Who’s Responsible for This?
JOHN 9:1-7
SUBJECT: Source Of Adversity
THEME: Remember there is also a Divine Design Behind our Adversities. God Will Accomplish Good ends when He is in control! Give Him Control.
Relevance: understanding the source of our adversities can certainly help us and lead to peace as well as avoid and appreciate some of the associated difficulties. By identifying the source or broadening our categories, we move closer to securing God’s answers and directions.
INTRODUCTION:
As Jesus and His disciples passed through Jerusalem, they
came upon a man who had been blind from birth. This surfaced a question in the
minds of the disciples that they must have been wrestling with for some time.
John 9:2, And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
1. Their Dilemma Was Based upon a Wrong Assumption They Had Been Taught All Their Lives, Namely, That Illness Is a Sign of God's Judgment. There was no question in their minds that someone had sinned. But who?
2. The Disciples Were Trying from Their Limited Perspective to Answer a Question We Often Find Ourselves Asking. It Is the “Why” Question. Why did this happen? Who is responsible for this? Why did my son run away? Why did my father contract cancer? Why did our house burn? Why did I loose my job? Why was I sued? Subconsciously or consciously, verbally or silently, these questions spring to our minds and lips. Are they good questions to ask? The questions are endless. Each of us has a specific list.
Sometimes there is so much emotion involved we dare not
even allow ourselves to verbalize the frustration we feel because asking for
and finding no clear-cut answer threatens the foundation of all we believe
about God and His goodness. And yet, the questions still linger.
I. Sometimes We Ask …Why!
A. A COMMON NOTION IS TO ASKS THE QUESTION, “WHY?” In many cases, there are very good reasons to ask why in our world today! Why is one of the most potent questions any person can ever ask about anything. It is the question at the root of curiosity and discovery —a question that can lead to wonderful insights, creative applications, theories, inventions, and solutions.
When we ask why in the face of adversity, however, our question is nearly always couched in highly personal terms: “Why did this happen to me?” The focus is less on why and more on me.
1. The More Valid Perspective, of Course, Is Probably to Ask, “Why Not Me?” We live in a fallen world. Sin abounds. The human heart has evil intent. ‘Accidents’ occur. Nobody is perfect. The devil is real, and the Scriptures tell us that he is continually walking about “as a roaring lion, . . . seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
2. The Lord Never Promised to Keep You or Any of
His Children from All Adversity, or to Adjust All Circumstances for Your
Exclusive Benefit and Pleasure. Rather,
the Scriptures tell us that the Lord “....maketh
his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and
on the unjust. (Matt. 5:45).
The circumstances of life are just that—the circumstances of life. Problems, needs, and troubles plague all of humankind. No one is immune to them.
3. We Cannot Assume That the Lord Will Keep Us
Free of All Adversity and Harm, but We Can Count on the Lord's Being with Us in
Times of Adversity, Calamity, Tragedy, Hardship, and Pain.
Most of us are familiar with Psalm 23:4, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with
me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
We hear that psalm during funeral services or recall it in times of severe illness or tragedy, but the psalmist does not say the “valley of death”—rather, it's the “valley of the shadow of death.” The shadow of death refers to situations and circumstances that may cause us harm, loss, defeat, destruction, discouragement, pain, sorrow, suffering and, ultimately, death itself. Shadows are gloomy and threatening, so even the fear of potential adversity can be included in our interpretation of the “valley of the shadow of death.”
4. The Correct Attitude toward Adversity is Faith Not Fear! Note further that
the psalmist's intent is not to instill fear about such a valley but to
proclaim, “I will fear no evil; for thou are
with me.” That's the right approach toward
adversity.
When adversity hits us, as it surely will at some point in life, we are wise to say, “No matter what I may experience, the Lord is with me. He is walking through this with me. He is right here by my side. He knows the situation, and He knows the way through the situation to a brighter and better tomorrow!” Remember the three Hebrew boys! (Based on Dr. C. Stanley)
B. THE BETTER WHY QUESTION TO ASK IS, “WHY THIS?” in Other Words, . . ..
1. Why Did This Happen as Opposed to Other Things That Could Happen? There is an explanation—apart from an accusation of faultfinding—for most things that happen to us.
