Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/626

 the deaf  shall  be  unstopped. Then shall  the  lame  man  leap  as  a hart, and the  tongue  of  the  dumb  shall  be  free”  (Is.  35,  5.  6).

The cause  of  unbelief. In  spite  of  all  their  efforts,  the  Pharisees could not  disprove  the  miraculous  cure  of  the  man  born  blind. Why, then, did  they  not  believe  in  it? Because they  had  not  the  will  to believe  and  receive  the  truth. The great  truth  that  Jesus  is  God  was, it may  almost  be  said,  forced  on  them  with  violence,  but  they  resolutely shut their  eyes  to  it. Why did  they  thus  refuse  to  see  and  believe? Because they  hated  our  Lord. They had  got  it  once  for  all  into  their heads that  the  Messias  would  come  as  a great  liberator  and  conqueror who would  enable  them  to  realize  their  political  aspirations. Jesus was poor and  humble,  redeeming  the  people  only  from  sin  and  death,  and their sensual  nature  refused  to  acknowledge  any  such  Messias. Added to this  there  must  be  taken  into  consideration  their  own  personal interests. They had  been,  hitherto,  the  acknowledged  leaders  of  the people, who  honoured  them  as  the  models  of  virtue  and  justice. Jesus would not  admit  this  justice  of  theirs,  and  ruthlessly  showed  up  their hypocrisy. The greater  the  following  of  Jesus,  the  less  was  their  own; and thus  it  was  that  their  self-interest  as  well  as  their  pride  made  them hostile to  our  Lord. Under no  circumstances  would  they  themselves acknowledge Him  as  the  Messias,  and  they  used  every  means  to  prevent the people  from  doing  so. Thus, even  before  this  miracle  and  their examination of  it,  they  had  issued  an  edict  that  any  one  who  should say that  our  Lord  was  the  Christ  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue. They would  not  believe;  nor  would  they  have  believed,  if  Jesus  had worked even  greater  miracles  than  He  did.

Increase of  faith. The  man  born  blind  corresponded  with  grace. He obeyed  Jesus,  believing  that  He  was  able  to  cure  him  by  the washing of  his  eyes  in  the  pool  of  Siloe. The cure,  when  obtained,  increased his  faith,  and  he  was  convinced  that  Jesus  was  a prophet  sent by God,  who  had  received  power  from  Him. He suffered  persecution on account  of  his  faith,  and  thus  obtained  the  further  grace  of  hearing from our  Lord’s  own  lips  that  He  was  the  Son  of  God. The man  born blind received  not  only  the  natural  gift  of  sight,  but  with  it  the  supernatural gift  of  faith. Our Lord’s  miracle  was  the  cause  of  salvation  to him,  whereas  it  was  the  cause  of  ruin  to  the  Pharisees,  and  served  only to harden  them  in  their  obstinacy.

Confession of  faith. The  man  born  blind  confessed  his  faith  in Jesus  most  courageously  and  unwaveringly. His parents  allowed  themselves to  be  intimidated,  but  he  feared  neither  the  anger  nor  the  threats of the  Pharisees,  and  permitted  nothing  to  turn  him  from  the  truth,  or lead  him  to  contradict  his  own  words.

Effects of  holy  Baptism.  The  pool  of  Siloe,  by  washing  in  which the blind  man  received  his  sight,  was  a type  of  Baptism,  by  the  washing of which  those  who  are  born  spiritually  blind  through  original  sin,