Your sins are the reason you’re blind!
How many times have we seen someone with a disability, or maybe even someone with a certain struggle and ask “what did you do to deserve this?” The person proceeds to say “nothing” and then we ask “well what did your parents do?”
I have friends and family that have gone through this over the years and it infuriates me. The looks that they get from us that say “poor you” or “hhmm, what did you do?” I have seen it, heard it, and experienced it personally, and let me tell you, God does not make mistakes.
Now, before I go into this, let’s put it out there…..there are many times in the bible that God explains to someone that their current decisions will effect their family for generations to come. We are all very aware that the decisions we make today, can effect our children, and in some cases, our grandchildren. They benefit from our good decisions and reap from the bad. I myself have had to work through some issues that were generational, some learned and some passed down spiritually. I am grateful that God brought them to my attention and also showed me his grace and power that certain chains and curses were broken off of my life. They required my full attention and submission to the obedience of Christ.
The debate is not whether it is possible, my concern is how we treat one another and others that we consider in our own minds to be different. I speak to youth on a regular basis and one of the things that I tell them is that their uniqueness is not a weakness, it’s our trademark. Every single one of us was made to be different and we miss out on our greatest days when compare ourselves to others. We also miss out on meeting some of the greatest most talented people in our lives because of our prejudices against those with disabilities.
An example you ask? I am glad you did! Let’s look at John 9. Jesus heals a man BORN blind. While walking with him they come upon a blind man and his disciples ask “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”(vs2) Jesus says in (vs3) “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. Jesus does things a differently and spits in the dirt, rubs in on this mans eyes and tells him to go wash them. When the mad does so, he opens his eyes and can see. People, once they notice this, asked him over and over what happened, if he was indeed the young man that was born blind. Never mind the miracle! They were more concerned with how this could be, I mean, after all his parents had to be sinners right? In vs 16 it states, But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided. The pharisees take it further and call in his parents to ask if their son was really born that way and they confirm that indeed he was.
WHOA! The focus is on everything else EXCEPT the miracle that was just performed on a man that was born this way. NO ONE SINNED FOLKS!!! Why are we hunting for a sinner? Someone has to be, so they focus in on Jesus. Yes they question our Savior….
The ultimate answer comes from the man healed:
30The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes.
31 We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.
32 Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind.
33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.”
34 To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.
There is so much happening in this chapter that it blows my mind!
I have a very close family member that is mentally handicapped. To say that he is anything less than a blessing or a result of someone’s sin is an insult. Just like I love and learn from you, the same thing happens in his presence. When I was in my early 20’s, I worked for an organization that served young and older adults that were diagnosed with everything from autism to severe mental disabilities. I learned so many lessons in that season of my life. I saw them work (harder than most may I add), learn, laugh, cry, love, and serve God just as we all desire to.
If we choose to believe the whole bible, then we must believe the scripture that states:
Psalm 139:
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
This is why it is so important that we are careful not to judge others on things we don’t know, because there are times where God does things to display his glory! You are a display of his love and grace, WE are all a display of his love and grace.
Jesus never labeled this young man or his family as sinners, the church did! God is no respector of persons, we care. We care about what we see and form our own opinions based on our judgment of others. The truth is we are all sinners saved by grace, so who gets to determine if what God made is not worthy of the same respect and honor that you feel you deserve?
