Just a thought from my quiet time this morning.
John 9:2-3, CEV “As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind since birth. Jesus’ disciples asked, “teacher, why was this man born blind? Was it because he or his parents sinned?” “No it wasn’t!” Jesus answered. “But because of his blindness, you will see God work a miracle for him.”
The disciples bring up the question of the justice of God by seeking to assign responsibility to the man’s blindness. Was it the man’s parents or did he sin in the womb?
People assume if we can answer the why questions of suffering that will make it more acceptable or even add an element of respect to the suffering. When we do that we become like Job’s friends who made his suffering worse.
The question of “Who sinned?” avoids assuming the role of a caregiver and instead takes on the role of a judge. Jesus dismisses this line of thought as worthless.
Instead Jesus reveals the mercy, grace and love of God by healing the man and not judging him or his parents! Let’s go and do likewise for those hurting in our world today!
This was the judgment cast upon my young parents the morning of my birth. Since I had severe birth defects and was laid aside to die, an older woman declared to my parents that it was because of some sin in their life that this happened. As my parents prayed, they believed that God spoke to them that the woman was wrong and I would live and grow up to preach the gospel. (They never told me this until after Becky and I married and were in the ministry.) So here I am 59 years later writing this to you because of Amazing Grace!
Coram Deo 