Homilies on John, Homily 57

“When Jesus had said this, He spat on the ground, made clay from the saliva, spread the clay on the blind man’s eyes, and said, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” [1.] Those who want to benefit from what they read must not skip even a small part of the words. This is why we are told to “search” the Scriptures: most of the words, though they seem easy at first, have much hidden meaning in their depths. Consider the present case. “Having said these words,” it says, “He spat on the ground.” What words? “That the glory of God should be revealed,” and, “I must do the works of Him who sent Me.” The Evangelist has a reason for mentioning His words and adding that “He spat”: he wants to show that He confirmed His words through deeds. And why did He use saliva instead of water to make the clay? He was about to send the man to Siloam. So, to keep anyone from attributing anything to the spring, and to teach you that the power coming from His mouth both formed and opened the man’s eyes, He “spat on the ground.” This, at least, is what the Evangelist indicated when he said, “And made clay from the saliva.” Then, so that the successful outcome would not seem to come from the earth, He told him to wash. But why did He not do this immediately, instead of sending him to Siloam? So that you might learn the blind man’s faith, and the Jews’ stubbornness might be silenced. They would probably all see him as he went, with clay spread over his eyes, since the strangeness of the sight would draw everyone’s attention, both those who knew him and those who did not, and they would watch him closely. And because it is not easy to recognize a blind man who has regained his sight, He first uses the length of the journey to make many people witnesses, and the strangeness of the sight to make them careful observers. By paying closer attention, they would no longer be able to say, “It is he: it is not he.” Moreover, by sending him to Siloam, He wants to prove that He is not estranged from the Law and the Old (Covenant). Nor was there any reason afterward to fear that Siloam would receive the glory, since many people who had often washed their eyes there had received no such benefit. There too, it was the power of Christ that did everything. This is why the Evangelist adds the meaning of the name for us. After saying, “in Siloam,” he adds, “Which means, Sent.” So that you may learn that there too it was Christ who healed him. As Paul says, “They drank from that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ.” ( 1 Cor. x. 4.) Just as Christ was the spiritual Rock, so He was also the spiritual Siloam. To me, the sudden arrival of the water also seems to suggest an inexpressible mystery. What is that? The unexpected (nature) of His appearance, beyond all expectation. But notice the blind man’s attitude: he obeyed in everything. He did not say, “If it is really the clay or the saliva that gives me eyes, why do I need Siloam? Or if I need Siloam, why do I need the clay? Why did he spread it on me? Why tell me to wash?” He had no such thoughts. He was ready for just one thing: to obey in everything Him who gave the command, and nothing that was done caused him to stumble. If anyone asks, “How, then, did he regain his sight after removing the clay?” the only answer he will hear from us is that we do not know how. And why should it surprise us that we do not know, when even the Evangelist did not know, nor did the man who was healed? He knew what had happened, but he could not understand how it was done. So when he was asked, he said, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.” But he cannot tell them how this happened, even if they ask ten thousand times. Ver. 8, 9. “So the neighbors, and those who had seen him as a beggar, said, Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg? Some said, This is he.” The strangeness of what had happened even led them to disbelief, though so much had been arranged to keep them from disbelieving. They said, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” Oh, the lovingkindness of God! How far He stooped when He so kindly healed even beggars, and so silenced the Jews! For He considered ordinary people, as well as the famous, the distinguished, and the rulers, worthy of the same Providence. He came for the salvation of all. What happened with the paralyzed man also happened with this man: neither knew who had healed him. This was because Christ had withdrawn, for whenever Jesus healed, He withdrew, so that all suspicion might be removed from the miracles. How could people who did not know who He was flatter Him or conspire with Him to arrange what had happened? Nor was this man someone who went from place to place; he was one of those who sat at the Temple doors. Now, when everyone was uncertain about him, what does he say? “I am he.” He was not ashamed of his former blindness, nor did he