As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.
Today our spotlighted disabled person is a blind gentleman that Jesus came upon. The disciples voiced a question that still gets asked today: “whose sin caused this man’s blindness…his sin or his parents? Jesus immediately answered by explaining that it was not from sin, but the blindness happened so God’s power can be displayed. This chapter continues on with this debate among others thought of as authorities back in the day. We are just going to look at these 3 verses this time. I am certain we will return to the rest of nine at some later point.
My first question is, have you experienced this type of situation before? Maybe someone has asked to pray to eliminate your sin so therefore you will not be disabled anymore? This is often a painful topic for many disabled believers. Let’s first start by remembering that we are a treasured child of God. Our faith in this God centers on the belief that the broken body of Christ won the victory against sin and allows us to live in heaven! So never doubt who you are or how much God loves you. I firmly believe that our visible or invisible disabilities allows others to look at their own vulnerabilities and see God’s light shining through. Remember a broken glass shattered into bits is far more beautiful when the light hits it then one sitting strong and untouched on the table. Embrace your brokenness and refrain from letting others use it against you.
Now, as a pastor I must still address the topic of healing and sin. There is no doubt in my mind that there are some physical or mental impairments that may be the direct result of sin in someone’s life or in some generation of that family. Just like any other sin and its affects, we need to take a personal self reflection journey. I am confident that if God wants a physical issue prayed over to release someone from a sin bodnage…that person will know this needs to happen and will direct it . We need to stop assuming as prayer warriors that every disability is a direct result from sin.
I know this is a topic that is very painful to many of us. Please find someone to pray with if it brings you pain or makes you start doubting your abilities. Ken and I are also available to pray with so feel free to contact us.
It is my prayer that each of us realize that God wants to display His awesome power through each of us including those with disabilities. Take a moment to notice where you see God’s light shining bright! Make sure your light is also shining bright to reach out to others experiencing pain and rejection!