A burden worth bearing

One day as Jesus and His followers were leaving the temple they came across a blind man sitting outside the courtyard gates begging. We learn from John’s Gospel narrative the man had been born without sight. The disciples of Jesus use this opportunity to ask their Master a theological question; “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2).

While it is easy to miss with just a cursory reading, this is something of a loaded question. Or better stated, there is a faulty assumption within this question. The disciples assumed that someone, either the man himself or his parents, must have done something terribly sinful that caused God to condemn this man to a life of blindness. The idea that infirmities, or deformities, were the direct result of sinful actions was a commonly-held, long-time belief among the Jewish people. They had a direct cause-and-effect mentality. In their minds, this man or his parents must have done something to offend God that brought about this blindness as punishment.

Sadly, this ancient idea still permeates the minds of religious people today. And many of us are way too quick to point a judgmental finger at others and say the reason something horrible happened to them is because they did something to offend God. When in fact, we don’t know that to be the case. While it is true, God does indeed punish sin and chasten His children, not every sickness or tragedy that comes into someone’s life is a direct result of sinful choices on their behalf. If you doubt that, I simply point you to the Old Testament account of the life of Job. This godly man endured tremendous hardship and none of it had anything to do with willful disobedience to Yahweh God. Rather, he faced adversity because of his faithfulness, not because of wicked recklessness.

But it seems these followers of Christ, had not rightly considered the life of Job, and were convinced someone in this family did something sinful that led to this man’s blindness. So, they ask their Rabbi, who did wrong? Who is guilty?

Jesus replies by telling them, neither this man’s (nor his parent’s) sin was what led to his sightless condition. To quote the words of Christ from John 9:3; Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” The disciple’s faulty assumption was wrong as was their self-righteous reasoning. According to Jesus, this man’s infirmity was not the result of sin in their lives at all. Instead, the Lord informs His followers the reason why this man was born blind, was so that God could manifest His greatness through him. 

That dear readers, is an extremely rich thought that I want to try and develop a little further.

Jesus states the reason this man was born without the use of his eyes, was just so … one day, Jesus would be walking by, take notice of this beggar, and heal his blinded eyes. Consider that further with me: the reason, Jesus declares, this man was born without the use of his eyes had nothing to do with family sin, but because God intended, on that very day, to miraculously heal this man, just to put the Divine power of His Son on display.

Or said another way, God ordained this man would be born with this specific affliction, just so Jesus could supernaturally give him his sight and demonstrate God’s greatness. You can wrestle with the theological ramifications all you want with this declaration, and there are many. But this much is clear – it was God’s good purpose to afflict this man, in order to later heal him, so that God’s name would be praised and the mercy of Jesus magnified.

To some of us, perhaps many of us … this hardly seems fair. Or it seems inconsistent with what we think about God. But friend, simply let the text say what it says. And when you do, you will have to concede that God had purposed to use this man’s blindness as the backdrop to exhibit His sovereign might. Before time began, God predestined (pre-determined) to use this man’s illness to magnify Himself and His Son. Yes, a blind person’s life was especially hard in that ancient world. Yet, I am thoroughly convinced that if you could ask this man – was his difficulty worth the glory that has been ascribed to God through his healing? He would absolutely affirm – it was a burden worth bearing.

Christian, this may be a hard truth to hear, but it is a truth nonetheless; if God allows something into your life that is painful or tragic, but He does this to work the works of God through you, then I submit to you; it is a burden worth bearing. I know life on this sin-cursed world can sometimes be crushing. But if you, like this blind man, are facing some significant challenge, not because it is God’s chastisement, but because it is God’s appointed purpose to use this and use you, to bring Him glory; then consider it a burden worth bearing.

In the ageless eons to come, every disciple of Jesus will confess: every trial and tribulation that God used to make us more like Christ, and to bring Him glory, was a burden worth bearing. Even though those burdens are sometimes very heavy, this truth remains! Whether we are born blind like the man in this narrative, lose our sight, lose our loved ones, face sickness and sorrow, disease or death … whatever the difficulty, if God manifests His greatness in us and through us; then Christian friend – it is a burden worth bearing.

This statement of faith gives the born-again believer confidence that God, and not karma and coincidence, is ruling the affairs of our lives. And that is far more comforting that the faulty assumptions of fallen men. One day, every saint will humbly say, the sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared with the glory that awaits us (Romans 8:18).