Homilies on the Gospel of John 58

When Jesus had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle, and anointed the clay upon the eyes of the blind man, and said,

Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.

Those who are to reap any profit from the things read to them must not run past even the least of what is spoken.

For it is on this account that we have been bidden to search the Scriptures, since many things—although in themselves easy on the surface—have a deep meaning hidden in their depths.

See, for instance, what manner of thing even the present passage is.

For having said these things, it says, He spat on the ground.

What things? 'That the glory of God might be made manifest, and that I must work the works of Him that sent Me.'

For it was not idly that the evangelist reminded us of what had been said, and then added that He spat;

but to show that He confirmed His word by His deeds.

And why did He not use water, but spittle for the clay? He was about to send him to Siloam.

In order, therefore, that nothing might be ascribed to the spring, but that you might learn that the power which came forth from His mouth was itself both that which fashioned and that which opened the eyes, He spat on the ground.

This at least the evangelist also marked when he said, And He made clay of the spittle.

Then, that the achievement might not seem to be of the earth, He bade him wash.

For what reason, then, did He not do this immediately, but sent him to Siloam? That you might learn the faith of the blind man;

and that the perversity of the Jews might be silenced.

For it was likely that all would see him departing with the clay smeared upon his eyes.

For by so strange a sight He would have turned all towards Himself, both those who knew him and those who did not, and they would have attended to him with exactness.

For since it is not easy to recognize a blind man once he has received his sight, He first makes many to become witnesses through the length of the way, and careful beholders of the marvel of the sight, so that, having grown more attentive, they might no longer be able to say, 'This is he; it is not he.'

Besides these things, He wishes also to establish this, that He is not alien to the Law and the Old Covenant, by sending him to Siloam.

For it was no longer possible even to suspect this, that Siloam might take the glory.

For indeed many oftentimes had washed their eyes there, and enjoyed no such benefit.

For there too it was the power of Christ that wrought all things.

For this reason the evangelist also adds for us the interpretation.

For having said 'to Siloam,' he added, 'which means, Sent';

that you might learn that there also it was Christ who healed him, even as Paul says:

For they drank of a spiritual Rock that followed them;

as therefore Christ was the spiritual Rock, so also Siloam was spiritual.

And to me it seems that even the sudden appearing of the water hints to us at some ineffable mystery.

What is this? The unexpectedness of its manifestation, and beyond all hope.

But observe the mind of the blind man, obedient in all things.

For he did not say, 'If it is altogether the clay, or the spittle, that gives sight to the eyes, what need have I of Siloam? But if there is need of Siloam, what need is there of the clay? Why did He anoint? Why did He bid me wash?' But he reasoned none of these things;

but he was prepared for one thing only—to obey in all things Him who commanded—and none of the things being done offended him.

How then did he see, after putting off the clay? He will hear from us nothing else than that we do not know the manner.

And what wonder if we do not know? For neither did the evangelist understand it, nor did the healed man himself;

but he knows indeed what has happened, yet cannot comprehend the manner.

And this indeed he said even when questioned: 'He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and I see.'

But how this came to pass, he cannot tell, even if they should ask him ten thousand times.

The neighbours therefore, it says, and those who had seen him beforehand that he was a beggar, said,

'Is not this he that sat and begged?' Others said—

For the strangeness of what had happened led them even into unbelief;

and this though so many things had been providentially arranged that they might not disbelieve.

'Is not this he that sat and begged?' O the wonder of God's love toward mankind!

To what a depth did He descend, tending the beggars with great goodwill, and thereby stopping the mouths of the Jews!

For not the illustrious, nor the eminent, nor the rulers only, but even the obscure did He count worthy of the same providential care.

For He had come for the salvation of all.

And what took place in the case of the paralytic, the same happens here also.

For neither did that man know who it was that had healed him, nor did this one.

And this came to pass because of Christ's withdrawal.

For Jesus was ever withdrawing after healing, so that all suspicion might be removed from the miracles.

