(REFLECTIONS ON John 9:1-23)

In today’s Scripture, we see Jesus and His disciples encounter a man blind from birth. The disciples asked Jesus, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Although we aren’t told how the disciples knew that this man was born blind, and even though the disciples were correct in their understanding of the man’s situation, they still asked the wrong question.

Yes, we may know many things in life based on our experiences, knowledge, or insightfulness, however, it is only by asking the right question will we get to the truth. Jesus’ response reveals what was wrong with the disciples’ question.

The disciples assumed that the man was born blind because of sin, and they just wanted to confirm if it was the man’s sin or his parent’s sin. The correct question should have been why he was born blind, rather than assuming the blindness was a result of sin in his life.

The reason that the disciples didn’t ask the first question, that is why he was born blind, was because of their cultural belief that suffering is a direct result of personal sin; that good things happen to the righteous and bad things happen to the sinful.

This is called “retribution theory” and was a part of Jewish thought and custom. To the disciples, the first legitimate question was the source of sin, rather than understanding how or why the man was born blind in the first place.

Jesus’ response, corrected the disciples saying,

3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

The man was born blind, not because of his sin or his parent’s sin, but so that the works of God might be displayed in him. However, as we read today’s Scripture, do we assume that the work of God was displayed in this man receiving sight?

If we read from our understanding of the Gospel of John, we know that it isn’t just in his physical healing, but he would receive spiritual sight, know Jesus, and believe in Jesus. Just as Jesus was sent to the world, to give spiritual life and sight to the spiritually blind, so too did He send the man born blind to go, not just to receive sight, but to see the Lord, Jesus, and to believe in Him.

Many of our misconceptions and misunderstandings about our Christian faith stem from asking the wrong questions, just like what the disciples did in today’s Scripture. These wrong questions come from our assumptions, prejudices, and judgment based on our own religious culture, tradition, and upbringing. At times these assumptions blind us from knowing the truth and understanding God’s heart.

Yes, there are times when we are the ones that are blind, even though we have physical sight, and it is in our spiritual blindness that we need to come to the Lord, and ask for spiritual healing and spiritual sight.

Yes, physical healings are exciting to read about and hear about, but today’s Scripture reminds us that it is the blindness of the heart that often times prevents us from seeing, knowing, and believing in Jesus, rather than the physical ailments that we hope the Lord would heal.

Yes, the man born blind was healed and received sight, but that was just the beginning for him to come to know Jesus, and that, brothers and sisters, is the right answer, if we can learn to ask the right questions.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: John 9