“Why Does God Allow Suffering?”
John 9:1-39
Our text brings us face to face with one of the questions that we all have asked at one time or another, either concerning ourselves or someone else; “Why does God permit such suffering to occur.” Country singer Joey Feek died this week. And although I don’t know much about her, she and her husband seemed to be a fine Christian couple. “Why her? Why now at just 40 years of age.” A trip to any of the child-ren’s hospitals leaves you with an ache in your heart, “Why do children so young and innocent have to battle with cancer?” The Disciples found themselves facing such a situation when they encounter the blind man.
On the morning recorded in John chapter nine a blind man arose unaware that his world was about to change because he was about to meet Jesus. In John chapter eight Jesus said that he was the “light of the world” and in John chapter nine Jesus proves it. As Jesus and His disciples leave the city of Jerusalem after the Feast of the Tabernacles – they came across a man blind from birth. “Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind. And His disciples asked Him saying, Who sinned this man or his parents that, he was born blind.” (vv. 1-2)
Notice four things from our text!
First, The Crucial Question. (9:2-3)
The Disciples turned to Jesus and in verse two asked the “why” question that we all are tempted to ask from time to time. “Why has this happened?” In this case, “What is the reason for this man’s blindness?” They ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (v. 2)
• What The Disciples Thought.
They argue the point as if there is no doubt about it! There was a common teaching of the rabbi’s which said, “There is no death without sin and no there is no suffering without inequity.” The question as far as the Disciples was concerned was not if sin caused about the blindness but who’s sin had caused it. The Disciples displaying the beliefs of that day were sure that one of two reasons accounted for this man’s blindness, either this man had sinned or his parent had. It would seem to us that the fact that this man’s blindness began at birth would have excluded from consideration that it was this man’s sin that had caused his blindness.
If it was this man’s sin that caused his blindness, what sin could he have committed before his birth that was so dreadful that its punishment was life-long blind-ness? William Barclay says, that one of the strange ideas that existed at the time was that some Jews believed in the “pre-existence of the soul” which is the belief that all souls have already existed in the Garden of Eden before the creation of the world. This implied that somehow this man could have sinned in a former state before he came into this world and thus as punish-ment came into this world blind. [William Barclay. And He Had Compassion: The Miracles of Jesus. (Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1975) p. 178]
“There are those today who suggest that this proves the idea of reincarnation; that this man must have sinned in a previous life. But the idea of reincarn-ation is never anywhere present in the Scriptures. It is precluded by the doctrine of resurrection of the body. Thus the doctrine of resurrection and the idea of rein-carnation cannot be held at the same time.” [Ray Stedman. “Believing is Seeing.” Sermon John 9:1-39 www.pbc.org/library/files/ html/3857.html
But if it were not this man’s sin then to their way of thinking the only possibility left was that it was the parents who had sinned. The question of whether the sins of this man’s parents had caused his blindness reflected a misunderstanding of Exodus 34:7, which says that the sins of the father will extended to the 3rd and 4th generations. That is that sin so deeply corrupts our relationships that several generations of a family will be affected by serious sin.
• What Jesus Revealed. (v. 3)
“Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”
Jesus answers their question in verse three by stating the better question is not “why” has this hap-pened but “What does God what to accomplish through it?” He further states that neither this man nor his parent’s sin had caused the blindness but rather that the glory of God could be revealed through him. This does not imply that neither this man nor his parents are sinless but rather that their sin is not the cause of his blindness.
Jesus did not say that sickness and disease are never the consequences of sin (John 5:14). But it is a great mistake to think that at all of mankind’s sickness and illnesses are due to sin.
Jesus is not saying that this man was made to go through his entire life to this point blind in order that God heal him so that “the works of God” could be made manifest. Rather he was saying that this man’s blind-ness was something that God used, through which his “works” are manifest. “Tragedies (such as illnesses and accidents) give God the opportunity to reveal Himself in unique ways. It was a tragedy that robbed Joni Erickson Tada of her ability to move. But through Joni, the Lord has encouraged thousands and he continues to display his glory.
We cannot choose how God will glorify Himself in us. But we can seek to glorify him whatever our situa-tion.” [Larry Richards. Every Miracle of the Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1998) p. 223]
Beyond the Crucial question there was …
Secondly, The Cure Offered. (9:6-7)
In verse six Jesus now turns his attention to the blind man, “When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. (7) And He said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”
In the view of our modern world the action of covering someone eyes with spittle and mud would be more likely to make a seeing man blind than to make a blind man see. But the primary purpose of the placement of the spittle and clay on the man’s eyes was to evoke hope and expectation in him.
Another reason for the application of the moist clay may been to convince those that saw the miracle that the source of the healing was not so much in what was used (clay and spittle) but in the Jesus who was the Healer.
