John 9:1-7
Have you ever wondered why bad things happen to good people? Maybe you look at the landscape of America today and see evil that abounds and wonder why the kind lady who works in the cubicle next to you has had to go through cancer or the loss of a child at an early age. I don’t have a specific reason why bad things happen to people, but one possibility is found in today’s reading.
The man who was born blind served as the illustration for the disciples that sometimes the reason has nothing to do with the one with the hardship. In his case this blind man received healing and when asked who had sinned the man or his parent to cause him to be blind, Jesus blew all of their theories out of the water. Their theory was if bad things happen it was because there was sin in someone’s life. That same theory was used by Job’s friends as they accused him of harboring sin in his life causing the great tragedy he was experiencing. God made Job’s friends apologize and corrected their theory by telling them Job had not sinned. In our story today Jesus plainly says the man’s blindness was not his sin or his parents. It happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Let’s make this a little more personal. Could it be that you or that precious one you work with have had to go through so much to be an example to other of the faithfulness of God. Could it be by your trust in God through your own tragedy that someone else will come to Christ?
I spoke at a retreat last week where I was introduced to a sweet lady named Robin. Robin was invited to the retreat by her new friend Theresa. Their lives collided when Theresa’s daughter was cruel murdered and Robin was babysitting the deceased daughter’s child. Both Robin and Theresa were deeply grieving, but Theresa had hope in Jesus. Robin did not. Theresa was able to share the gospel with Robin and many other as they saw her hope even in tragedy. Robin came to faith in Christ and was at the retreat to grow in her faith. God had used the tragedy of death to bring eternal life. I don’t know what earth shaking experience you might have had to go through, but I do know that God can use it to bring others to the Kingdom of God and He will be with you through it.