John 9:1-5 NASB95
As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth. [2] And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” [3] Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. [4] We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. [5] While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”
It is so revealing that the disciples of Jesus assumed that the man born blind was the result of this man’s sin or some sin his parents had committed. The disciples are such an encouragement to me because they weren’t necessarily the sharpest pins in the pile. If the man was born blind, then was the sin he committed happen while in his mother’s womb? Like me, sometimes, those boys had a tendency to ask really dumb questions, but I’m so grateful Jesus’s response was not, “What a dumb question.” The One whose heart is ravished by a single glance of our eyes never treats us as if we were irrelevant, even when we have dumb questions. They definitely had bad theology, but I don’t think Jesus answered them with impatience and frustration in His heart or voice. They were seeking truth, and Jesus always gently and patiently massages our holy curiosity to learn God’s ways. Jesus’s passion for us is our transformation, never our humiliation. He is not a mocker. He is the lover of our souls. Jesus gently called them not to live in the confusing maze of the “why” question but instead to be consumed with the “who and what” answer. They wanted Jesus to shed some light on “why” this man was born blind. Jesus didn’t even bother to entertain why. Instead, He said, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” He was saying to these tender shoot disciples that only who He was and what He intended to accomplish was the light to be shed on the situation that was in front of them. Jesus intended to heal this man so that the works of God (and therefore the truth about God) was going to be on display. When we spend too much time chasing our tails about all the whys in this fallen world, we will live mangled in the cobwebs of our minds and the faith quicksand of intimidation; but if we keep our eyes on the WHO that intends to do something, and in doing something bring glory to God then childlike faith and wonder will leap forth in hilarious anticipation of what the only One who is the TRUTH about anything and everything is about to do.