Something Good Out of the Bad Stuff

John 9:1-3

 Jesus passed by a man, blind from birth. His disciples asked Him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  The disciples are asking this question because it was taught that a person with a physical ailment from birth had parents or grandparents who had committed sins that caused the ailment.

Imagine, for a moment, the burden in that belief. When our children were born I remember waiting anxiously as they were checked to see if there were any physical problems that required medical attention. What relief we felt when they were declared healthy.  The parents of the blind man wouldn't have known that relief. They would instead have a burden of guilt they carried, wondering what sin they had committed that resulted in the loss of thier baby's sight.

Jesus tells his disciples that, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

The man's blindness wasn't caused by his parents, or himself. I don't believe Jesus is saying  they had never sinned because Romans 3:23 tells us, "... all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." What He is telling His disciples is this - their sin was not the cause of the blindness. And somehow, in that blindness, the work of God was going to be displayed in his life.

If we skip a few pages to John chapter 11 we read the story of Jesus' friend Lazarus, who becomes gravely ill. When Jesus received word of this illness, He responds, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Lazarus did die, and was placed in the tomb, but that wasn't the end. Jesus raised Lazarus up to live again, and many that were there and saw what Jesus did put thier faith in Him. The illness and death of Lazarus had a greater purpose. The work of God was about to be displayed in the blind man's life also.

There are times when trials come to our life as the consequences of our sinful actions. Sometimes, though, hard things happen for no apparent reason. We see from the Scripture we've looked at that these may be opportunities for the work of God to be displayed in our lives, and used to bring others to believe in Him.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28