ILLUSTRATION: A person may lose a house in a mudslide and have to face the fact that he bought a home on the side of a hill in an area prone to mud slides. A person may have a serious illness and learn as a result that she should have made different choices about her health ten or twenty years ago. A couple may face marital difficulties and look back and see where they could have communicated better, given more selflessly, or sought out pastoral counseling much earlier in their relationship. A person may be in an automobile accident and learn a great deal about how to improve his life and driving skills.
2. At Other Times, the Explanation for the Adversity May Be Something That Is Totally Outside a Person's Control or Influence. Even so, an explanation can be beneficial to bringing a sense of completion to a situation.
ILLUSTRATION: A person may experience a loss from a hurricane, flood, or tornado, and the explanation simply may be that he lives in a place where hurricanes, floods, or tornadoes are likely to occur. A person may suffer a financial loss on the stock market, and the explanation is ultimately that stock market investments have risks associated with them, even if he chooses the most reputable and seemingly stable companies in which to invest.
3.
Ask “Why” to Keep Learning and to Avoid Making the Same
Mistakes. Getting to the foundational reason or the logical
explanation for adversity can be beneficial to us because such an explanation
can provide valuable information about what not to do in the future. If there is a spiritual root to the adversity, the Lord
desires that we face our sinfulness, repent of it (which means literally to
change our ways and begin to walk according to God's way), learn from our
experience, or have that particular root of evil or problem pulled out of our
lives by the healing, cleansing, redeeming power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we
can learn from adversity and, in so doing, refuse to put ourselves into a
position to repeat adversity.
4.
We Should Ask, “Why This?” until We Get the Best Possible
Answer. Even as We Do So, We must
Recognize That Some Problems and
Difficulties Have No Answer Now.
a.
They may have an
answer someday, especially as our understanding of God's word increases.
b.
But the cause or cure
for a particular disease may elude us today.
c.
We may never
understand fully the motivation for another person to act the way he/she does.
d.
We may not have the
capacity to comprehend all the factors that have contributed to a problem.
e. We are not omniscient, and we never will be.
5. The
Best Recourse Is This: Trust God for an Answer That Will Bring You to a Place
of Peace in Your Heart and Mind. That is
what you should pursue above all in asking the why questions related to
adversity. Ask the Lord to give you an explanation to the best of your ability
to receive and understand it, and then ask Him to give you the faith to trust
His love and to rely on His all-knowing ability to under gird your life so that
you have peace to cover your lack of understanding. (Based on Dr. C. Stanley)
II. Sometimes...God is Responsible for My Adversity.
A. WE TEND TO VIEW ADVERSITY TOO NARROWLY. (Jn. 9:3)
Like the disciples, we are prone to squeeze all troubles into one bigoted category. We turn on ourselves and begin an often-fruitless journey into our recent-and sometimes not-so-recent-past. Our purpose is to find the reason for the adversity we face. The thought may arise: “Surely this is God's way of paying me back.” If, however, we are convinced that nothing we have done deserves the intensity of our adversity, we have no choice, it seems, but to question the goodness and faithfulness of God.
1. We Must Develop a Broader Perspective
When It Comes to The Reasons for Our Suffering.
In His response to the disciples' question, Jesus revealed yet another error that plagued the theology of the day. But His answer did much more than that.
a. It Enlightens Us and Offers a Much Broader Perspective on Suffering than That Held by Many. His answer brings hope to those who have thus far been afraid to ask why.
b. It Allows Us to Look Beyond Ourselves-and
That Is Always an Improvement!
c. We Need To Explore Other Possibilities or
Causes For Our Troubles.
John 9:3, Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
Jesus did not mean that the man had not sinned, or that his parents had not sinned. Rather, He meant that the blindness was not a direct result of sin in their lives. God had allowed this man to be born blind in order that the man might become a means of displaying the mighty works of God.[a]
In other words, "Your thinking is too narrow. You need some new categories." I believe many well-meaning Christians need some new categories when it comes to the subject of adversity. Thinking too narrowly on this subject sets one up for needless guilt and nervous breakdown. And as in the case of Jesus' disciples, it warps one's perspective on the suffering of others. (Based on Dr. C. Stanley)
2. God Had a Purpose in This Man’s Suffering; There Was a Divine Design Being Worked Out In This Man’s Experience. John 9:3, Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
The implications of that statement are staggering. The phrase "but that the works of God" denotes purpose. There was a purpose to this man's blindness!
a. We Primarily View Adversity as the Result of
Our Actions.
