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!
Continue reading “Work of Art”