“Ok, who sinned? This man or his parents?” was a question posed to Jesus when the disciples met a man who had been born blind. Surely, someone must have sinned. But not so, Jesus said; this happened “so that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). In God’s Kingdom, what is need not continue to be! Something good was about to happen!
I am interested to note the dramatic change that comes to a man’s life when he encounters Jesus Christ. When Jesus is taken seriously, life — and death — take on a new perspective. There is much about the Christian faith that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense — until one takes Jesus and His message into account. As Matthew stated in his Gospel, “The people living in darkness have seen a great light.” Acknowledging Jesus Christ as Lord changes everything.
The story of the “man born blind” is a classic case in point. “Ok, Jesus, who sinned?” asked the disciples. Somebody, or so the thinking went, must have done something wrong for him to have been born blind. “Not at all,” Jesus said. “Many people are born blind; that’s life.” There was no reason to blame the man or his family; life has a way of throwing each of us some very wicked curves. But our God is a God of second chances, a God of renewal and hope. “This is not the end of the story,” Jesus went on. “This man is about to be a display of God’s goodness; this man is going to see!”
The man’s healing, however, did not come about without his cooperation. The man had been blind from birth; he had spent a life-time letting others take care of him. It was now time for him to do something for himself. Accordingly, Jesus made a mud plaster, covered the man’s eyes, and instructed him to go to the Pool of Siloam and wash. Then, and only then, would he see.
Trust and obedience were essential to the blind man, and likewise for us. If we want God to change our circumstances, we must follow him without question. He is prepared to help you and me become the best that we can be. Sometimes, however, it takes the tough experiences of life to mold us into the person we were meant to be. The transition from darkness to light is seldom easy; character is often developed only under stress. Believe me, I have been there; I know what I am writing about!
When I resigned from active ministry in 1978, little did I know that my life would be on a down-hill slide for the next thirty-six years. As in the case of the blind man, no one had sinned. But a series of unfortunate decisions set me on a course in life that was, for me, a living nightmare!
Blinded? Indeed! The low point was reached during a ten-year period in which I lived in total-blackout. I had no clue where life was about to take me. But God had a plan for my life and although I did not realize it at the time, this was as much a part of the divine plan as were my years in active ministry. God, it seems, was far less interested in what I could do than he was in what I could become. Heaven was committed to my growth.
In the words of Mark Batterson,
“At some point, we must recognize that the circumstances we ask God to change are often the very circumstances God is using to change us. We don’t always get an answer to our why questions on this side of eternity, but sometimes God leaves clues” (The Grave Robber, p. 214).
But my “wilderness years” were not wasted. I came through a new man. Like the blind man, I can’t quite tell what or how it happened. I just know that, “Whereas I was blind, now I see.” I came through with a new message, and a new, re-vitalized relationship with God.
Following the healing of the blind man, Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” What Jesus did for the blind man, what He did for me, he can do for you as well. Give him a chance!
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