John 9:33Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He stood firm in the struggle, whose observer and judge was God: many strong men against one steadfast man, a cloud of unbelief against one drop of faith.

Then, knowing that they wished to obscure the miracle, he preaches the benefit with full understanding. If He were not from God, He would not have performed such a miracle, one which no one had ever performed from the beginning of the age.

Perhaps the eyes of blind men had been opened before, but not eyes ruined from birth, only eyes harmed by some illness. But what has happened now is unheard of. Therefore it is evident that He who performed such a miracle is more than man.

The man who had just received sight and was wondrously freed from his original blindness sees the truth more clearly than those instructed in the law.

Indeed, he uses very many wise words to prove the falsity of the Pharisees' opinion.

Since they madly said of Christ, "We do not know where He is from" (Jn 9:29), he again strongly convicts them of thinking falsely.

They say that they do not know such a Wonderworker at all. Yet it is plain to all that one who is not from God cannot do anything that is accomplished by divine power.

God performs such works only through the saints. He would never grant one alien to holiness, and not yet arrived at piety toward Him, the ability to be adorned with such glory.

It was said openly, firmly, and truly. Indeed, by whom were the works performed by the Lord accomplished, if not by God? Or when such things are done by the disciples, was not the Lord abiding in them?

The greatness of the miracle shows that the one who performed it is some divine Person. He who performs a miracle greater than all the miracles accomplished by men is Himself greater than all men.

From the creation of the world, he says, it has not been heard that a man opened the eyes of one who was born blind from his mother’s womb.

And truly no one, neither among the righteous before the law, nor among the holy prophets under the law, nor anyone under grace among the apostles and disciples of Christ, performed such a glorious miracle.

If Christ, the blind man continues, were not a man sent from God, then He could do nothing, that is, no deed so glorious. The blind man’s proof is unanswerable. But see what the Pharisees answer him.

“This is what is strange,” the healed man continued in the same tone, “that you do not know where He is from, though He healed me. Without God such a miracle could not have been done.”

Thus the blind man saw more than those with sight, though he still knew nothing about Jesus except His name.

The great miracle of healing the man blind from birth caused all the stronger excitement in Jerusalem because the healed man was very well known in the city as a beggar blind from birth. Therefore, when this miracle was brought to the Pharisees' attention, they began a most careful investigation of the event.

All their efforts in this case were directed toward casting doubt on the reality of the miracle. For this purpose they questioned, about what had happened, now the former blind man and now his parents.

But the parents of the healed man, out of fear of being excommunicated from the synagogue, refused, under the pretense of ignorance, to give testimony about how their son had received sight.

The healed man reproaches them precisely for this lie, saying, “It is astonishing that you do not know where He is from (Jn 9:30). He opened my eyes and performed a miracle unheard of from the beginning of the age.

Yet we know that God does not hear sinners. He hears only the one who honors Him and does His will. If He were not from God, He could not have performed such a miracle.”

“This is what is astonishing,” he answered, “that you do not know where He is from, and yet He opened my eyes. But we know that God does not hear sinners.

“He hears the one who honors God and does His will. From the beginning of the age it has not been heard that anyone, even great Moses himself, opened the eyes of one born blind.

“If He were not from God, He could do nothing.” Rarely, perhaps, has any learned commission ever found itself in a more difficult and pitiable position.

The convictions of the man who received sight had been fully formed. With relentless logic he proves to his teachers that they are either false or dull of understanding.

In his gratitude toward the One who healed him, whom he had not yet seen with his eyes, since after receiving sight he had not seen the Lord, he nevertheless thought deeply about every question touching his sight and the One who had authority to grant it.

This preparation of his soul by his own good will for the reception of grace was rewarded by the Lord's merciful appearance to him. The Lord was pleased to seek him out and reveal Himself to him, probably as to a chosen vessel.