For they who knew not who He was, how could they have shown Him favor and helped to contrive what had happened? Indeed, this man was not of those who went about, but of those who sat by the gates of the temple.

But while all were disputing about him, what does that man say? 'I am he.'

He was not ashamed of his former blindness, nor did he fear the fury of the people, nor did he decline to show himself, that he might proclaim his benefactor.

'How were your eyes opened?' He says to them—

'A man called Jesus.'

What do you say? Does a man work such deeds? But as yet he knew nothing great concerning Him.

'A man called Jesus made clay and anointed [my eyes].'

He did not say from what He made it;

for what he did not know, he does not tell.

For neither did he see that He spat on the ground;

but that He anointed him, this he learned through his sense of feeling and through touch.

'And He said to me, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.'

And to this his hearing bore witness.

And whence did he recognize His voice? From His conversation with the disciples.

And though he says all these things, and has received the testimony that comes through the works, he cannot tell the manner of it.

But if in the case of things sensible and palpable faith is needful, much more in the case of things invisible.

'Where is that man?' He says—

Now they said this, 'Where is that man?' already thirsting for his blood. But mark the unostentatiousness of Christ, how He was not present with those who were being healed.

For He desired neither to reap glory, nor to collect a crowd, nor to make a display.

See how the blind man answers all things with a love of the truth.

They wished then to find Christ, that they might bring Him to the priests;

but since they did not succeed, they bring the blind man to the Pharisees, as though to question him more severely.

For on this account the Evangelist too notes that it was the Sabbath, in order to show forth their wicked purpose, and the reason for which they sought—as though forsooth finding a handle, and being able to slander the miracle by means of the seeming transgression of the Law.

And this is plain from the fact that, seeing him, they at once said nothing else but, 'How did He open your eyes?' And observe how they speak.

For they did not say, 'How did you receive your sight?' but, 'How did He open your eyes?'

thus giving him a pretext for slandering Him on the ground of His working.

But he, as speaking to those who had already heard, speaks more concisely.

For neither mentioning the name, nor that 'He said to me, Go, wash,' he straightway says—

'He put clay upon my eyes, and I washed, and I see.'

Since much slander had already arisen, and they had said, 'Behold, the things Jesus works on the Sabbath, He anoints with clay.'

But consider for me how the blind man is not troubled.

For when he spoke before those others, being questioned without danger, it was not so great a thing to speak the truth;

but the marvel is now, that even though placed in greater fear, he neither denies, nor says anything contrary to what he said before.

What then did the Pharisees do? or rather the others also? They had brought him as one who would deny;

but they suffered the very opposite of what they wished, and learned the matter more exactly.

And this they undergo everywhere in the case of the miracles;

or rather, in what follows we shall demonstrate this more clearly.

What then did the Pharisees do? Some said—not all, but the more insolent—

'This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath;'

others said, 'How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles?' Do you see that from the miracles they were led upward? For those who had before sent to bring Him—hear what they now say, even if not all.

For even though they were rulers, through love of glory they fell into unbelief.

Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed on Him;

Now the multitude of the common people was despised, as contributing nothing great to their synagogue;

but the rulers, being more conspicuous, spoke out with greater difficulty.

For love of rule held back the one sort, and cowardice and the fear of the multitude the other.

'How can you believe, receiving glory from men?' And they themselves, seeking unjustly to kill, said that they were of God;

but that He who healed the blind could not be from God, because He did not keep the Sabbath.

Against this these others set the objection, that a sinner cannot do such miracles.

Those men then, maliciously keeping silence about what had happened, brought forward into the midst the seeming transgression.

For they did not say that 'He heals on the Sabbath,' but that 'He does not keep the Sabbath;'

For, when they ought to have shown how the Sabbath was not broken, they rely on the miracles alone.

For as yet they thought Him to be a man.

For had this not been the case, they might have made their defense in another way also: that He was Lord of the Sabbath, and that He Himself had made it;

but they did not yet hold this opinion.

None of them, however, dared to say openly what he wished, nor in the form of a plain assertion, but in the form of a question—some because of their want of freedom to speak, others because of love of rule.

