Miserably Saved?
“As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
The source of great conflict in our Christian walk often centers itself in Disappointments, Unrealized Expectations, Unanswered Prayer. These BIG three are difficult for us to reconcile with our Christian walk. They lead us to create a list of grievances we would like to present to God. We really want to know why. Why the disappointments when we are doing the right things? Why the unrealized expectations when we are being completely obedient to God? Why the unanswered prayer when we reach out to God in the integrity of our heart?
Job went through some incredible suffering: the death of his children, the loss of his wealth, his health, and his wife left him. He wanted an audience with God, he had some questions for God. In the end of the story, Job got his audience with God.
Turns out God had a few questions for Job.
Disappointment, unrealized expectations, and prayers that seem unanswered can create a fog over our Christianity. If I had been praying since I was 18 for a life mate and now entering my mid 30’s, 40’s, 50’s with no hope of a life mate in site. For the married couple who want a child and ask God for help but are unable medically to have a child. For someone who has a lifelong medical condition they have prayed daily for God to heal them and now face another day with no miracle. For the parents who have prayed a thousand prayers for their children who have strayed from God. Asking God to save them but each year they grow older, and their children remain separated from God.
All of this can create a fog limiting our ability to see beyond our circumstances. It can be difficult to rejoice with others when you are in the fog. In the fog, the questions we whisper to God are:
1. Do you have favorites?
2. Do you love some more than others?
The fog overshadows our joy, follows us wherever we go, it makes it difficult to celebrate with others who are enjoying what we do not have.
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind?
BORN BLIND…John chapter 9 opens with Jesus passing by a man who has been blind his entire life. It would be natural to assume that this man’s parents had prayed for a miracle healing and as he grew up he would have likely prayed for a healing many times himself. Now a grown man he has learned to live with the disability, with disappointment, with unanswered prayer. His disability may have helped shape his world view. Maybe he believed God was good but not to everyone. The fog of disappointment, unanswered prayer, unrealized expectations covered his life’s purpose like a thick blanket.
The disciples walking with Jesus’ began parroting the world view of their time.
Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
This would have been the response of anyone who had fully embraced the cultural worldview of the times.
It is sad how quickly when faced with adversity, we become pagan.
There is no rain the gods must be angry with us
If things are going well, we have pleased the gods
If I say the right things I can get blessings.
The disciples are so connected to the pagan world view they believe this man is cursed because he sinned, or his parents sinned. Think about their logic behind their questions: We sinned, and we are not blind, but he or his family sinned and therefore he is blind.
PAGAN LOGIC PROGRESSION
The blind man angered God while in his mothers womb
The blind mans parents angered God and so God punished their child
Blind people are blind because they sinned
Jesus patiently speaks truth to the lie of paganism. Jesus refocuses the disciples on the goodness of God…
“It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.”
God is Good!
He was not punishing this man or withholding any good thing from Him. God so loved Him, that HE wanted to be SEEN in him. Whatever place you find yourself in life, know this…
GOD WANTS TO BE SEEN IN YOU!
God wants to display His Glory, His Power, His Love through you. If we allow what we don’t have in our lives to define us we close the windows of our life and the world cannot see God’s Glory in us. You were uniquely created by God to show forth His glory to a dark world. Do not let the enemies lies keep you from showing the Glory of God in your life.