According to Augustine, those who think they see do not see, and those who do not think they see, see. Now, we are said to be blind, spiritually, insofar as we sin: “Their wickedness blinded them” (Wis 2:21).[33] Thus, the one who does not recognize his own sins regards himself as seeing; while one who recognizes himself as a sinner regards himself as not seeing. The first is characteristic of the proud; the second, of the humble. So the meaning is this: I have come to distinguish the humble from the proud, so that the humble, who do not see, that is, who regard themselves as sinners, may see, having been illuminated by faith, and that those who see, that is, the proud, may become blind, that is, may remain in the darkness.
1361 Chrysostom understands this passage in terms of the judgment of condemnation, so that the statement, for judgment I came into this world is not understood in a causal sense, but it indicates the sequence of events.[34] It is like saying: After my coming into the world, there follows for some the judgment of condemnation increases in them. In Luke (2:23) we find something similar: “This child is set for the falling and rising of many in Israel,” not because Christ is the cause of their fall, but because this follows his coming.** He adds, that those who do not see, that is, the Gentiles, who lacked the light of divine knowledge, may see, i.e., be admitted to the knowledge of God: **“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light” (Is 9:2); and that those who see, the Jews, who did have a knowledge of God - “In Judah God is known” (Ps 76:1) - may become blind, fall away from the knowledge of God. The Apostle explicitly mentions this: “The Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it” (Rom 9:30).
1362 Now we see the grumbling of the Jews. They had understood our Lord’s words in a bodily sense because they had seen the man born blind physically restored to sight, and had thought that our Lord was concerned only with the light in his eyes rather than in his mind. And so **they believed that he was warning and threatening them with physical blindness when he said may become blind. **Therefore, the Evangelist says, some of the Pharisees near him heard this, the above words. He says who were near him, to show their vacillation: for sometimes they were with him because of some miracles which they saw, and then would leave when the truth was made known to them: “They believe for a while, and in time of tribulation fall away” (Lk 8:13). And they said to him, Are we also blind, i.e., physically? Yet they were spiritually blind: “Let them alone; they are blind guides” (Mt 15:14).
1363 Next, we see the Jews silenced. According to Augustine, this shows the meaning of the previous passage, that is, that our Lord was referring to spiritual blindness.[35] He says, If you were blind, you would have no guilt, because you would be running to the remedy. For sin is taken away by grace, which is given only to the humble: “God gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6). But now that you say, We see, i.e., proudly thinking that you do see, you do not recognize that you are sinners, your guilt remains, i.e., is not taken away: “God opposes the proud” (Jas 4:6).
Chrysostom understands this passage as referring to physical blindness.[36] The meaning is then: If you were blind, physically, you would have no guilt, because since blindness is a physical defect, it does not have the nature of sin. But now that you say, We see, your sin is clear, because while seeing the miracles that I do, you do not believe me: “Blind the heart of this people” [Is 6:10].
**Here is another explanation. If you were blind, i.e., ignorant of the judgments of God and of the sacraments of the law; you would have no guilt, i.e., so much. As if to say: If you were sinning out of ignorance, your sin would not be so serious. But now that you say, We see, i.e., arrogate to yourselves an understanding of the law and a knowledge of God, and still sin, then your guilt remains, i.e., becomes greater: **“That servant who knew is master’s will, but did not make ready or act according to his will, shall receive a severe beating” (Lk 12:47).
