- The man was born blind -- people during biblical times believed that congenital defects reflect the sin of parents passed on to the child. This is why the Pharisees referred to the blind man as someone "totally born in sin."
- The Pharisees -- these were religious leaders and mastered the details and intricacies of the law; they knew that healing was forbidden during sabbath and, according to them, Jesus must be a false prophet as he did not follow the law.
- The pool of Siloam -- this is most important. As John explains, "Siloam" means "sent," and in John's gospel, Jesus is referred to as "the one sent" more than forty times. More importantly, the pool of Siloam was part of the liturgical rite during the Feast of Tabernacles (one of the three major Jewish feasts). During this feast, the priest would draw water from the pool and pour it on the altar while saying prayers. The Feast of Tabernacles is also regarded as feast of water and feast of light.
This parallelism between the feast and the healing of the blind plays a major part in the message that John wishes to convey.
John presents Jesus as "light of the world." This symbolism is connected to the Old Testament which sees salvation as a light for the people plunged in darkness, and its glory shining from Jerusalem to the rest of the world. In Jesus, the awaited messiah is fulfilled.
But this is not the militaristic messiah, but the "light" that reveals a new way of life based on obedience to the Father's will, love, and forgiveness. This way of life is revealed as better than a life based simply on a blind obedience to a set of rules set by the Law.
Thus, at the end of the passage, it is the man born blind that not only physically sees, but now has eyes of faith and possesses the insight on the true person of Jesus: that He is the light of the world. The Pharisees, on the other hand, who possess the knowledge of the Law, are presented as blind and arrogant.
Other Trivia:
- Spittle, or saliva, was believed by the ancients as having medical efficacy and that it was more effective if mixed with earth or clay.
Source:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Hungry No More (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1989), 116-125.
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Jn 9:1.6-9.13-17.34-38
As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth. Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva, and smeared the clay on his eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam” – which means Sent. – So he went and washed, and came back able to see.
His neighbors and those who had seen him earlier as a beggar said, “Isn’t this the one who used to sit and beg?” Some said, “It is!” but others said, “No, he just looks like him.” He said, “I am.”
They brought the one who was once blind to the Pharisees. Now Jesus had made clay and opened his eyes on a sabbath. So then the Pharisees also asked him how he was able to see. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and now I can see.” So some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, because he does not keep the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a sinful man do such signs?” And there was a division among them. So they said to the blind man again, “What do you have to say about him, since he opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.”
They answered and said to him, “You were born totally in sin, and are you trying to teach us?” Then they threw him out.
When Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, he found him and said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “I do believe, Lord!” And he worshiped him.
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