Jesus confronted the disciples’ distorted belief system: “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).
This poor blind beggar had suffered greatly throughout his life. We don’t know if he heard the disciples’ question to Jesus or not, but here’s what we do know: Jesus immediately defended him. Had this man sinned? Of course he had. And so had his parents. But Jesus clarified this wasn’t the cause of his suffering. Not only did Jesus challenge their simplistic view of suffering and ultimately point them to the greater purpose of his glory; he also fiercely defended a helpless man. Jesus was like a father stepping in front of a child: To get to him, you’ll first have to go through me.
What a Savior we have—forgiver of the sinner, helper of the helpless, defender of the defenseless. Yes, he came to expose the darkness of hearts, but he also came to shine the light of his hope and glory into the dark places of our pain (v. 5). It’s tempting to assume God looks at our pain and wonders, Why are you struggling? Don’t you see that I’m doing something through it?
But Jesus’ heart is empathetic, not critical. His life on earth shows us how much he still empathizes and grieves with us over the brokenness of the world. And everything he does brings him the greatest glory and us the greatest good (Rom. 8:28).
If we question that truth, we’ll constantly question his heart for us when we can’t understand his ways. But Psalm 56 assures us, “This I know, that God is for me” (v. 9, ESV). Our faith will be bolstered when it’s founded on the knowledge that God is undeniably, without a doubt, for us. //
Friend, your suffering isn’t God’s punishment, and it’s never pointless. Jesus is always at work in ways we can’t see in the moment. And it’s always for the purpose of showing the goodness and glory of God to us, in us, and through us.
Still, we think, If I just knew why, then I could endure. But what we ultimately need more than anything else is not the light that shines on the answers we want but the light of Jesus himself.
Jesus could have explained the man’s blindness, but he didn’t. That wasn’t what the man really needed. Yes, it would have been God’s undeserved grace to spare him from a gene mutation, disease, or whatever caused his blindness. His life would have been easier. Had that been the case, though, would he have come face to face with Jesus? Maybe not. He would have been content with his physical sight, despite walking in spiritual darkness. But in the hands of a powerful God, it was also an undeserved grace for the blind beggar’s life to become a remarkable story of redemption that led him (and those around him) to spiritual sight.
You may not see it now, but answers to your pain won’t bring ultimate comfort. Only nearness to Jesus will. Jesus wants what is best for you and has the power to bring it about.
