The Blame Game

Who sinned? - The Blame Game

John 9:1-3

1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.

2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

   We grow up living in a “cause and effect” world so we often fall into a “cause and effect” Christianity.  We come to think that if someone reads their Bible; goes to church; has a quiet time of Bible Study and prayer then they must be a spiritual person guaranteed that things will go well for them.  So it follows that if someone fails to do these things then they leave themselves open to all kinds of bad things happening.  As a result we look people this way.  If things are going well, they must be doing it right, and if things are not going well, they must have screwed up somewhere.

   Jesus’ answer to His Disciple’s question here teaches us that this “cause and effect” belief doesn’t always apply in real life.  The Disciples looked at this blind man and their thought was that someone must have been sinful to cause him to be born blind.  But Jesus tells them that blindness is not caused by having sinful parents.  Sin didn't have anything to do with it one way or another; there were reasons for the man's blindness that had nothing to do with whether or not his parents were righteous or not. 

   The rain falls on the just and the unjust alike.  Job, a righteous man in anyone's opinion, had his life ripped apart and he was put through the worst testing anyone can face.  By comparison, Lot, Abraham's nephew, appeared to be a compromising man with little moral backbone, and yet in the New Testament we find out his righteous soul was being tormented day and night by the lawlessness around him. Peter, in 2 Peter 2:7, calls him "Righteous Lot."  Lot righteous?!?  Well, if Peter said it was so, I can’t argue with his words.     

   All this means that the issue is not our lives fitting into some preconceived idea of “cause and effect” righteousness, but whether our faith will hold fast regardless of the circumstances.  When we lose a loved one or have a child born who is physically or mentally challenged, what happens to our faith?  Often we find ourselves playing the blame game and trying to figure out whose fault it is, much like Job’s friends, (using the term “friends” loosely.)  It’s hard to just accept that things happen in life and no one often is to blame for it.  Rather than trying to fix the blame, we need to pray and rely on our faith in God and His love and mercy to carry us through the difficult times in our lives. 

   "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"  Neither.  Sin was introduced into this world and bad things happen because we’re living in imperfect bodies in an imperfect world.  If you really need to think in terms of “cause and effect,” blame the curse pronounced in Genesis 3:17. 

   "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."  God may be allowing something in your life to build up your faith.  Ask yourself what work God is seeking to display in your life. 

   Just stop trying to find someone to blame.  Rather seek God’s face and let Him minister to you and He will heal your heart.

Stephen Cram                         June 19, 2011           Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8