Philosophers, scientists and sages often lay claim to the superiority of their respective systems. Not surprising is it, therefore, that since both Our Lord and the Pharisees were teachers, there should be a dispute between them concerning their doctrines. But Our Lord Jesus, as always, refused to put Himself on the level with human teachers; He claimed uniqueness as a Divine Teacher. But he went even further. He came to sacrifice Himself for His sheep, not to be a Master over pupils. The Pharisees and He argued about their doctrines. On the one hand, Jesus called Himself the Door affording the sole admission to the Father; the Porter or Keeper of the Sheepfold; Jesus called Himself also the Shepherd or Guardian of the sheep, and finally He was the Sheep who would become a victim. On the other hand, Jesus compared the Pharisees to those who entered not by the door, and therefore sought to prey on the flock; and to mercenaries who would run when the wolves came; and finally to wolves who would devour the sheep.
The dispute arose after Our Blessed Lord had restored sight to a man blind from birth. The Pharisees began making an investigation of the miracle. There was no denying the fact that the blind man could now see, but the Pharisees were so determined that this should not be accounted a miracle that they went to his parents, who testified that the boy had been born blind. They made up their minds that no amount of evidence would ever change their opinion, for they had now: "For the Jewish authorities had already agreed that anyone who acknowledged Jesus as Messiah should be banned from the synagogue." - John 9:22 -
The man born blind thus was the first of a long line of confessors who Our Lord said would be driven out of synagogues. The Pharisees, finding the blind man, said that Christ could not possibly have done it because they said: "He is a sinner." When he who was blind became impatient with the questions of the Pharisees and their refusal to accept the evidence of their senses, he argued against them: "If that man had not come from God he could have done nothing." - John 9:33 -
The beggar was far wiser in his understanding of the miracle than the Pharisees, as Joseph was wiser than the so-called wise men of Egypt in the interpretation of the dream of Pharaoh. The progress in the blind man's thinking and faith was like that of the woman at the well. First, the blind man said of Him: "The man called Jesus." - John 9:11 - Later on, after further questioning, he said, as did the woman at the well: "He is a prophet." - John 9:17 -
Finally, he declared that He must come from God. Such is often the progress of those who finally come to the truth about Christ. When the cured man confessed Christ to be the Son of God, the Pharisees excommunicated him from the synagogue. This was serious; for it cut off the beggar from the outward privileges of the commonwealth of the people and made him an object of derision. Hearing of the ban, Our Lord Jesus, restless until He found the lost sheep, sought out the condemned man. Meeting him face to face, Jesus asked: "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" - John 9:36 - 'Sir.' the man replied 'tell me who he is so that I may believe in him." Jesus said, 'You are looking at him; he is speaking to you.' The man said, 'Lord, I believe', and worshipped him, Jesus said: 'It is for judgement that I have come into this world, so that those without sight may see and those with sight turn blind'. - John 9:36-39 -
The man who was blind then prostrated himself before the Lord Jesus in adoration. His was not the faith that confessed with the lips, but which worshipped Truth Incarnate. His reasoning was so simple and yet so sublime. He Who could perform such a miracle must be of God.
The Pharisee had made a complete investigation of the miracle; there was no doubt among the witnesses; the parents and the man himself admitted that a great miracle had been done: a miracle of the eyes to restore his vision; and of the soul, giving him faith in Christ Jesus. Because the Pharisees rejected the evidence, Our Lord told them that they were blind leaders, and because they had rejected Him, judgement would fall upon them. He told them they had a chance to be illumined by Himself, the Light of the World. Without that illumination, their blindness could be a calamity; but now, it was a crime.
They had closed the door of the synagogue on the man born blind. The Pharisees imagined that they had cut him off from all communication with the Divine. But Our Lord told the crowd that though the door of the synagogue was shut, another door opened: "I am the door; anyone who comes into the fold through me shall be safe. He/She shall go in and out and shall find pasturage. - John 10:9 -
The Lord Jesus did not say that there are many doors, nor that it made little difference through which other door one sought the higher life; He did not say that He was a door, but 'The Door.' There was only one door in the ark through which Noah and his family entered to be saved from the flood; there was only one door in the Tabernacle or Holy of Holies. He claimed for Himself the sole right of admission or rejection with respect to the true fold of God. He did not say His teaching or His example was the door, but that He personally was the unique entrance to the fulness of the God-life. He stands alone and shares no honors with His colleagues, not even with Moses, and much less with Zoroaster, Confucius, Mohammed, or anyone else.
"No one comes to the Father except by me." - John 14:6 - ............ - PAGE ONE -
BY VENERABLE FULTON J. SHEEN
Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!
Why do you call Me, "Lord, Lord" and not do what I say?' "Everyone who comes to Me and listens to My words and acts on them - I will show you what he/she is like. He/She is like a man/woman who when he/she built his/her house dug, deep, and laid the foundations on rock; when the river was in flood it bore down on that house but could not shake it, it was so well built. But the one who listens and does nothing is like the man/woman who built his/her house on soil, with no foundations: as soon as the river bore down on it, it collapsed; and what a ruin that house became!" - Luke 6:46-49 -
If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function. So the body grows until it has built itself up, in love." - Ephesians 4:15-16 -
I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you now. But when the spirit of truth comes, he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking as from himself, but will say only what he has learnt; and he will tell you of the things to come. He/She will glorify me, since all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine. Everything the Father has is mine; that is why I said: all he/she tells you will be taken from what is mine." - John 16:12-15 -
