The Advocate's Defense and the Blind Man's Witness

Regarding the testimony to be given to a matter: Do you know the premise? Was it present? From where do you know the matter? And the very form teaches him to deny it.

So do they: How did you see? Who opened your eyes? But he, caring less for the threat, possessed more of the truth, and says: A certain man, called Jesus, having made clay, anointed my eyes and said to me: 'Go, wash in the Siloam' (John 9:6). And having gone, I washed, and I saw. He did not know the truth, but he recognized the benefit; he did not yet know the merit of the benefactor. A certain man, having made clay, anointed my eyes, and I see.

The Jews did not believe that he was blind and had seen, until his parents of the one who had seen were called. The diversion of malice into doubt brought away the truth. They call the parents of the blind man; malice by itself brings witnesses together. The parents of the blind man were called.

Again the same form of questioning: 'This is your son, whom you say was born blind? (John 9:25) How then does he see now?' They, having perceived the way of malice, that they are bringing threats, say to them: 'We know that this is our son; and that he was born blind we know; but how he sees now, or who opened his eyes, we do not know; he has age, ask him; he himself will speak about himself. And see the wisdom of God.'

So that they might not divert his voice, the one who had seen, as if he were a child, or as if he did not know how to speak, as in common courts, God caused him first to be shown in the age of law. 'He has age,' they say; 'ask him'; because immature advocates are needed, but those bringing maturity, they themselves become their own advocates.

His parents answered and said: 'This is our son, and that he was born blind we know.' The parents testified so that there would be no doubt that he was not blind. 'He has age, ask him; he himself will speak about himself.' They call him again, he says, a second time, and say to him: 'What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?' He, moreover, having clothed himself with the zeal of God, unfolds the question, and as if for those unworthy of an answer, not worthy of a word, but what does he say to them? 'I have already said to you, and...'

“You did not hear; why do you wish to hear me again? Do you not also wish to become his disciples?” (John 7:40). And he who has not yet heard Christ's teaching imitates it. For the Jews, having surrounded the Savior in Solomon's Colonnade during the festivals (John 10:23), said to him: “How long will you lift up our soul? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” He says to them: “I said to you, and you did not hear; why do you wish to hear again?” And see the piety of the advocate.

Because he paid attention to the malice of the Jews, for they do everything and shape threats and fear to be cast upon him so that he might not confess himself teacher, he says to them: “I said to you already, and you did not hear; why do you wish to hear again? Do you not also wish to become his disciples?” By saying, “Do you not also?”, he showed that the “I am” is being confessed. Let every Christian coming from Hellenism have this voice. For when a Greek meets you, having an ancient habit of error, and says to you, “Become a Christian,” say to him, “Yes; do you not also wish to become?”

The goal, therefore, of the one who recovered both soul and body, was such: “I said to you already, and you did not hear; why do you wish to hear me again? Do you not also wish to become his disciples?” Instead of saying, “Stay this far from turning to me,” for I also more eagerly expect you, having been changed, to confess Christ himself according to the truth.

Then what was against him from the Jews? They mocked him and said: “You are a disciple of that man, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but this one we do not know from where he is.” Consider the multitude of the objectors, and the power of one standing against them. And the advocate of the truth did not be silent again, but stood firm, saying, “For in this it is wonderful,” saying, that you do not know from where he is, and he opened my eyes (John 9:35). If this man were not from God, he would not have been able to do anything. He stands struggling, and God is the overseer and the judge; many are terrible against one strong man, an unbelieving cloud against a single drop of faith. From the age, he says, it was not heard that someone opened the eyes of one born blind (John 9:32). If this man were not from God, he would not have been able to do anything. Because you magnify yourselves, he says, in the teaching of Moses. He does not mention Moses at all, so that—