fear the people’s anger, nor did he hesitate to show himself so that he could proclaim his Benefactor. Ver. 10, 11. “They said to him, How were your eyes opened? He answered, A man called Jesus.” What are you saying? Does “a man” do such deeds? At this point, he knew nothing great about Him. “A man called Jesus made clay and spread it on my eyes.” [2.] Notice how truthful he is. He does not say what He made it from, because he does not speak about what he does not know. He did not see Him spit on the ground, but he could feel that He had spread it on. “And said to me, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.” His hearing also confirmed this for him. But how did he recognize His voice? From His conversation with the disciples. Yet even after saying all this and receiving the evidence of the deeds, he cannot explain the process (of the cure). Now if faith is needed in matters that can be felt and touched, how much more is it needed in the case of invisible things? Ver. 12. “They said to him, Where is he? He said, I don’t know.” They said, “Where is he?” already intending to murder Him. But notice Christ’s humility: He did not stay with those who were healed, because He did not want to gain glory, draw a crowd, or make a display of Himself. Notice too how truthfully the blind man gives all his answers. The Jews wanted to find Christ to bring Him to the priests, but when they did not find Him, they brought the blind man to the Pharisees, expecting them to question him more severely. This is why the Evangelist mentions that it was “the Sabbath” ( ver. 14 ): to point out their wicked thoughts and their reason for seeking Him, as though they had actually found grounds for an accusation and could discredit the miracle through what appeared to be a violation of the Law. This is clear from the fact that, as soon as they saw him, they said only, “How did he open your eyes?” Notice their way of speaking too. They do not say, “How did you receive your sight?” but, “How did he open your eyes?” They thus give him a pretext for slandering Jesus because He had worked. But he speaks briefly to them, as to people who have already heard. Without mentioning His name or saying, “He told me, Go, wash,” he immediately says, Ver. 15. “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I can see.” For the slander had now become intense, and the Jews had said, “Look at the work Jesus does on the Sabbath day: he spreads clay!” But notice, please, how the blind man remains undisturbed. When he was questioned in the presence of those others, with no danger, telling the truth was no great achievement. The remarkable thing is that now, when he is in a more frightening situation, he neither denies nor contradicts what he said before. What, then, did the Pharisees do—or rather, what did the others do as well? They had brought him (to the Pharisees), expecting him to deny it. Instead, the opposite of what they wanted happened, and they learned more precisely what had taken place. This is what they always have to endure in the case of miracles, but we will show this more clearly in what follows. What did the Pharisees say? Ver. 16. “Some said,” (not all, but the more aggressive ones,) “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the Sabbath day; others said, How can a man who is a sinner do such miracles?” Do you see how the miracles led them toward faith? Listen to what those who had previously sent for Him now say. And even if not all did so (for their desire for glory as rulers led them into unbelief), still the majority even of the rulers believed in Him, though they did not confess Him. Now the crowd was easily overlooked, since they counted for little in their synagogue, but the rulers were more conspicuous and had greater difficulty speaking boldly. Some were held back by their love of power, others by cowardice and fear of the crowd. This is also why He said, “How can you believe when you receive honor from men?” ( c. v. 44.) These men, who were unjustly seeking to kill Him, said that they were from God, but that He who healed the blind could not be from God because He did not keep the Sabbath. The others objected that a sinner could not do such miracles. The first group maliciously kept silent about what had happened and brought up the apparent violation. They did not say, “He heals on the Sabbath day,” but, “He does not keep the Sabbath.” The others, in turn, gave a weak reply. They should have shown that the Sabbath had not been broken, but they relied only on the miracles. And understandably so, since they still thought He was a man. Otherwise, they could also have argued in His defense that He was Lord of the Sabbath, which He Himself had made. But they did not yet hold this view. In any case, none of them dared to say openly what he wished or state it as a firm assertion. They only raised questions, some because they lacked the courage to speak, others