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DEVOTIONAL
BY JUSTIN MC NEILUS
Standard Publishing/www.goodsalt.com
Years ago my grandfather disciples come across a man blind from
built an orphanage in a birth. Jesus performs a miracle: He heals
country that I will leave the one blind from birth, giving him
unnamed. This was a particularly
interesting orphan-
easy to focus on the steadfast blindness
sight for the first time in his life. It is
age because it was only for blind children. of the Pharisees. They were more concerned
about the fact that the miracle
For many in that culture, children
born blind are considered a curse. Some was performed on the Sabbath than that
are treated no better than pets. They walk one suffering person was made whole.
on a leash with their father to his job site. The aspect of the story that troubled
They are tied to a tree while he works all me, though, was encountered in the first
day. They sit in the hot sun. Their tiny few verses. After coming upon the blind
minds cannot comprehend why they are man, most likely begging at a street corner—abused,
neglected, unloved,
rejected, abused, neglected, and unloved,
all because of something over which they rejected both by society and by family—
had no control. At the close of the day Jesus’ disciples asked Jesus the question
they are escorted home, where they are their culture had taught them to ask—
tied up until morning, and then begin “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
the dreadful routine again.
that he was born blind?” (John 9:2).
And those are the lives of children whose In first-century Judaism, as among
parents care about them!
some Christians today, the natural inclination
was to view conditions such as
Others are dropped off on the street
and abandoned, as sometimes happens blindness as the direct result of sin. In
to infants in developed countries who the broadest sense, of course, all human
may not have any physical challenges. suffering is the result of sin, but not as
Simply dumped outside of hospitals or an expression of God’s vengeance or
churches. Or, worse yet, left in dumpsters!
Thanks to this orphanage,
ples had in mind, though. They believed
punishment. That’s not what the disci-
though, some of these blind children in it was possible to tie specific bodily conditions
to specific mistakes.
that country now have a home in which
they are treated kindly and get the
As troubling as the implications of
opportunity to learn about Jesus.
the disciples’ question were, it was
The dilemma of those born blind,
Jesus’ answer that initially disturbed
whether in the first century or the twentyfirst,
helps us better understand the fasci-
sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened
me. “ ‘Neither this man nor his parents
Redeeming the
nating story about Jesus and the man blind
from birth we read about in John 9. It is not
an easy story, however, and when I first
encountered it I found it very troubling.
A Hard Answer
The outline of the story is well known
to most Bible students. Jesus and His
so that the works of God might be displayed
in him’ ” (verse 3).
What? Are you kidding me? The first
time I read Jesus’ answer I was frustrated,
irritated, confused. I prayed,
Jesus, this man was born blind so You could
show the world that You are able to make the
blind man see? This man was unloved,
24 (712) | www.AdventistReview.org | August 8, 2013