What does John 9:34 mean?

Explanation

John 9:34 relates an incident involving a man born blind, whom Jesus healed on the Sabbath by making clay with his saliva, anointing the man's eyes, and instructing him to wash in the pool of Siloam.

This verse comes after the religious leaders, likely Pharisees, interrogated the healed man about the miracle, as Jesus' action of healing on the Sabbath was seen as work, which was prohibited.

When the man testified that Jesus had healed him, the religious leaders refused to accept his testimony and the possibility that Jesus was from God.

In their response, encapsulated in this verse, the leaders expressed a common belief at that time: that physical ailments were the result of sin.

They indicated their view that the man was steeped in sin from birth, thereby discrediting his testimony and authority to teach them about spiritual matters.

Their statement "Thou wast altogether born in sins" reveals their judgmental attitude and the stigma associated with congenital disabilities at the time.

Finally, they excommunicated him ("cast him out") from the synagogue, a social and religious ostracism.

The deeper meaning here includes a confrontation between traditional religious legalism and the transformative power of Jesus' ministry.

It speaks to issues of spiritual pride and prejudice, where the leaders' blindness to the man's testimony and the miracle stands in stark contrast to the physical blindness from which the man was healed.

Historical Context

The gospel of John was written during a time when there was tension between the early Christian community and the Jewish authorities.

John 9 occurs in a first-century Judean context, particularly within the Pharisaic movement that emphasized strict adherence to the Mosaic Law.

The historical backdrop includes a period where the followers of Jesus were beginning to be expelled from synagogues, which served as centers for worship, teaching, and community life.

During this time, there was a belief among many Jews that suffering and physical ailments were a direct result of personal sin or the sins of one's parents.

This explains the accusation leveled at the man born blind.

The Pharisees, as religious leaders, not only enforced Jewish law but also were influential in determining community standards including who could be considered part of the community.

Theological Insights

From a theological standpoint, this verse has been interpreted differently across Christian traditions:

1. Orthodox/Catholic Perspectives: They may emphasize the theme of spiritual blindness, contrasting the physical healing of the man with the Pharisees' inability to see Jesus as the Messiah.

2. Protestant Perspectives: Within this framework, the verse may be seen as highlighting the fallibility of religious authority when it becomes too legalistic and as a reminder of the necessity for personal faith in Jesus for true spiritual insight.

3. Liberation Theology: Advocates for social justice might view the passage as indicative of Jesus' mission to liberate the marginalized, including those ostracized due to disabilities.

Overall, theologically, John 9:34 is seen as an example of the conflict between Jesus' teachings of grace and mercy versus the legalism and exclusion practiced by the religious leaders.

Practical Applications

This verse can serve as a warning against self-righteous judgment and the tendency to equate physical condition with moral standing. It teaches humility and challenges believers to reflect on the inclusiveness of their faith community.

1. Judge Not: It urges believers not to judge others based on external conditions or assume that misfortune is a result of sin.

2. Acceptance and Inclusion: It serves as a reminder to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment within faith communities for all individuals, especially those who have historically been marginalized.

3. Recognizing Authority: It challenges believers to discern true spiritual authority, which comes from a right understanding of God's work, rather than from positions of power or traditional norms.

Cross-References

• John 9:2: "And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?"
• John 9:6: "When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay."
• John 9:16: “Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day.

Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them.”

• Luke 6:37: “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”
• John 5:14: “Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.”

Language Study

In the original Greek text:

• "Thou wast altogether born in sins" translates to "ἐν ἁμαρτίαις σὺ ἐγεννήθης ὅλος" (en hamartiais sy egennēthēs holos).

The term "ἁμαρτίαις" (hamartiais) is the dative plural form of "ἁμαρτία" (hamartia), meaning "sin".

It implies a condition or state of being.

• "Dost thou teach us?" translates to "σύ διδάσκεις ἡμᾶς;" (sy didaskeis hēmas), where "διδάσκεις" (didaskeis) comes from the root "διδάσκω" (didaskō), which means "to teach".

It suggests the man's presumed audacity to instruct those who deemed themselves his superiors.

• "And they cast him out" uses the Greek verb "ἐξέβαλον" (exebalon), from "ἐκβάλλω" (ekballō), which means "to drive out" or "to cast out".

This reflects the physical act of expulsion and carries implications of social and religious exclusion.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In the broader context of ancient cultures, disability was often viewed as a result of divine disfavor.

Similar to the Jewish belief of the time, various ancient cultures, including Greco-Roman and some ancient Near Eastern societies, often considered physical impairments as indications of moral or spiritual deficiencies.

In other religious traditions, such as Hinduism or Buddhism, there's the concept of karma, which proposes that one's actions in past lives can result in suffering in the current life, which could be seen as a parallel to the belief espoused by the Pharisees in this verse of the Gospel of John.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern science approaches physical disability from a vastly different perspective than the one implied in John 9:34.

Biology, genetics, and medicine attribute disabilities to natural causes such as genetic mutations, disease, or injury, rather than to moral or spiritual failings.

The notion that sin is the cause of physical ailments is not supported by current scientific understanding.

Commentaries

Various Bible scholars and theologians have offered interpretations of John 9:34:

1. William Barclay: He points out the hardness of the Pharisees' hearts in their refusal to be taught by one whom they considered inferior due to his blindness and poverty.

2. Matthew Henry: Henry emphasizes that the Pharisees' pride led them to unjustly cast out the healed man, thus placing their own traditions above the works of God.

3. Craig S. Keener: He notes that the social ramifications of the man's expulsion from the synagogue would have been severe, making Jesus' willingness to later seek out and minister to the man even more significant.

Many commentaries focus on the contrast between the physical and spiritual sight and blindness showcased in this chapter of John, and they highlight the social and religious implications of the healed man's testimony about Jesus.