Whence and Whither A Narrative Perspective on Birth a[nwqen 169 oneself” is a reference to the disciples’ understanding the implications of his departure (uJpavgw) for Jerusalem. Furthermore, John 9,39-40 appears as Jesus’ final comment on the whole incident. He alludes to Isa 6,10, cited also in John 12,40, where “seeing” has an obvious spiritual reference. Jesus also blames the Pharisees for their blindness, a clear circumlocution for their lack of understanding (9,40-41). Thus “v. 39…reflects the transformation that occurs within the narrative; ‘sight’ has now taken on a symbolic value rather than the literal sense of the opening scene” (42). At the centre of the dispute is the understanding of who Jesus is. Within the narrative two opposite movements with regard to knowledge are discernable. The rejection on the part of the Pharisees hardens; they prefer “sinner” (v. 24) for “this man is not from God” (v. 16) as a proper description of who Jesus is (43). They claim to know (hmei" oi[damen) (vv. 24.29), which in John’s language is, as we have J' seen, a recurrent sign of irony. This becomes apparent within the story itself. They claim the support of Moses, a view that is rejected elsewhere in the Gospel (John 5,45-46). When it comes to the crucial question, the whence of Jesus, they say: oujk oi[damen (vv. 29-30). The man born blind, however, moves from oujk oi\da (vv. 11, 25) to believe in Jesus (vv. 36-38). At the end of the narrative he has gained sight, both in a physical and spiritual sense. He declares his faith and has gained sight fully. Does this incident in any way shed some light on the dialogue with Nicodemus and birth from above in particular? Generally, both texts deal with Jewish teachers who fail to understand Jesus and his ministry. Both texts centre on the theme of light or seeing vs. darkness and blindness. Within this pattern some special features worth noting appear. Nicodemus’ comment in 3,2 is echoed in the question of the man born blind: “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” (9,16b cf. 9,31.33). The blind expresses his surprise in a way (uJmei'" oujk oi[date povqen ejstivn, kai; h[noixevn mou tou;" ojfqalmouv") (9,30) which brings to mind Jesus’ ironic statement to Nicodemus: “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?” (3,10) (44). (42) D.A. LEE, The Symbolic Narratives of the Fourth Gospel. The Interplay of Form and Meaning (JSNTSS 95; Sheffield 1994) 170, 179. (43) Similarly KOESTER, Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel, 161. (44) See the margin of NESTLE-ALAND’s 27th edition of the Novum Testamentum Graece.