Who Sinned?

John 9

“As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?” John 9:1-2

You don’t have to be a believer to ask, “Why?” Why is this happening to me?

Seeing a blind man on the side of the walking path, the disciples wondered the same for this man. Why? Why has this happened to him? These Christ followers knew a little bit about stuff like God and sin. No doubt they had been taught that death and suffering came into the world through sin, since we see a glimpse of what they believe in the assumptions they make regarding the man’s blindness. Certainly he was in this situation out of sin. Their only question was whose sin it was, this man or his parents?

It can happen, and the disciples knew as much. Sometimes our sins really do ruin our lives, and even kill us. Few sins so clearly demonstrate this than sexual sin, as sexually transmitted infections continue to plague our world. The sins of others can also affect us. If this article is read widely enough, certainly some of us have known or lost loved ones at the hands of a drunk driver. If you don’t know, God isn’t big on the getting drunk thing in the first place, let alone getting behind the wheel. Sometimes the answer to the why, really is sin.

The infectious nature of sin goes even beyond these. It brought with itself into the world what many Bible teachers call the curse. Even when our sins don’t have a direct consequence, we still fall under this curse. We get sick, just from the general death, sickness and decay in the world even when it isn’t a direct result of sexual immorality or any other act of disobedience. We get cancer, and I can’t think of too many ways that cancer comes from sin. It’s just part of the curse, and we don’t get it from telling one too many lies. Sometimes the why is simply from the general curse itself.

This blind man however was blind neither from his sin, his parent’s sin or even part of the curse. If you are in a place in
life where you are asking why, this may or may not be of comfort to you. At times our suffering is an opportunity for God to reveal His goodness. He is a God who loves us, sees our needs and chooses to demonstrate His compassion towards us. Looking at the life of Jesus as He interacts with humanity, it’s difficult to miss His care towards us. This man’s condition was just such an opportunity for Christ to display His goodness.

As we walk through life we don’t always know the why. As much as we ask the question, I generally doubt that the answer itself has the ability to satisfy us. What I am convinced of is that Jesus is the only one who has the capacity to either redeem us or display His work in our lives. If we have sinned, the consequences generally stand, but there is forgiveness for sin. If we languish under the curse He is able to intervene, yet has additionally made a way for us to receive life eternal. If your struggle is an opportunity for Him to work in your life, I hope you can find the strength to hold on until He does.