Much did the Lord say upon the subject of covetousness; an evil
passion which, if indulged, must draw the heart more and more from
heavenly things to things of the earth; saying unto them, "For where
your treasure is there will your heart be also."
Jesus, then, in a short parable, showed the necessity of constantly
watching, that we may not be found unready whenever we are summoned to
die.
Many other things Jesus said, and continued to teach through the
cities and villages: on one occasion He raised the indignation of the
ruler of a synagogue, because He had healed a poor woman, who was
"bowed down by a spirit of infirmity," which she had had for eighteen
years.
But Jesus rebuked those who blamed Him, and so spake that "All his
adversaries were ashamed; and all the people rejoiced for the glorious
things that were done by him."
"And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or
his parents, that he was born blind?"
Some of the Jews seem at this time to have taken up an idea held by
the heathen, that, after the death of a man, his soul was sent into
another body; and that the souls of bad men even went into the bodies
of animals.
Another false notion of the Jews was, that any one who was a great
sufferer upon earth must have been a greater sinner than others, who
did not so suffer: an idea quite contrary to all the teaching of
Jesus. With these two ideas in their minds, some of those who had
become followers of Jesus, asked him, whether this blind man was born
so, as a punishment for sins he had committed in another body; or
whether his blindness was a punishment for the sins of his parents.
Jesus immediately answered, that it was neither for one nor the other
of these causes, that this man was born blind; but that God in His
wisdom had allowed it to be so, "That the works of God should be made
manifest in him." Jesus then, in a very remarkable manner, gave sight
to the blind man; clearly proving that it was the power of God only,
and not the means used, which had effected his cure: and He also
enabled the blind man to show his faith, by making the final
restoration of his sight, depend upon his obedience to the command,
"Go, wash in the pool of Siloam: he went his way therefore, and
washed, and came (back) seeing."
"The neighbours and they which before had seen him that he was blind,"
were much surprised; and began questioning whether he were indeed the
same man, or one like him; but he quickly put an end to all doubts,
and said, "I am he."
Then, in answer to their questions, he told them the exact manner in
which this cure had been effected, by "a man that is called Jesus":
for at this time, he had no knowledge of Jesus as the Son of God, the
promised Messiah. Whether from a good or bad motive we do not know,
but "they brought to the Pharisees him that aforetime was blind." And
it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay, and opened his eyes.
Then the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He
said, "He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed, and do see." The
Pharisees could not deny the miracle; but immediately some of them
raised the objection, "This man is not of God, because he keepeth not
the Sabbath day." Others, however, less determined to disbelieve even
the testimony of their own senses, said, "How can a man that is a
sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them. They say
unto the blind man again, What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened
thine eyes?" The blind man, though still ignorant of the real
character of Jesus, felt that He was most certainly more than a common
man, and said, "He is a prophet."
But the Jews now affected to disbelieve that the man had ever been
blind, and called his parents, asking them, "Is this your son, who ye
say was born blind? how then doth he now see? His parents answered
them and said, We know that this is our son, and that he was born
blind: but by what means he now seeth, we know not; or who hath opened
his eyes, we know not: he is of age; ask him: he shall speak for
himself. These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews,"
who "had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was the
Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." His parents,
therefore, not wishing to bring this punishment upon themselves,
merely bore witness to the fact that he was their son who was born
blind: as to the rest, they told the Jews to let him speak for
himself. "Then again called they the man that was blind, and said
unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner."
That is, they called upon the man, who had been healed, to acknowledge
that Jesus was merely a sinful mortal, and had in reality no part in
his cure, which was the work of the God of Israel alone. The man,
however, would by no means allow this: "He answered and said, Whether
he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I
was blind, now I see." This answer by no means pleased the Jews, and
again they asked, "How opened he thine eyes?" He answered them, "I
have told you already, and ye did not hear (or believe): wherefore
would ye hear it again? will ye also be his disciples? Then they
reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses's
disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we
know not from whence he is." All the doubts and disputes of the
Pharisees, so far from shaking the faith of this man, seem to have
strengthened it; and now, fearless of consequences, he spake out
boldly the words of common sense, and said, "Why herein is a
marvellous thing, that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath
opened mine eyes. Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any
man be a worshipper of God and doeth His will, him he heareth. Since
the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one
that was born blind. If this man were not of God, he could do
nothing."
