John 9:36

"Lord, who is the Son of God?" he asks with love.

He answered and said: Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him? As if to say: I am ready to believe: whence Chrysostom: "This is the word of one who inquires and desires"; therefore he is instructed. The blind man consented to faith.

1356 Next he mentions the desire of the man born blind to believe. We have to recall that this man had not yet physically seen Christ: for he had not seen him when Christ anointed his eyes and sent him to the pool of Siloam, …

Who is he, that I may believe? - This implies some degree of faith already. He was ready to receive whatever Jesus said.

He answered and said,....

We see in these verses how much wiser the poor sometimes are than the rich. The man whom our Lord healed of his blindness was evidently a person of very humble condition. It is written that he was one who "sat and begged." (See v. 8.) Yet he saw things which the proud rulers of the Jews could not see, and would not receive. He saw in our Lord's miracle an unanswerable proof of our Lord's divine commission. "If this Man were not of God," he cries, "He could do nothing."

He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I may believe on him?--"His reply is affirmative, and believing by anticipation, promising faith as soon as Jesus shall say who He is" [STIER].

We see in these verses how much wiser the poor sometimes are than the rich. The man whom our Lord healed of his blindness was evidently a person of very humble condition. It is written that he was one who "sat and begged." (See v. 8.) Yet he saw things which the proud rulers of the Jews could not see, and would not receive. He saw in our Lord's miracle an unanswerable proof of our Lord's divine commission. "If this Man were not of God," he cries, "He could do nothing." In fact, from the day of his cure his position was completely altered. He had eyes, and the Pharisees were blind. The same thing may be seen in other places of Scripture. The servants of Pharaoh saw "the finger of God" in the plagues of Egypt, when their master's heart was hardened. The servants of Naaman saw the wisdom of Elisha's advice, when their master was turning away in a rage. The high, the great, and the noble are often the last to learn spiritual lessons. Their possessions and their position often blind the eyes of their understanding, and keep them back from the kingdom of God. It is written that "not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called." (1 Cor. 1:26.) The Christian poor man never need be ashamed of his poverty. It is a sin to be proud, and worldly-minded, and unbelieving; but it is no sin to be poor. The very riches which many long to possess are often veils over the eyes of men's souls, and prevent their seeing Christ. The teaching of the Holy Spirit is more frequently to be seen among men of low degree than among men of rank and education. The words of our Lord are continually proved most true, "How hard it is for rich people to get into the Kingdom of God!" "You have hid these things from the wise and prudent, and have revealed them unto babes." (Mark 10:23; Matt. 11:25.)

THIS text is from the story of the blind man to whom Jesus had given sight. His narrative of the cure provoked the anger of the Jews and their rulers. And, as the man could not be convinced by them that one who had opened his eyes could also be a bad man, they cast him out of their assembly—and by that act signified to him that he would be, or already was, cast out of the Jewish Church—set aside from the Synagogue and made the victim of the greater excommunication.

THIS text is from the story of the blind man to whom Jesus had given sight. His narrative of the cure provoked the anger of the Jews and their rulers. And, as the man could not be convinced by them that one who had opened his eyes could also be a bad man, they cast him out of their assembly—and by that act signified to him that he would be, or already was, cast out of the Jewish Church—set aside from the Synagogue and made the victim of the greater excommunication. This was one of the most fearful calamities that could befall a Jew and I do not doubt but what the man considered it to be so. Now, it is not at all likely that any person here is feeling the same trouble, but many may be suffering from something similar. It may be that you have excommunicated yourselves. Within the court of your own bosom, conscience has held a solemn court and pronounced upon you a sentence which continually rings in your ears. You scarcely dare mingle with those who assemble in the house of God for you feel yourselves unworthy to be among them. Up till lately you were upon the best of terms with yourselves and reckoned that all was right with God. You hoped that you stood on as good a footing, at any rate, as other men and perhaps were somewhat better than many around you. But now a process of enlightenment has come over your mind—practices have been seen to be seriously evil which before were regarded as trifles and sin itself has worn another aspect than any which it bore in former times. Does such a person stand here this morning? Then let me assure him that his state of mind is well known to me, for I knew its horrors by the space of many months together. I, too, felt that I was cut off from the congregation of the hopeful and must not hope for mercy from God.

LAST Sabbath morning [Sermon #1683, Volume 28—The Great Cross-Bearer and His Followers] I spoke to you concerning one who was forced into the King's service. That was Simon, the Cyre-nian, who was compelled to bear Christ's Cross. He was not a volunteer, but a pressed man, yet, I think that after he had been forced to bear the Cross, he willingly carried it and I hope that he, afterwards, became a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.

LAST Sabbath morning [Sermon #1683, Volume 28—The Great Cross-Bearer and His Followers] I spoke to you concerning one who was forced into the King's service. That was Simon, the Cyre-nian, who was compelled to bear Christ's Cross. He was not a volunteer, but a pressed man, yet, I think that after he had been forced to bear the Cross, he willingly carried it and I hope that he, afterwards, became a faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, strange to say, here is another pressed man, for I do not think that this man, whose eyes had been opened by Christ, had thought of becoming a Believer in the Son of God until the Lord Jesus found him. Before he had reached that point—indeed, before he knew that the Prophet who had opened his eyes was the Son of God—the Pharisees had cast him out of the synagogue so that he was compelled to bear the cross for Christ although he did not, then, fully know Christ and certainly had not believed upon the Son of God. Yet, in his case, also, it appears that he cheerfully took up the cross which had been, at the first, forcibly laid upon him. It may happen that there are some persons here who are in a similar position—some who have been ridiculed for being Christians even before they are Christians! Some who have been mocked merely because they go to a place of worship, though as yet they have not yielded themselves to Christ. Well, if that is the case with any, seeing that the cross is laid upon their shoulders, I trust that they will not throw it off, but that they will bravely bear it for Christ and freely suffer what, up till now, has seemed to them to be a piece of injustice, for they have been treated as if they were believers in Christ, when really they are not yet on the Lord's side. This man, then, bearing Christ's Cross in a certain way, was cast out of the synagogue. And then Christ found him and blessed him.

Who is he? - It is probable that the man did not know that he who now addressed him was the same who had healed him. He had not yet seen him Joh 9:7, but he was prepared to acknowledge him when he did see him. He inquired, therefore, who the person was, or wished that he might be pointed out to him, that he might see him. This passage shows that he was disposed to believe, and had a strong desire to see and hear the Son of God. Lord - This word here, as in many other instances in the New Testament, means “Sir.” It is clear that the man did not know that it was the Lord Jesus that addressed him, and he therefore replied to him in the common language of respect, and asked him to point out to him the Son of God. The word translated “Lord” here is rendered “Sir” in Joh 4:11; Joh 20:15; Joh 12:21; Act 16:30; Mat 27:63. It should have been also here, and in many other places.