The Great Commentary of Cornelius a Lapide: S. John
Ver. 12. — And they said to him. Where is He ? He said, I know not. For Jesus had withdrawn Himself, as shrinking from praise ; for He did not, says S. Chrysostom, “seek for glory, or self-display .”
Ver. 13. — They brought to the Pharisees , &c. They brought him to the Pharisees, that they might examine the matter. This was done by the purpose of God, that the miracle might be fully attested and made widely known, so that the Pharisees could not deny it. Whence S. Augustine says, “The blind man confessed, the heart of the wicked was broken.” “They bring him to the Pharisees, as being judges, and therefore assembled in their house of judgment.” This house seems to have been a synagogue, close to the temple ; for a question of religion and belief was at stake, which the Pharisees had to decide by examining the miracle, and to judge accordingly whether He who wrought it was the Messiah or not.
It was the Sabbath day . This is added to show their evil disposition ; for they sought occasion against Jesus, and wished to detract from the miracle in consequence of its seeming violation of the law. For in truth to make clay in order to give sight to the blind, is not a breaking but a sanctification of the Sabbath.
Ver. 17. — They say unto the blind man again , What sayest thou of Him who hath opened thine eyes ? He said, He is a Prophet. That is a specially holy man, a wonder-worker. So Abraham (Gen. xx. 7) is called a Prophet (see what is said on 1 Cor. xiv. ad rem 9 and Ecclus. xlviii. 12, on the various meanings of the word Prophet). “ Being at present not anointed in heart, he did not confess Christ to be the Son of God. But yet he did not speak falsely of Him. For the Lord said of Himself, ‘ A prophet is not without honour, save in His own country .’ ”
They asked the blind man the same question again and again, out of bitter hatred of Christ, and also to involve him in the same guilt with Christ. They wished also to elicit something out of his mouth to make him contradict himself, that so they might convict him of a lie. But God caught them in their own craftiness. For frequent examination, the consistent confession of the blind man, and consequently the glory of Christ, shone forth. S. Chrysostom wisely says, “It is the nature of truth to become stronger by the snares laid against it.” And that was now the case, for the parents are brought forward, who fully acknowledged their son, and confirmed his words.
Ver. 18. — But the Jews did not believe , &c. They hoped to elicit something from them to refute either the blind man or Christ, “ by finding that he was not born blind,” says S. Chrysostom, or was not quite blind but dim-sighted, or that he regained his sight by magic, and not by the miracle wrought by Christ. “ They sought,” says S. Augustine, “ how they might accuse him, that they might cast him out of the synagogue,” as they shortly afterwards did. Theophylact states that this was their dilemma. It is either false that your son now sees, or that he was blind at first. But it is admitted that he sees, it was therefore false that he was, as he says, previously blind. His parents reply cautiously. They knew him to be their son, and that he was born blind. But how he gained his sight they knew not. They speak with prudence so as not to deny the truth, nor yet incur the peril of excommunication. And hence they say, “ He is of age,” meaning, says S. Augustine, “ we should justly be compelled to speak for an infant, for it could not speak for itself. But he is a man who can speak for himself, therefore (say they) ask him.”
Ver. 22 . — For the Jews, &c. “ But it was no evil to be put out of the synagogue,” says S. Augustine, “ for they expelled, but Christ received him.” “ But the parents said this, because they were less firm than their son, who stood forth as an intrepid witness of the truth,” says Theophylact.
Ver. 24. — Then again called they the man , &c. To give God the glory, is a form of obtestation or oath among the Jews (see Josh. vii. 19). Confess that this man is a sinner, and so wilt thou by this confession of the truth give glory to God, who is the chief and eternal truth. “ To give glory to God ” (says the Gloss) “ is to speak the truth as in the presence of God.” They wished to persuade him under the pretext of religion (says S. Chrysostom), to deny that he was cured by Christ, or if he were, it was by magic and sleight of hand. “ Deny,” says the Interlinear Gloss, “ the benefit thou hast received by Christ. But this were to blaspheme, and not to give glory to God.”
Whether He be a sinner. “ He answers prudently and cautiously, neither laying himself open to the charge, nor yet concealing the truth,” says the Interlinear Gloss. But S. Chrysostom objects, “How was it that just before he called Him a Prophet, and now he says, ‘ Whether he be a sinner I know not ? ’ ” He does not say this by way of assertion , or through fear, but because he wished Jesus to be acquitted of the charges by the evidence of the fact. “I do not wish to argue the point with you. But I know for certain, that though once blind, now I see.”
How opened He thine eyes ? Just like hounds, says S. Chrysostom, who track their prey now here, now there.
Wherefore would ye hear it again ? “ Ye do not wish to learn, but merely to cavil,” says S. Chrysostom.
Will ye also be His disciples ? “ As I now see and envy not,” says the Gloss, “ nay, I profess myself to be Jesus’ disciple, even so I wish you to become His disciples also.” “ He speaks thus,” says S. Augustine, “as indignant at the hardness of the Jews, and as having been restored to sight, not enduring those who were blind (in heart).” Note here the heroic constancy and nobleness of the blind man in defending Jesus before the Pharisees, His sworn enemies. And hence he deserved to be taken up and exalted by Christ.
Ver. 28. — They then reviled him , &c. They cursed him, saying, Be thou accursed, or at all events heaped maledictions and reproaches upon him. But their curse was without effect, and was turned into a blessing. For it is an honour to the godly, to be cursed by the wicked. Whence S. Augustine says, “ It is a curse if thou look into the heart of the speakers, but not if thou weighest the words themselves. May such a curse be on us, and on our children.”
But we know not this man whence he is, whether sent by God, as was Moses, or by the devil. So Euthymius.
Ver. 30. — The man answered, &c. It was your business, as doctors and learned in the Law, to know that Jesus, who works so many miracles, must have been sent by God only. For it is God who works miracles by Him. “ He brings in everywhere the miracle of his recovery of sight,” says S. Chrysostom, “ because they could not gainsay that, but were convinced thereby.”
Ver. 31. — Now we know , &c. How can this be? For if sinners penitently ask pardon God vouchsafes it, and frequently bestows on sinners temporal blessings, and spiritual blessings also, if they ask for them. But I reply (1.) God ordinarily does not hear sinners ; sinners, I mean, persisting in their sin. Yet sometimes, though rarely, He hears even them. So Jansen. This is plain from Scripture (see Ps. lix. 1, 2 ; Prov. xxviii. 9 ; Ps. l. 16 ; Mal. ii. 2). But of the just it is said, “The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers ” (Ps. xxxiii. 16). And, “ The eyes of the Lord are on them that fear Him ” (Ecclus. xv. 20).
(2.) Secondly, and more befittingly to the case in point, He hears not sinners, so as to work miracles to establish their sanctity as He did Christ’s, to testify that He was the Messiah. So Maldonatus on this passage. (See also Suarez, tom. ii de Relig., lib. de Orat. cap. xxv.) “ God heareth not sinners if they pray with an evil intention,” as e.g., to confirm their hypocrisy or lies.
(3.) S. Augustine (De Bapt. contr. Don. iii. 20) replies that this blind man spoke only generally, being still a catechumen, and not yet sufficiently instructed in the Faith. For generally it is not true, nor the view of Scripture, which in this place only states what was said by the blind man.
Hear S. Augustine, “ He speaks as one not yet anointed (i.e., a catechumen). For God does hear sinners also. For else the publican would say in vain, ‘ God be merciful to me, a sinner,’ from which confession he obtained justification, as this blind man obtained enlightenment.”