Reading the Word

John 9:1–12 (ESV)

1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud 7 and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.

8 The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said, “It is he.” Others said, “No, but he is like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” 10 So they said to him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” 11 He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight.” 12 They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”

Understanding and Applying the Word

Once again we read of Jesus performing a miracle. In this instance, he healed a man who had been blind since birth. Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus why the man was blind. Had his parents sinned? Had he sinned? Whose sin was it that caused this blindness? Jesus’ response to his disciples is an important one for us to consider.

In the first century, it was common for the Jewish people to think of life in a cause and effect manner. If a person was good, good things happened. If the person was bad, punishment and bad things happened. So, sickness and disabilities were thought of as a direct result of sin. Jesus corrects this faulty understanding by saying, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Sin was not the reason for the man’s blindness. He was blind so that God’s work could be displayed in him when Jesus healed him. The man’s blindness was not as a result of punishment, but so that God would be glorified through him.

We often interpret the world in much the same way that Jesus’ followers did in this passage. We wonder why bad things happen to us or others. We wonder what we did to deserve some of the bad things that come our way. How often do we stop to consider that the way we handle our troubles and adversities can bring glory to God? Let us find strength and courage in him, knowing that he works all things for his glory. Let us tell of his goodness both in the good things and in the bad, because we know that our troubles are only temporary and one day we will all find healing and restoration in the presence of our Savior.

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