Tractates on the Gospel of John 28–54

Tractate 44

TRACTATE 44 OnJohn 9 HE DAY will not be long enough if we should try to explicate the whole of the lengthy readingjust heard concerning the man born blind, whom the Lord Jesus enlightened, in accordance with its own worth, considering each detail as best we are able. And so I ask each of you and I advise you, my beloved people, that you not require of us a discourse on those matters which are clear; for it will be too tedious to tarry on every point. Therefore, I present briefly the mystery of the enlightenment of this blind man. Of course, those things, both the words and deeds, that our Lord Jesus Christ did should produce astonishment and wonder: the deeds because they were things done, the words because they were signs.I (2) If, then, we should think about what that which was done signifies, this blind man is the human race, for this blindness happened through sin in the first man from whom we all have taken the origin not only of death, but also of wickedness . For if the blindness is lack of faith and the enlightenment faith, whom does Christ find faithful when he comes?2 In as much as the Apostle, who was born in a nation of prophets, says, "All of us, too, were once by nature children of wrath, even as the rest."3 If "children of wrath," then children of vengeance, children of punishment, children of Gehenna. How "by nature," except that when the first man sinned, a 1. Cf. Tractate 24.2 and 25.2, 5. 2. A word play is obscured in the English: Whom does Christ come upon as a faithful one when he comes? 3· Cf. Eph 2·3· 175 176 ST. AUGUSTINE flaw4 grew in the place of nature?5 If the flaw has grown in the place of nature, every man is born blind as regards his mind. For if he sees, he has no need of a leader; if he has need of a leader and an enlightener, then he is blind from birth. 2. The Lord came. What did he do? He set forth a great mystery. "He spat on the ground." From his saliva he made mud because the Word was made flesh.6 And he besmeared the eyes of the blind man. He was besmeared and yet did not see. He sent him to the pool which is called Siloe. And the Evangelist was concerned to explain to us the name of this pool, and he said, "which is interpreted 'Who has been sent.'" You already know who has been sent; for unless he had been sent, no one of us would be sent away from wickedness. Therefore, he washed his eyes in that pool which is interpreted "Who has been sent"; he was baptized in Christ. If then, when in some way he baptized him in himself, he then enlightened him; perhaps when he besmeared him, he made him a catechumen. Indeed the profundity ofa symbol so great and mysterious can be explained and expounded in various ways.7 But let this be enough for you, my beloved people; you have heard a great mystery. (2) Ask a man: Are you a Christian? If he is a pagan or a Jew, he has answered you: I am not. But ifhe said, "I am," you still ask him: Are you a catechumen or one of the faithful? If he answered, A catechumen, he was besmeared, not yet washed. But besmeared with what? Ask and he answers; ask him in whom he believes. For the very reason that he is a catechumen, he says: In Christ. Look now, I am speaking both to the faithful and to the catechumens. What did I say about the spittle and the mud? That the Word was made flesh. The catechumens also hear this; but for the purpose for which they have been besmeared this does not suffice for them. 4. In Latin, vitium. 5· Surely with Rom 5.12-19 in mind; cf. Tractate 30.5 and 49.12. 6. Cf. In 1.14. 7. Some codices read this sentence as follows: Indeed the nature of so great a symbol can be explained and its profundity can be expounded in various ways. TRACTATE 44 177 Let them hurry to the baptismal font if they seek light.8 3. Now then, on account of...