Ver. 1. He saw a man which was blind] This was enough to move Christ to mercy, the sight of a fit object. When God sets us up an altar be we ready with our sacrifice.
Ver. 2. Who did sin, this man?] How could he sin before he was born? But the disciples dreamed of a Pythagorical transanimation; hence this foolish question. Imbuti erant Iudaei dogmate μετεμφυχωσεως. Beza.
Ver. 3. But that the works of God, &c.] Hinc Alexander Ales, Poena, inquit, duplicem habet ordinationem, Unam ad culpam, quae praecedit; alteram ad gloriara, quam praecedit. God sometimes afflicts for his own glory, but sin is ever at the bottom. And though God does not always afflict his for sin, as Job, yet Job shall do well to consider that God “exacteth of him less than his iniquity deserveth,” as Zophar telleth him, Job 11:6.
Ver. 4. While it is day] As other men do, Psalms 104:22. None can say he shall have twelve hours to his day. And night (death) is a time of receiving wages, not of doing work. On this moment depends eternity; on the weakest wire hangs the greatest weight.
Ver. 5. I am the light of the world] See John 12:46. He is light essential, the Father of lights, the Sun of righteousness; who at his nativity was as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, in his life rejoiced as a strong man to run his race, Psalms 19:5; in his passion he was clouded, brake forth in his resurrection, darts out his beams of grace since his ascension, and shall finish all at his return to judgment.
Ver. 6. Made clay] As he did at first in making man (the poets tell us some such thing of their Prometheus), to show that this cure was done by that Almighty power that he put forth in the Creation.
Ver. 7. He went his way and washed] He obeyed Christ blindling, he looked not upon Siloam with Syrian eyes, as Naaman did upon Jordan; but, passing by the unlikelihood of a cure by such means, he believeth, and doth as he was bidden, without questioning.
Ver. 8. Is not this he that sat and begged?] As once blind Belisarius did with Da obolum Belisarlo. Give a coin to Belisarius.
Ver. 9. I am he] Thus their doubting (by divine disposition) made much for the manifestation of Christ’s power in the before mentioned miracle.
Ver. 10. How were thine eyes opened?] It is good to ask Christ’s illuminates such savoury questions, how they were called out of darkness into marvellous light? what discoveries of himself Christ had made unto them? &c. Austin (Confess. vi. 2) confesseth that before his conversion he was of this opinion, that it was impossible for him to find such comfort as now he did in a Christian life. Cyprian saith as much of himself to his friend Donatus, beginning his epistle thus, Accipe quod sentitur, antequam dicitur.
Ver. 11. I went and washed, and received sight] His blind obedience made him see. Let God be obeyed readily without reasoning or wrangling, and success shall not be lacking. God calleth for Curristas non Quaeristas. Luther. V er. 12. I know not] For Christ disappeared, as John 5:13. [See Trapp on “Joh 5:13”]
Ver. 13. They bring him to the Pharisees] Who should have been moved with the miracle to think the better of him that wrought it; and have better informed those that brought the man to them, with what mind soever. But they had conceived such an incurable prejudice, such a deadly hatred against Christ, that what he did they presently condemn, as George Duke of Saxony did Luther’s reformation, as the monks of Mentz did the reformation begun there by Hermanus their archbishop, professing that they would rather receive Mahometanism than submit to that new religion, as they called it; as Philip king of Spain would choose rather to have no subjects than Lutheran subjects; and out of a blind and bloody zeal, suffered his eldest son Charles to be murdered by the cruel Inquisition, because he seemed to favour the truth.
Ver. 14. It was the sabbath day] And our Saviour knew it would be as ill resented as that other miracle on the sabbath day done, John 5:9, for which they sought to kill him. Men be they pleased or displeased, duty must be discharged. Tenenda regula, caecos ac duces caecorum negligendos esse.
Ver. 15. How he had received his sight] Gr. how he had recovered his sight. It may be that (to lessen the miracle) they would have had it, that the man had not been born blind, but only recovered that sight that once he had enjoyed. αναβλεπειν proprie est eorum qui videndi facultatem aliquando habuerunt. Malevolence ever strives to deteriorate and deprave that good which it cannot for shame absolutely deny. “An ungodly man diggeth up evil,” Proverbs 16:27, and a froward fellow forgeth strife, Proverbs 16:28; he digs, and then sows the seed of sedition in every furrow where he can find footing.