In verse seven Jesus commands this man to “go and wash” yet we should note that in spite of the fact that this man had never requested a cure, he did as Jesus told him to do. Why did Jesus heal in this unusual manner, by making mud and applying it to the man’s eyes and telling him to go wash in the pool of Siloam? Why didn’t He just speak the word, as he did to rise Lazarus from the dead? To his credit the blind man did not have much to go on, but then he did not have much to lose in carrying out Jesus’ command. “So he went and washed, and came back seeing.”
Not only the Cure offered but…
Third, The Confused Crowd. (9:8-12)
In verse eight the blind man’s neighbors are amazed at his healing, “Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, "Is not this he who sat and begged?" (9) Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." He said, "I am he." (10) Therefore they said to him, "How were your eyes opened?" (11) He answered and said, "A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, "Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' So I went and washed, and I received sight." (12) Then they said to him, "Where is He?" He said, "I do not know."
The locals who were used to seeing this man sit and beg for a living were astonished that he obviously could now see and they asked him how this had hap-pened. He told them about the “man called Jesus” and how he had cured him.
According to Jewish law when someone was cured of a disease they were to have the cure certified by the local religious authorities. The neighbors now take the man to the Pharisees that they might examine him. This immediately posed the Pharisees with a prob-lem, how could they certify this man as being cured and continue to reject the one who had cured him.
Fourth, The Councils Inquiry. (9:13-29)
• The First Inquiry. (vv. 13-17)
Ultimately the blind man in brought to the relig-ious leaders in verse thirteen, “They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. (14) Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. (15) Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." (16) Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" And there was a division among them. (17) They said to the blind man again, "What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."
The miracle caused a debate among the religious leadership. Some argued that a person who would work on the Sabbath could not possibly be from God. To the Pharisees the legalistic keeping of the Sabbath was more important to them than the stunning miracle that had just happened.
• The Interview with the Parents. (vv. 18-23)
Others objected and said, “How can one who is able to do these things not be from God.” But they refused to believe that this man was really blind until they had questioned this man’s parents. So we read in verse eighteen, “But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. (19) And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" (20) His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; (21) but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself." (22) His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confess-ed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the syna-gogue. (23) Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask him."
Although the parents confirmed that this man was their son, and that he had been born blind they denied knowing how his healing had come about. Fear caused the parents to seek too remove themselves from the spotlight and thus the wrath of the Pharisees by telling them that their son was old enough to answer for himself.
• The Second Inquiry of the Blind Man. (vv. 24-27)
So now the Pharisee again cross examine the blind man beginning in verse twenty-four, “So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, "Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner." (25) He answered and said, "Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see." (26) Then they said to him again, "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?" (27) He answered them, "I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?"
Under the glare of their hostile probing this man asks them, perhaps with more than a bit of irony, “I told you once, why are you asking me again? Do also you want to become His disciples?’” (v. 27).
The Rejection of the Jews. (vv. 28-29, 34)
Notice the contrast between what the Pharisees claimed to “know” about Jesus and what the blind man “knows” about Jesus.
The man continues his response to the Pharisees in verses twenty-eight through thirty. “Then they reviled him and said, "You are His disciple, but we are Moses' disciples. (29) We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from."… (34) They answered and said to him, "You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?" And they cast him out.”
Their “we” is emphatic emphasizing that what-ever the case may be with ignorant people like blind beggars, these religious “experts” have knowledge and they begin to lay it out in a concise manner.
In response to the blind man’s suggestion that they too wanted to be the disciples of Jesus they angrily replied that they followed the Law of Moses. They say that they know that God spoke through Moses. (v. 29). But they have no idea where “this fellow” (Jesus) came from. They could not stand to even say the name of Jesus because the name Jesus is the Hebrew (Ye-shu-a) Joshua and means “Jehovah saves.” How could they say that “Jehovah saves” is not from God.
The end result according to verse thirty-four is that when they could not win the argument they “cast him out.”
The Testimony of the Blind Man. (vv. 30-33)
“The man answered and said to them, "Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes!” (31) Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. (32) Since the world began it has been unheard of that any-one opened the eyes of one who was born blind. (33) If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing."
The former blind man was moved more by amazement that these powerful religious leaders did not know where Jesus was from than he was by fear of what they could do to him. He marveled at the way the Pharisees seemed to ignore the evidence before their very eyes. In the case of the Pharisees their very devotion to God, misplaced as it was, became their greatest obstacle to seeing who God really was.
Now notice what this man claims to know on the basis of this miracle. Earlier in verse twenty-four in response to the Pharisees suggestion that Jesus is a sinner, he says he does not know. But then in verse twenty-five the blind man said this is what I do “know”- “I use to blind and now I see.” (v. 25) This is a great example of how to be a witness as a believer. Many people are afraid to say anything about the Lord for fear that will be dragged into a theological argument that will be over their heads. But being a witness is just doing what his blind man did - telling what God did for you. You are the world’s greatest authority on what happened to you! A great Christian once was once asked the ques-tion, “How do you know you have been saved?” He answered, “I was there when it happened.”