The answer of the man who had been born blind, made the Pharisees very
angry. They could not contradict what he said; but they were
determined not to allow that Jesus came from God, and as they chose to
believe that this man was a greater sinner than other men because he
had been born blind, they immediately cried out, "Thou wast altogether
born in sins, and dost thou teach us? And they cast him out:" that is,
expelled him from the synagogue, as they had resolved to do to any one
who should confess that Jesus was the Christ. This casting out of the
synagogue, or excommunication, was a very severe punishment; there
seem to have been three degrees of it. In the first instance, the
person under sentence of excommunication was forbidden to enter a
synagogue, or to join in the services of the temple; and he was to be
looked upon as no longer belonging to the chosen people of God. After
such a sentence had been passed, no Jew would speak to, or have any
intercourse with, the excommunicated person: this was the sentence now
passed upon the man who had been so wonderfully healed. In the second
degree of excommunication, the loss of property was added to the
former sentence; all the goods possessed by the excommunicated person
were taken from him, and given to the service of God. The third degree
of this terrible punishment ordained the death of the unfortunate
wretch, who had already been cut off from all his friends, and
deprived of his property. When Jesus heard that the blind man had for
His sake been cast out, He appears to have gone in search of him; "and
when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son
of God?" The man, in doubt as to the real nature of Him who had healed
him, and anxious to know the truth, "answered and said, Who is he,
Lord, that I might believe on him?" Jesus, ever ready to teach those
who heartily seek to learn the truth, plainly answered, and "said unto
him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee."
All doubts now vanished; "and he said, Lord, I believe. And he
worshipped him." We may surely hope that this man, to whom the Lord
had given both spiritual and bodily sight, became a true and sincere
disciple of Jesus.
After this, Jesus blamed the Pharisees for not believing in Him
themselves, and for trying to prevent others from doing so either.
Then He spake of Himself as the good Shepherd; comparing the people to
a flock of sheep. The meaning of what Jesus now said, was, that He who
came to teach the people the way of salvation is the only good
Shepherd; and that all who do not come to them in the way appointed by
God, teaching as He has commanded, are like thieves and robbers; who
only come to do mischief in the flock, and must be shut out; just as
the porters, who took care of the sheep brought up to be sold for
sacrifice, would not let any but the rightful owner enter into the
sheepfold.
Jesus plainly declared Himself to be the good Shepherd, who would lead
the Jews to salvation, if they would follow Him, as the sheep in those
Eastern countries follow their Shepherd, when he calls them. Alluding
to the Gentiles, Jesus also said, that He had other sheep whom He
would also by means of the Gospel bring into His fold, the Church of
Christ on earth; and hereafter into His heavenly fold in heaven.
All that our Lord now said, made a great impression upon some of His
hearers; and again caused a division of opinion among the Jews. Those
who were disposed to believe in Him were reproached by others, who,
foolishly as well as blasphemously, said, "He hath a devil, and is
mad; why hear ye him?" Others, who did not allow prejudice to blind
their common sense, reasonably answered, "These are not the words of
him that hath a devil,"--no man possessed with a devil could speak
such good and beautiful words; and then they referred to the recent
miracle, in proof that the Lord could not be under the influence of
Satan in any way; for they asked, "Can a devil open the eyes of the
blind?" No more appears to have been said: we will hope that many went
away determined to follow Jesus, but many, no doubt, hardened their
hearts and continued in unbelief.
We next hear of Jesus being at Jerusalem, for "the feast of the
dedication, and it was winter." This Feast of the Dedication had been
appointed by Judas Maccabeus, in remembrance of the cleansing of the
temple, and devoting it again to the proper worship of God, after it
had been profaned by the heathen. By attending this Feast, Jesus set
us an example to keep solemn days appointed by man, in order to offer
up thanksgiving to God for particular mercies. The Feast of the
Dedication took place in the month which answers to our December.