im
more fully who He Himself was. He thus gave to the man assurance of a
friendship outweighing in value what he had lost. He made him feel that
though cut off from the fellowship of the visible Church, he was made a
member of the true commonwealth of men--numbered among those who are
united in friendship, and in work, and in destiny to Him who heads the
real work of God, and promotes the abiding interests of men. And such is
ever the reward of those who make sacrifices for Christ, who lose
employment or friends by too boldly confessing their indebtedness to
Him. They will themselves tell you that Christ makes up to them for
their losses by imparting clearer knowledge of Himself, by making them
conscious that they are remembered by Him, and by giving them a
conscience void of offence, and a spirit superior to worldly
misfortunes.

As a final reflection on the miracle and its results our Lord says: "For
judgement am I come into the world, that they which see not might see,
and that they which see might be made blind." A kind of sad humour
betrays itself in His language, as He sees how easily felt-blindness is
removed, but how absolutely blind presumed knowledge is. Humility ever
wins the day. The blind man now saw because he knew he was blind, and
trusted that Christ could give him sight; the Pharisees were stone-blind
to the world Christ opened to them and carried in His person, because
they thought that already they had all the knowledge they required. And
wherever Christ comes men thus form themselves around Him in two groups,
blind and seeing. "For judgment," for testing and dividing men, He is
come. Nothing goes more searchingly into a man's character than Christ's
offer to be to him the Light of life, to be his leader to a perfect
life. This offer discloses what the man is content with, and what he
really sighs for. This offer, which confronts us with the possibility of
living in close fellowship and love with God, discloses whether our real
bent is towards what is pure, and high, and holy, or towards what is
earthly. This man who eagerly asked, "Who is the Son of God that I might
believe on Him?" acknowledged his blindness and his longing for light,
and he got it. The Pharisees, who claimed to see, condemned themselves
by their rejection of Christ. "If," says our Lord, "ye were blind, if
you were ignorant like this poor man, your ignorance would excuse you.
But now ye say, We see, you boast that you can discern th