This division first began among the people;

then afterward also among the rulers.

And some said, 'He is a good man,' but others, 'Nay, but He deceives the people.'

Do you see how the rulers, being afterward divided, were more senseless than the multitude? Yet even after being divided, they showed nothing noble, seeing the Pharisees pressing hard upon them.

For had they been completely severed, they would swiftly have recognized the truth.

'I came not to bring peace upon the earth, but a sword.'

For there is also an evil concord, and there is also a good discord.

Indeed, those who built the tower were of one mind unto their own hurt;

and these same men again, unwillingly indeed, yet unto their profit, were divided.

Korah and his company also were of one mind for evil, and therefore they were rightly divided; and Judas was of one mind with the Jews for evil.

It is possible, then, to be divided rightly, and it is possible to be of one mind wrongly.

'If thine eye cause thee to stumble, pluck it out;'

'if thy foot, cut it off.'

But if one must be severed from a member that is joined to us for ill, how much more from friends who are ill-united to us? So that concord is not everywhere a good thing, just as neither is division everywhere an evil.

These things I say, that we may flee the wicked and pursue the good.

For if among our members we cut off that which is putrefied and past cure, fearing lest the rest of the body should also contract the same corruption,

doing this not out of contempt for that member, but from a desire to preserve the rest,

how much more is it necessary to do this in the case of those who consort with us for evil? For if we are able to correct them also, and ourselves not to be harmed, we must do everything;

but if they remain uncorrected and harm us as well, it is necessary to cut them off and cast them away.

For often in this way they will rather be the gainers.

Wherefore Paul also thus exhorted, saying:

'And ye shall put away the wicked person from among yourselves;'

and, 'That he who hath done this deed might be taken away from among you.'

For it is a dreadful thing, dreadful indeed, is fellowship with the wicked.

Not so quickly does the plague fasten upon, nor the itch destroy, those who touch the infected and are held by the disease, as does the wickedness of evil men.

For 'evil communications corrupt good manners.'

And the prophet again saith, 'Go ye out from the midst of them, and be ye separate.'

Let no one, therefore, have a wicked man for a friend.

For if, when we have wicked sons, we disown them, and are ashamed neither of nature, nor of her laws, nor of the necessity that springs from her,

how much more ought we to flee our acquaintances and familiars, when they are wicked.

For even if we receive no harm from them, we shall at least be unable to escape the evil report.

For those without do not scrutinize our life, but judge us by our companions.

These things I charge upon women and virgins also.

For 'providing,' he saith, 'for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.'

Let us therefore do all things, so as not to cause our neighbour to stumble.

For a life, though it be exceedingly upright, if it afford a stumbling-block to others, hath lost the whole.

And how is it possible that an upright life should cause offence? When the company of those who are not upright fastens an evil report upon it.

For when, trusting in ourselves, we consort with the wicked, even though we ourselves take no hurt, we have caused others to stumble.

These things I say to men and to women and to virgins, leaving it to their own conscience to know with exactness how many evils are born from this source.

For my part, I suspect no evil, nor perhaps does any other of the more perfect;

but the simpler brother is injured through thy perfection.

And we ought also to take thought for his weakness.

And even if this one be not harmed, yet the Greek is injured.

But Paul commanded that we give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Greeks, nor to the Church of God.

I suspect no evil concerning the virgin (for I love virginity;

and 'love thinketh no evil');

I am an exceedingly ardent lover of this manner of life, and I cannot so much as conceive anything unseemly.

But how shall we persuade those without? For we must take thought for them also.

Let us therefore so order our own affairs, that not even any of the unbelievers may be able to find a just handle against us.

For as those who display an upright life glorify God, so those who show the contrary cause Him to be blasphemed.

But may it never be that any among us should be such; rather, may our works so shine that our Father who is in heaven may be glorified, and that we may enjoy the glory that is from Him;

which may it be granted to us all to attain, through the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom to the Father be glory, together with the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.