John 9
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
When something bad happens to somebody there are those who ask questions about where one went wrong. What law or laws did one break? Why is one suffering? Why has this tradedy happened? They want to tell why one is in this situation. They are quick to tell what one did wrong or what might have done wrong. They are quick to point out one's sin and tell what one did wrong.
Then there are others who are not so interested in why one is hurting, but on how to help take away some of the hurt and pain.
John 9:1-5
The disciples asked Jesus who had sinned, this man or his parents. He had been born blind and they wanted to know who'se fault it was.
Was this some kind of punishment from God on the parents for thier sin, or is he suffering for the sins of his father?
The disciples wanted to know who was to blame.
Jesus's answer was neither this man or his parents. His blindness was not a punishment for some sin.
When things go wrong we are quick to blame God. we look at it as some punishment from God. Too often we think that God is punishing or judging us.
The women caught in adultry that was brought to Jesus. The Pharisees were quick to blame her and stone her. What was Jesus' response? He told her to go and sin no more. Jesus did not cast judgement. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. God sent His Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that through Him the world might be saved.
Why do we look at human punishment as punishment from God?
There are certain things we do that carry natural consequences. God warns us about doing certain things because He loves us and knows the pain that they can bring.
A child is playing around the soba and the parent warns him not to touch the soba. If he decides to touch the soba and gets burned you did not burn the child. You only warned him. It is a cause and effect. Certain actions bring certain effects.
God does not always warn us what the consequences will be for certain actions. He just warns us not to.
In the garden of eden, God did warn Adam and Eve and what the consequences would be and yet they did not heed the warning.
So why was this man born blind?
God had a purpose. God is always working out his purpose in our lvies. Many times what seems like a tradedy is intended by God to be an opportunity for Him to work and be glorified. Jesus said,: I must work the works of him who sent me."
What was the work of God who sent HIm?
To heal the man from blindness, and to bring him to a knowledge of who Jesus is.
The work of God is: to heal, to make wrongs right, to remove the pain and suffering of the world cursed by sin.
God gives us a different picture than what man traditionally gives us.
Jesus had told the Jews, you dont know me or my Faither. If you would have known me, you would have known the Father.
They did not know God or the loving heart of God. They were ready to stone the adulterous woman, Jesus was eager to forgive her.
So how do we react to the tragic consequesnces of human nature?
Do we point and say, what did they do to deserve this or do we rush to help them heal from the pain?
We are not to try to find out the cause of the suffering, but God has called us to minister to those who are suffering and hurting.
The work of our Father is to heal the hurts of this broken world.
Jesus said Ï am the light of the world".
The suffering in this world is a natural consequence of living without Jesus. Wanting to live in darkness, wanting to live without Jesus. Wanting to live without the rules that God has put on us. They are not rules that God has put on us but warnings.
God warns us for our own good.
Jesus is the light of the world, bu man loved darness, because they did evil.
Now Jesus is no longer here in the world, but his disciples are and Jesus said that they are the light of the world. We are reflecting His light to the world. We must also do the works of the Father.
Works of the Faither are to heal the effects of men who live in darkness and open the eyes of men who are blind to the truth so that they may see the light- that they may see Jesus and begin to follow Him. As Christians we are to share the light of Jesus so that others may see and follow Him.
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