Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
John 9:3 (ESV)
As Jesus and his disciples are walking, Jesus saw a man who had been blind since birth and he focused his attention on this man. This man who was an outcast of the community, someone who was ignored or pitied at most, becomes the focal point of attention in the life of Jesus. The disciples obviously noticed the attention of Jesus being focused on this man and asked the question that was at the forefront of everyone’s mind. They wanted to know who had sinned (this man or his parents) that he would be resigned to a life of begging and hardship. The disciples wanted to know the causal effect that brought this man into the world blind. The question is not a bad question, but the assumption made in the question are what Jesus brings to light. The assumption is that either this man or his parents had surely sinned and offended the Holy God to receive such a poor state in this life. The answer Jesus gives is somewhat staggering to their ears (and to modern ears). Neither the man nor his parents sinned. It was not a punishment that this man was born blind. The answer is that this man was born blind so that the works of God might be displayed in him. This man was a piece of art designed, conceived, and birthed by the Creator of the universe for a special purpose… to display the works of God!
My heart identifies with the thought process of the disciples in this situation. So often in my life, I can look upon other’s misfortune and only wonder at what they did wrong to bring about this consequence in their life. There is often some truth in this, but there is also a lingering truth that with every situation and every consequence, God is still at work. I should not make these uninformed assumptions about another person’s life. Each person is a work of art formed in the hands of our loving Creator.
More importantly for me, I should view my life in the same way. I find myself in a poor state of being and I am quick to judge myself or others for some form of failure that has brought this upon me. I am quick to blame myself for sin or judge others for the apparent sin they have wrought upon me. I look at all my life circumstances and situations through this lens. While this may be true in some instances, there are many times in my life when God has placed me in a situation simply to display His good works.
That is often difficult to acknowledge. When my body is a wreck with pain, or a depressive state settles upon me, or I lose something of great value, I am always looking to see the causal effect of the hardship and trouble. I don’t often sit and reflect upon this situation being an opportunity for the power and grace of my loving Father to be displayed. This is the contentment that Paul talks about so often in his letters. Paul could be content in any and every situation, because he truly understood that he was a piece of art. A piece of art being displayed before the world to draw attention to the glorious grace of Jesus Christ.
So what does this mean for me in real life? It means that I can stop worrying and fretting over my current situation. I don’t have to be anxious about what lies around the corner. I can simply focus on being a work of art on display for the glory of Christ. That is a beautiful calling and purpose. Whether I am blind and destitute without any resources or if I have a life of plenty and abundance, I am always on display for the world to see the works of God. That is a powerful purpose. A Godly purpose. A beautiful work of art that is not meant to draw attention to itself, but to the Artist Creator. Lord, open my eyes so that I may embrace my calling to continually point people to the One who made me. May I be a simple witness to the wonderful and beautiful Savior who rescued and saved me.