Notes on John 9: 1 – 41

This reading is the whole of chapter 9 and, although long, should not be, in our opinion, cut. Unusually for John’s gospel it is narrative, with dialogue which flows easily and highlights what is one of John’s major themes – light verses dark, here depicted as sight versus blindness. It begins with a question from Jesus’ disciples about the nature of sin, which is answered by Jesus through words and healing. This incident (the healing of the blind man) is the sixth of John’s signs which show who Jesus is. There is a lot of humour in this passage, and we wondered whether this was intentional. The main protagonist unusually is not Jesus but the healed man, who shows great faith by sticking to his thanksgiving for Jesus healing throughout, despite being finally ejected from the synagogue.

Verse 1; the disciples begin by equating physical defects with sin, which was a quite usual explanation for disability and sickness in those times. Jesus’ answer shows that despite physical defects people can still exhibit God’s grace. God’s gifts are exhibited through people with defects just the same as through everyone else. What does this say about our attitudes today towards disability?

Verse 3; when Jesus says “no-one sinned” does he mean just this man who is going to be used to demonstrate God’s grace?

Verse 4; we discussed whether the darkness that Jesus refers to is here now, or does Jesus refer to the period between the crucifixion and the resurrection? We decided that it must refer simply to the period following the crucifixion, because Jesus is in the world now in the form of the Spirit. There is something very practical about not working in the dark, for we cannot see to work. Jesus is telling his disciples to “seize the day”. There is a thought that the night refers to old age! We all recognised that as we got older actions were more difficult than in our youth.

Verse 6; this is an unusual healing process for Jesus and is somewhat replicated in Mark’s gospel chapter 8 verse 22. There are medical explanations for Jesus action, but what is the spiritual significance?

Verse 7; we wondered why John thought it important to tell readers that the name of the pool “Siloam” meant “sent”, but found deep significance in the fact that the man had to take a part in his own healing. He shows great faith as he has to step out in darkness, trusting Jesus and obeying the instruction to go and bath. The mud paste on his eyes would show everyone his faithful action. This shows that we have to work in partnership with God. We all have to step out in risky faith. The man, by acting as Jesus commands, shows his wish to “see”; contrast this to the Pharisees later who have no wish to change. The disciples’ first question showed their willingness to listen and understand. It is an open question which demands more than a yes or no answer, indicting their deep desire to know more about God. Contrast this to verses 27 and 28 where the Jews are so sure of themselves and their traditions they do not want to know any more than they already know. The action of washing away defects refers to temple purity and cleansing. The water from this pool was used at the festival of Tabernacles for symbolical and ritual cleansing.

Verses 8 – 12; the neighbours “see” the man healed but do not recognise him!

Verse 12 – 13; why do the neighbours want to know where Jesus is? Is it because they too need healing or do they want to take Jesus to the Pharisees as well? The neighbours action of taking him to the Pharisees for conformation on his healing is perfectly natural but it creates problems for the man. His frustration clearly shows in his forthcoming replies and we felt sorry for him having to repeat his story so often. But this repetition is significant and written for effect. It highlights the frustration of those who do understand or “see” with those who are not only cannot see but do not want to see.

Verse 16; it is the WHEN of Jesus action rather than the WHAT that causes so much trouble with the Pharisees. What is it about actions that cause us difficulty?

Between verse 13 and 17 John refers to the Pharisees, but from 18 – 40 it is the Jews who are referred to. This has led to anti-Semitic ideas which have not been helpful.

Verse 18; the Jews do not believe the healing they think the whole thing is a con trick. Link this to verse 28 where they should have celebrated the man’s healing but were instead angry. How often do we question rather than celebrate the conversion of those who have made mistakes e.g. the conversion of Jonathan Aitken while he was in prison.

Verse 22; the man’s parents are afraid of being excluded from the synagogue with good reason, as synagogue attendance would ensure social and financial support as well as spiritual support. Do we have an inclusive or exclusive attitude in the church?

Verse 28; the Jews resort to abuse to deal with this man, showing that they have lost the argument already. They should be happy for this man that he can now see again after years of blindness and , but they are not. This led us into a discussion about the church today and how many are happy to see reformed people in church. Do we welcome those who have been in prison, those who are recovering addicts or those with marriage problems? (See above paragraph about Jonathan Aitken.)

Verse 30 – 34; notice the mature and well informed response of the man to the criticism he faced which eventually leads to his dismissal from the synagogue.

Verse 35 – 38; the man once again shows his courage through his willingness to have faith and follow the Son of Man if only someone would show him who he is.

Verses 39 – 41; Jesus final criticism of the Pharisees leads to their determination to be rid of him

One of the problems of preaching on this passage is the vast amount of material to choose from. If one picks out small elements one risks not doing justice to the theme of the passage. It might be better to stick to the major theme of light and dark which is also picked up in the appointed epistle from Ephesians. Or one could deal with the idea of preconception – the disciples start out with preconceptions about the nature of sin and have their perceptions altered; as does the man who goes from blindness to sight while the Jews choose to keep their preconceptions. This passage shows aspects of human nature which have not changed over the centuries, and good use could made of this when preaching.