Cause or Solution?

August 3, 2006

By Gary Rogers

It is amazing how some people are so quick to interpret life’s difficulties as evidence of God’s judgment.

Jesus was asked a question by His disciples in John 9:2. “Rabbi,” they asked upon seeing a blind man, “who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (NIV). The disciples were convinced God was pronouncing a judgment of blindness upon this man. They already had their minds set, and wanted an explanation of this perceived judgment from God. Who caused this? Who was to blame? God was obviously angry with someone.

Notice how ridiculous part of this question sounds: “Did this man sin that he was born blind?” In being “born” blind there would not have been any opportunity for him to sin before being born. The ignorance seen in this part of the question reveals how foolish it is to always identify God’s judgment as the source of bad things happening.

Jesus answer was, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3). The man’s being blind was the means by which God could be manifested in his life. His blindness was a means to a wonderful end: God would be magnified through a mighty miracle being wrought in the blind man. In other words, God was going to get glory due to Him by being the answer to this man’s problem.

I would rather see God as the answer to the problem rather than the source of the problem. I don’t believe God is sitting in heaven giggling while He casts lightning bolts of judgment on the insignificant, unsuspecting people of earth. I believe God is watching over us, waiting for us to cry out to Him for help. Then He excitedly comes to our aid from the perspective of a loving Heavenly Father.

It is so good to be one of His children.

Gary Rogers is senior pastor of First Assembly of God in Coweta, Okla.