“His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ Jesus answered. ‘This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.'”
John 9:2-3
In The Fallenness
It doesn’t take much to see that the world around us just isn’t right. Even kids notice the brokenness in our midst and aren’t afraid to ask the hard questions about it. And as we grow older, we continue to strengthen and sharpen our own sense of injustice; we wonder why things aren’t the way we would have them to be, either. Yet as we take our questions to the Lord, God’s might in our meekness shines brightly.
Christ offers us some input as we take our petitions and questions to His royal throne. He reminds us in this passage that the output of our faith should bring healing to the world around us.
His Power Shines Brightly
The disciples didn’t understand why the man had been born blind. They’d heard it taught that either the parents had sinned or that the man himself had sinned. They thought that maybe he had even sinned from inside his mother’s womb! This idea added an element of shame to the already complex needs of him and his family. It led to further ostracism between them and the religious elite of the day, too.
But Christ is faithful to shift the disciples’ focus away from the question of its origin and instead reveals God’s might in our meekness: that He displays His mighty works in and through us, right in the midst of the brokenness we see. The weak are made strong, and His power shines brightly despite all that we perceive to be not right about our world.
The Time is Now
He also took the disciples away from theorizing about sin and reminded them that they still had work to do for His Father’s kingdom. While it is still daytime, He reminded His friends, we must do the works He has called us to do. And it was then that He brought about healing to the man born blind.
And for us, as we see situations and circumstances that aren’t as we would have them to be, we can bring healing and hope to others, too. We are called to serve and to bring light and sight to those without it, sharing the good news of the gospel and bridging the gap between the wrongs around us and the righteousness of the Father. We can be a part of His kingdom work; this is God’s might in our meekness.
Now What?
Think about the areas in your life where you’re more like to theorize rather than get to work for the kingdom. Do you see brokenness around you where you can lend a helping, healing hand? Ask the Lord to reveal the good works He has prepared for you. Then, get ready to shine His light to the world around you!
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