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written for the sake of this statement. Here again and in relation to v. 11 reference has been made90 to the “impression of tragedy in the life of Jesus” to which these statements allude. But if the concept of tragedy cannot be separated from the element of fateful guilt or guilty fate in the hero, then if there is tragedy here, in the mind of the Evangelist the cosmos rather than Jesus is the tragic hero who, the captive of fate and guilt, finally misses the supreme opportunity that is offered. V. 10c and v. 11 certainly raise such a complaint and accusation against the cosmos, although in the mind of the Evangelist the complaint and accusation hardly have a “tragic” ring in the pregnant sense of the term. Not unjustifiably, perhaps, we are reminded by the verse of the pessimistic judgment on the cosmos that we also find in Hermetic and Mandean writings. But we have to add at once that this judgment does not harden into a dualistic system in John. Note the significance of the fact that v. 10c is embedded between v. 10b and v. 11. We have here a momentary part of the situation of conflict similar to that found in v. 5. We do not have a metaphysical principle. One may thus ask whether the complaint and accusation can really be called the true purpose of the passage vv. 10c–11. Note the connection of the passage with vv. 12–13. Quite indisputably these verses depict a mighty deed of the Word. Among those who contest it, the Word itself gives a great number, the hosoi, the possibility or power for something unheard-of and humanly impossible, i.e., for being God’s children (really God’s children according to the strict interpretation of v. 13) in the midst of a crooked generation [Phil. 2:15]. One cannot deny that the paradox of v. 11 effectively prepares the way for the depiction of this mighty deed of the Word. This is how the Word worked and works by its own power. It is not heard by those by whom it ought to be heard and yet—wholly by itself—it has found receptivity and faith. On the other hand, one cannot deny that v. 11 is only the explication of v. 10c. Hence one cannot allow v. 10c, or v. 10 as a whole, or with it v. 11, to be regarded only as that complaint about the world or that accusation against it. Beyond this note, which is certainly present but only as a secondary note, there sounds as the meaning of the whole passage vv. 9–13 the melody of triumph as the Word, the true and only effective light (v. 9), comes into the world, inconceivably finds no echo in the world, and yet equally inconceivably—enigma again confronts enigma as in v. 5—completes its work in the world in spite of the world, reaches its goal, finds faith, and gives birth to children of God. Even though it is present to the world in the dignity of the Creator, it meets only with resistance in it. Like what is said in v. 5 (that it shines in isolation, in the darkness which does not comprehend it, but that it still finds its witness in the sphere of darkness, that by its power and deed it still finds open ears in the world that resists it), this truth shames the world and brings blame upon it and complaint against it. Yet again we must not make the Evangelist stop there. We must not find in him only an attitude of what might be called theological pettiness in face of the world. The church’s right to judge the world depends upon the judgment not being a last word but having only subordinate significance. And this is what it has in this passage. What the Evangelist says about the world is not said for its own sake but for the glorifying of the Word, which, although it is not received by men, sees to it that nevertheless it is received, because it has the power to give exousia where none exists. To this goal, which is intimated in v. 9, we have taken the first step in v. 10.
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