John 9:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

It is present everywhere to all things, filling this whole world and the world conceived above it, yet filled only by itself.

Now we must consider what the Lord is saying here.

He overthrew the opinion of the Jews as empty, and showed their drift toward rotten dogmas.

He advised His disciples that they must become accustomed to doing what is pleasing to God, and unaccustomed to being carried away by inquiries into what is altogether unnecessary.

He even warned them that the time for works could pass them by in complete inactivity, if they did not use every effort to adorn themselves with them while they were in this world with the flesh.

Then He takes Himself as an example of action.

For behold, He says, I too do what is proper to Me. If I have come to illumine what needs light, then I must also implant light in bodily eyes when they suffer terribly from its absence.

This is especially so when one of those who suffer approaches with such a request.

Thus we must take this saying in its historical and simple, literal sense.

Yet it is beyond doubt that the Only-begotten is also spiritual light, who knows and is able to illumine not only this world, but also every other creature above the world.

If we apply such a meaning to the contemplation now proposed, I think we shall not be doing anything incredible.

He Himself says: “As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” See, He Himself is the Day. Let the blind man wash his eyes in the Day, so that he may behold the Day.

“As long,” He says, “as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” Then there will come a certain night, when Christ will not be there. Therefore no one will be able to work.

It remains to ask, my brothers. Listen to me patiently as I inquire. I inquire together with you. Together with you I hasten toward Him whom I question.

It is plainly, directly, and definitely said that the Lord, speaking there about the day, proclaimed Himself, that is, the Light of the world: “As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” Therefore He Himself works.

But how long is He in this world? Must we think, brothers, that He was here then, and now He is not here? If we thought so, we would have to think that after the Lord’s Ascension that night had already come when no one can work.

If that night came after the Lord’s Ascension, then how did the apostles accomplish so much? Was it already that night when the Holy Spirit came down, filled all who were in one place, and gave them to speak the languages of all nations, cf. Acts 2:1-4?

Was it already that night when the lame man was healed by the word of Peter, or rather by the word of the Lord dwelling in Peter, cf. Acts 3:6-8?

Was it already that night when, as the disciples passed by, the sick rose from their beds as soon as the shadow of those passing by touched them, cf. Acts 5:15?

When the Lord was here, He healed no one by casting His shadow upon him as He passed by. But He said to His disciples: “Greater works than these shall ye do,” cf. Jn 14:12.

Although the Lord said, “Greater works than these shall ye do,” let flesh and blood not exalt themselves. Let them hear: “Without Me ye can do nothing,” Jn 15:5.

What then? What shall we say about that night? When will it come, when no one can work? It will be the night of the ungodly. It will be night for those to whom it will be said at the end: “Depart into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” Mt 25:41.

But He spoke of night, not of flame and not of fire. Hear why it is night. It was said concerning one servant: “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into the outer darkness,” Mt 22:13.

Let a man work while he lives, lest he be overtaken by that night when no one can work. Now faith works through love. If we work now, then day is here, and Christ is here.

Hear His promise, and do not think that He is absent. He Himself said: “I am with you,” Mt 28:20. How long? Let there be no anxiety in us while we live.

If it were possible, we would also reassure our descendants who will still live, on the basis of these words: “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age,” Mt 28:20.

The day that is completed by the turning of the sun comprises a few hours. But the day of Christ’s presence stretches until the end of the age.

After the resurrection of the living and the dead, He will say to those standing on the right hand: “Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom,” Mt 25:34.

To those standing on the left hand He will say: “Depart into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” Mt 25:41. There will be the night when no one can work, but each will be repaid for what he has done.

There is a time for work, and there is a time for recompense. For the Lord will repay each man according to his works, Mt 16:27. While you live, work, if you intend to work hereafter.

For then an impenetrable night will come to swallow up the ungodly. Even now every unbeliever, when he dies, is plunged into this night, and there he cannot do anything.

In that night the rich man burned and asked for even a drop of water from the poor man’s finger. He was tormented, he suffered, he repented, and there was no help for him.

He even tried to do a good work, for he said to Abraham: “Father Abraham, send Lazarus to my brothers, that he may tell them what is happening here, lest they also come to this place of torment,” cf. Lk 16:24-28.

O wretched man! When you lived, then was the time for work. But now you are already in the night in which no one can work.

The Lord always was, is, and will always be the light of the world (Jn 1:4-5, 9). "While" does not express that He will ever cease to be the light of the world.

Rather, He speaks again in foreknowledge of His near death, forcefully and relatively, concerning His activity during His life in the human body on earth.

The image is probably again taken from the sun drawing near to its setting.

While the sun shines, it is day in the world, and Christ is the same spiritual sun for the world.

With the setting of the sensible sun, its visible light for the earth ceases, although its shining does not cease.

With Christ's death, His visible action on earth ceases, although His invisible, mysterious, yet real action in the world does not cease and never will.

"I am the light of the world" has the same spiritual meaning as in Jn 1:5 and following, and Jn 8:12.

But here the sensible enlightenment of the man born blind, which Christ intended to perform, is also in view.

Yet this sensible enlightenment had as its chief aim the spiritual enlightenment of him and of others (Jn 9:38 and following).

"As light, I must enlighten both sensibly and spiritually" (Theophylact).