because of their love of power. “So there was a division among them.” This division first began among the people, and later among the rulers too. Some said, “He is a good man”; others, “No, he deceives the people.” ( c. vii. 12.) Do you see that the rulers had less understanding than the crowd, since they became divided later than the people did? And even after they became divided, they showed no nobility of spirit when they saw the Pharisees pressuring them. If they had broken away from them entirely, they would soon have known the truth. For separating can be a good thing. This is also why He Himself said, “I have come to bring not peace on earth, but a sword.” ( Matt. x. 34.) For there is an evil harmony, and there is a good disagreement. Thus those who built the tower ( Gen. xi. 4 ) agreed together to their own harm; and these same people were then separated, unwillingly, but for their own good. So too Korah and his company agreed together for evil, and therefore they were separated for good; and Judas agreed with the Jews for evil. So division can be good, and agreement can be evil. This is why it says, “If your eye causes you to stumble, strike it out; if your foot does, cut it off.” ( Matt. v. 29, and xviii. 8.) Now if we must separate ourselves from a limb that is harmfully joined to us, must we not do so much more from friends joined to us for evil? So agreement is not always good, just as division is not always evil. [3.] I say these things so that we may avoid wicked people and follow good people. For with our own limbs, we cut off what is rotten and incurable, fearing that the rest of the body might catch the same disease. And we do this, not because we have no concern for that part, but because we want to preserve the rest. How much more must we do this with those who join us in evil? If we can put them right without being harmed ourselves, we should use every means to do so. But if they remain beyond correction and may harm us, we must cut them off and cast them away. For in this way they will often end up as winners rather (than losers). This is also why Paul urged, “And you shall remove that wicked person from among yourselves”; and, “that the man who has done this deed may be removed from among you.” ( 1 Cor. v. 13, 2.) The company of wicked people is dreadful, dreadful indeed. Neither plague nor scabies infects those who come into contact with the diseased as quickly as the wickedness of evil people does. For “evil company corrupts good character.” ( 1 Cor. xv. 33.) And again the Prophet says, “Come out from among them, and be separate.” ( Isa. lii. 11.) So let no one have a wicked person as a friend. For if we publicly disown our sons when they are bad, disregarding nature, its laws, and the obligations it places on us, how much more should we flee from our companions and acquaintances when they are wicked? Because even if they do us no harm, we will still be unable to escape a bad reputation. Strangers do not investigate our lives; they judge us by our companions. I address this advice to young men and virgins. “Taking care,” it says, “to do what is honorable,” not only in the Lord’s sight, but also “in everyone’s sight.” ( Rom. xii. 17.) So let us do everything we can to keep our neighbor from stumbling. For a life, however upright it may be, has lost everything if it causes others to stumble. But how can an upright life cause others to stumble? When the company of those who are not upright gives it a bad reputation. For when we trust in ourselves and associate with bad people, even if we suffer no harm, we cause others to stumble. I say these things to men, women, and virgins, leaving it to their conscience to recognize exactly how many evils arise from this source. Perhaps neither I nor any of the more mature suspect anything wrong, but the less discerning brother is harmed because of your maturity, and you should take care of his weakness too. And even if he suffers no harm, the Greek is still harmed. Now Paul tells us to “give no offense, either to Jews or Greeks, or to the Church of God.” ( 1 Cor. x. 32.) (I suspect nothing evil of the virgin, for I love virginity, and “love suspects no evil” ( 1 Cor. xiii. 5 ); I greatly admire that way of life, and I cannot have even an improper thought about it.) How will we persuade those outside the Church? For we must consider their welfare too. So let us conduct our own affairs in such a way that no unbeliever can find even legitimate grounds for accusing us. For just as those who display an upright life glorify God, those who do the opposite cause Him to be blasphemed. May there be no such people among us. Instead, may our works shine so that our Father who is in Heaven may be glorified, and we may enjoy the honor that comes from Him. May we all attain this through the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom, to the Father and the Holy Spirit, be glory forever and ever. Amen.