91 And as he passed on, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this [man] or his parents, that he should be born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither has this [man] sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God should be manifested in him. 4 I must work the works of him that has sent me while it is day. [The] night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am [the] light of the world. 6 Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud of the spittle, and put the mud, as ointment, on his eyes. 7 And he said to him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, which is interpreted, Sent. He went therefore and washed, and came seeing.
8 The neighbours therefore, and those who used to see him before, that he was a beggar, said, Is not this he that was sitting and begging? 9 Some said, It is he; others said, No, but he is like him: he said, It is I. 10 They said therefore to him, How have thine eyes been opened? 11 He answered [and said], A man called Jesus made mud and anointed mine eyes, and said to me, Go to Siloam and wash: and having gone and washed, I saw. 12 They said therefore to him, Where is he? He says, I do not know.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 9:1-12
Commentary on John 9:1-7
(Read John 9:1-7)
Christ cured many who were blind by disease or accident; here he cured one born blind. Thus he showed his power to help in the most desperate cases, and the work of his grace upon the souls of sinners, which gives sight to those blind by nature. This poor man could not see Christ, but Christ saw him. And if we know or apprehend anything of Christ, it is because we were first known of him. Christ says of uncommon calamities, that they are not always to be looked on as special punishments of sin; sometimes they are for the glory of God, and to manifest his works. Our life is our day, in which it concerns us to do the work of the day. We must be busy, and not waste day-time; it will be time to rest when our day is done, for it is but a day. The approach of death should quicken us to improve all our opportunities of doing and getting good. What good we have an opportunity to do, we should do quickly. And he that will never do a good work till there is nothing to be objected against, will leave many a good work for ever undone, Ecclesiastes 11:4. Christ magnified his power, in making a blind man to see, doing that which one would think more likely to make a seeing man blind. Human reason cannot judge of the Lord's methods; he uses means and instruments that men despise. Those that would be healed by Christ must be ruled by him. He came back from the pool wondering and wondered at; he came seeing. This represents the benefits in attending on ordinances of Christ's appointment; souls go weak, and come away strengthened; go doubting, and come away satisfied; go mourning, and come away rejoicing; go blind, and come away seeing.
Commentary on John 9:8-12
(Read John 9:8-12)
Those whose eyes are opened, and whose hearts are cleansed by grace, being known to be the same person, but widely different in character, live as monuments to the Redeemer's glory, and recommend his grace to all who desire the same precious salvation. It is good to observe the way and method of God's works, and they will appear the more wonderful. Apply this spiritually. In the work of grace wrought upon the soul we see the change, but we see not the hand that makes it: the way of the Spirit is like that of the wind, which thou hearest the sound of, but canst not tell whence it comes, nor whither it goes.