you may see. Come to Baptism,
the time itself is at hand, make haste and come that you may say,
_I went, and washed, and I received sight_; that you may also say,
_whereas I was blind, now I see_, that you may say, as that man on whom
light was poured said, _the night is far spent, the day is at hand_.
Sidenote: S. John xiii. 27.
Sidenote: S. Matt. xvii. 2.
Sidenote: Ib. xxvi. 70.
7. The night was blindness. It was night when Judas received the sop
from Jesus, and Satan entered into him. To Judas, in whom the Devil was,
it was night; to John, who lay on the breast of Christ, it was day. To
Peter also it was day, when he saw the light of Christ on the mount. To
others it was night, but to Peter it was day. To Peter himself however
it was night when he denied Christ. But the cock crowed, and he began
to weep, that he might correct his error, for now the day was at hand.
Sidenote: S. John ix. 10.
8. The Jews enquired of the blind man, _How were thine eyes opened?_
What signal folly! They enquired concerning what they saw; they
enquired into the cause, seeing the effect.
Sidenote: Ib. 28.
9. _Then they reviled him, and said, thou art His disciple._ Their
curse is a blessing, for their blessing is a curse. _Thou_, they say,
_art His disciple_. They confer a benefit, while they think they are
doing an injury.
Farewell, my son; love me as you do, for I also love you.