Then he quotes the Pharisees own teaching back to them and says, “I know” that God does not hear sinners. (v. 31) But “I know” that God does hear those who worship Him and do His will. (v. 31)
He also says “I know” and this “know” is (implied) if this man were not from God he could do nothing (v. 33) The blind man did not even know who Jesus was but he stood for the truth. He may have been blind; but even he could see what was going on here – his gratitude was too great for denial. As it was Jesus who gave him his sight no one is going to make him take sides against Jesus.
When it says they “cast him out” it means that they excommunicated him from worship in the temple. But nothing they could take away from him could begin to compare with what he had been given by Christ!
The Response of Jesus. (vv. 35-38)
Verse thirty-five tells us that, “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, "Do you believe in the Son of God?" (36) He answered and said, "Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?" (37) And Jesus said to him, "You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you." (38) Then he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.”
When Jesus heard that blind man had been thrown out by the Pharisees, he found him and revealed to him who He was. The man now expressed faith that Jesus is the Son of God. The blind man had progressively grown in real-izing who Jesus was in verse eleven all he knew was that the he was “a man called Jesus” but by verse seventeen he called him “a prophet” and finally in verse thirty-eight he called him “Lord” and worshiped him.We do not know what form this mans worship took, John does not tell us. It really does not matter. What matters is that the formerly blind man worshipped and from this we know this man has entered into personal relationship with Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
Those words are haunting to me. I think of how many people I have seen walk the aisles of this church through the years and join the church but never give any evidence of worshiping the Lord or of belonging to Him. Some of those who joined the church never darken the door of the church today. They never give a dollar. They show no interest. Have they been saved? Or did they just join they church?
Conclusion
I am sure that when the blind man got up that morning he had no idea that this day would be any different than the rest. I am sure that he planned to live out that day pretty much like every other day before it; in the blackness of darkness. He did not realize that day that there was a man named Jesus was going to shatter his darkness forever. Maybe the question for you today is, do you prefer the darkness or will you come to the light? If you are already His, won’t you live so that the world will know that you have been with Jesus?
The most radical change that can come upon anyone is the change created by the new birth. When a person comes to Christ the Bible says all things become
new (2 Cor 5:17). They pass from death to life, from darkness to light, from hell to heaven. That experience is called salvation. It happens to different people in different ways. The Apostle Paul was struck to the ground by a blinding light (Acts 9). Lydia was convert-ed in a quiet riverside prayer meeting (Act 16). It can happen in a thousand different ways the important thing is that you know that it has happened.
“Why Does God Allow Suffering?”
John 9:1-34
First, The Crucial Question. (9:2-3)
• What The Disciples Thought.
• What Jesus Revealed. (v. 3)
Secondly, The Cure Offered. (9:6-7)
Third, The Confused Crowd. (9:8-12)
Fourth, The Councils Inquiry. (9:13-29)
• The First Inquiry. (vv. 13-17)
• The Interview with the Parents. (vv. 18-23)
• The Second Inquiry of the Blind Man. (vv.24-38)
The Rejection of the Jews. (vv. 28-29, 34)
What the Pharisee’s Claimed to Know! (About Jesus)
We know this man (Jesus) is a sinner. (v. 24)
We know that God spoke through Moses. (v. 29)
We know do not know where this man came from. (v. 29)
The Testimony of the Blind man. (vv. 30-33)
I know that I use to be blind and now I see. (v. 25)
I know that God does hear those who worship Him and do His will. (v. 31)
I know (implied) if this man (Jesus) were not from God He could do nothing (v. 33)
The Response of Jesus. (vv. 35-38)
“Why Does God Allow Suffering?”
John 9:1-34
First, The ________________ Question. (9:2-3)
• What The Disciples Thought.
• What Jesus Revealed. (v. 3)
Secondly, The ___________ Offered. (9:6-7)
Third, The _______________ Crowd. (9:8-12)
Fourth, The ______________ Inquiry. (9:13-29)
• The First Inquiry. (vv. 13-17)
• The Interview with the Parents. (vv. 18-23)
• The Second Inquiry of the Blind Man. (vv.24-38)
The Rejection of the Pharisees. (vv. 28-29, 34)
What the Pharisee’s Claimed to Know! (About Jesus)
We know this man (Jesus) is a __________. (v. 24)
We know that God spoke through _________. (v. 29)
We know do not know where this man _____ from. (v. 29)
The Testimony of the Blind man. (vv. 30-33)
I know that I use to be _________ and now I see. (v. 25)
I know that God does hear those who ___________ Him and do His will. (v. 31)
I know (implied) if this man (Jesus) were not from _____ He could do nothing (v. 33)
The Response of Jesus. (vv. 35-38)
