John 9
MCGARJohn 9:1-41
(Jerusalem.) J 1-41. [Some look upon the events in this and the next section as occurring at the Feast of Tabernacles in October, others think they occurred at the Feast of Dedication in December, deriving their point of time from .] [461] [The man probably sought to waken compassion by repeatedly stating this fact to passers-by.] [They assumed that all suffering was retributive, and asked for whose sins this man suffered, regarding it as a case of extreme hardship, for to be born blind is uncommon, even in the East. Their question had reference to the doctrine of transmigration of souls, the man being regarded as possibly having sinned in some pre-existing state.] [Jesus found a third alternative to their dilemma. The man’s parents were sinners, but neither their sin nor the beggar’s own sin had caused this calamity. It had come upon him as part of God’s plan for his life; it was part of the providential arrangement by which God governs the world.] [As to the duration of his earthly works, Jesus classifies himself with his disciples, for his humanity, like ours, had its season of activity, or day, which was practically terminated by the night of death. After his resurrection, Jesus performed no miracles of healing.] [In the spiritual sense, Christ is ever the light of the world, but while he lived among men, even the privileges of physical light were imparted to him.] [Jesus probably used the clay to aid the man’s faith. His so doing gave the Pharisees a chance to cavil at Jesus for breaking the Sabbath.
If later rabbis report correctly, the traditions of that day, clay might be put on the eyes for pleasure on the Sabbath, but not for medicine, nor might the eyes be anointed with spittle on that day. As [462] to the pool of Siloam, see .] [The man’s advocacy of Jesus as prophet suggested to those cunning diplomats that there was collusion between Jesus and the man, and that the cure was fraudulent.
They therefore denied the cure and sent for the parents, to whom they put the threefold question as to sonship, blindness and cure.] [thus they answer clearly as to the first two points] [The emphasis in this verse lies in the pronouns. Thus the parents timidly declined to answer the third point, alleging that their son is old enough to answer for himself.] [informally] [The parents, having heard the unrestrained, freely spoken account given by their son as to his healing, had [464] no doubt in their own minds as to who effected that healing. They therefore declined to speak because of fear, and not through lack of knowledge.] [following the suggestion of the parents, and because a miracle could not now be denied] [Taken in their English sense, these words would mean, “praise God and not Jesus for what has been done,” but the phrase “give God the praise” is, in Hebrew usage, an adjuration to a criminal to confess his guilt . The idea may then be paraphrased thus: confess that you and Jesus have conspired to work a pretended miracle. It is your best course, since we know all about the frauds of Jesus and will soon unearth this one.] [As to the doings of Jesus, whether fraudulent or not, he could not answer, but he could say that there was no sham or deception about his eyesight.] [Perceiving that their boasted knowledge as to the frauds of Jesus was untrue, and that they were even then questioning him to obtain material to be used against Jesus, he declines to repeat his statement and shows them that he understands their sinister motive in questioning him by ironically asking them if they wished to become disciples of Jesus.] [In Jewish estimation, Moses stood next to God. To forsake Moses for another prophet was to be an apostate.
Such reviling was a severe test, but the man stood it.] [465] [The man answers contempt with contempt; with biting irony he declares that the miracle of his healing is no wonder at all when compared with the fact that such wonderfully learned men should be totally ignorant of so great a miracle-worker as Jesus. Thus he scorned their superlative claim to infallible knowledge, expressed in , .] [he takes up their style of speech] [Such was the teaching of the Old Testament– , , , , .] [The Old Testament contains no record of such a miracle; the case stood alone as a marvel of power.] . [He draws the same conclusion which the better element of the Pharisees had drawn.
See .] [They give here the Jewish answer to the question asked in . Do you, so stamped a sinner from birth, presume to teach us, the heads of Israel? They had been denying that he had been blind; they now inconsistently taunt him with blindness as an evidence of his sin.] [The vast majority of commentators take this as an immediate act, and hence allege that the language refers to his being cast out of the hall or place where they were assembled, and not to his being excommunicated. Their reason for this is found in the fact that the man could not be excommunicated without a formal meeting of the Sanhedrin. But there is nothing to show that the act was not a deliberate one, including a formal meeting, etc. We agree with DeWette that his expulsion from a hall “would not be important enough to occasion verse 35.”] [His was a sad plight, indeed.
To be put out of the synagogue [466] was to be put on a level with the heathen, and to be left without a country or a religious fellowship] [Being cut off from all that came through Moses, Jesus was leading him into all that came through the Son of God.] [The form of the man’s question showed that he regarded a knowledge of the Son of God as a privilege beyond all hope or expectation, and the reply of Jesus is suited to this idea.] [Thus the unhoped for had been actually and sensually realized. To the outcast of the synagogue here and to the outcast of the nation at Jacob’s well , how fully Jesus revealed himself!] [not addressing anyone in particular, but rather as summing up the whole incident] [The life course of Jesus attracted the needy and repelled the self-satisfied, and was therefore a continuous judgment.
Those conscious of their deficiencies and ready to ask for light received it , while those satisfied with their own opinion became daily more blinded by their bigotry. See , , .] [not as disciples, but for curiosity’s sake] [If you were conscious of your spiritual darkness, and sought light, you either find it or not be blamed for your failure to do so. They could see if they would, and were responsible for their blindness.] [467] [FFG 461-467]