The disciples saw his blindness as the result of something. In fact, they saw all illness in terms of result (Gal. 6:7). Jesus, however, let it be known in no uncertain terms that this blindness was not the result of something the man did. This man's blindness was a part of, God's purpose. In other words, this man's blindness was from God. That was a difficult conclusion to come to, much-less believe.
b. Jesus Viewed This Adversity as
Having a Divine Design. It was a Cause
Not and Effect.
1.
Is it possible
that adversity can originate with God?
2.
All of us would be
more comfortable if Jesus had said,
"This man is blind because he sinned, but God is going to use it
anyway." (Rom. 8:28-29). That would be a much easier pill to swallow.
3. But Jesus leaves us no escape. Sin was not the direct cause of this man's blindness; God was. It Is Possible That Some of Our Adversities Come from God.
B. GOD WAS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR PAUL’S
ADVERSITY! (2 Cor. 12:1-10)
I am aware that such a statement flies in the face of the prosperity theology so prevalent today. Yet, a statement such as this one in the gospel of John makes it perfectly clear that God is the engineer of some adversity. We cannot let our theological biases (which we all have) interfere with the clear teaching of Scripture. Fortunately for us, this blind man is not the only scriptural example of God's engineering adversity.
1.
Paul’s Adversity with a Thorn in the Flesh.
In 2 Corinthians 12 the apostle Paul describes his struggle with adversity. He clearly identifies God as the engineer behind his suffering: 2 Cor. 12:7, And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
2. The Purpose of This Adversity Reveals the
True Source.
One might argue, "But it says it was a messenger of Satan." Right! But notice the purpose of Paul's adversity: “lest I should be exalted above measure.” In other words, "To keep me from exalting myself in arrogance."
a. Do You Think Satan Would Engineer a Plan to Keep Paul from Exalting Himself? Of course not. Satan’s goal is to cause us to exalt ourselves. He is certainly not going to work against his own destructive purposes. One of his strongest appeals to fallen man is through our prideful hearts (1Jn. 2:15-17). So how does all this fit together?
b. It Would Seem That God Wanted to Cause Paul
Some Pain in Order to Keep Him Humble. To accomplish this, God sent a messenger of
Satan into Paul's life. What exactly this was, we do not know. One thing is
certain, however; the idea originated with God. It was His plan, and He
used His resources to carry it out.
As difficult as it may be to grasp, the Bible depicts God as the instigator of some adversity. In the remaining studies we are going to expand upon the relationship between God and adversity. I realize that for some people I have raised many more questions than I have answered. That is all right, as long as you keep listening to the Word!
God has created you and me for His glory. He did not create us that we might try to be a somebody down here. He created us for His glory. If we miss that, we miss the entire purpose of our creation. These trials and sufferings come to us because they bring about the glory of God. This blind man, through the healing of his blindness, will bring about the glory of God. Not only will this blind man see (and think how much he would enjoy seeing all the rest of his life), but also he will see Jesus Christ and come to know Him as his Savior.[b]
C. GOD HAS A PURPOSE FOR EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS
TO YOU.
Adversity has a positive
side for every Believer. God has a
purpose in the pain!
I realize that isn't a statement you are likely to hear
very often. Your first response may have been, “Oh,
really? You don't know what I'm going through!”
To see the positive side of adversity is not wishful
thinking, denial of reality, or pie-in-the-sky optimism. Rather, it is a statement
of faith.
The positive side of adversity is rooted in two strong beliefs:
1. First, God Has a Plan and a Purpose for the Life of Every Believer, Including You. If you desire for God's plan and purpose to be accomplished in your life, the Lord will go to whatever lengths are necessary to see His plan and purpose fulfilled in your life.
a. He Will Not Go Against Your Will, but If Your Will Is to Desire His Will, Then the Lord Will Move Heaven and Earth to See That His Will Is Done in and Through You. Believing this means, of course, that God can use any adversity that comes your way for His plan, to further your purposes on the earth or to work His purposes within your life. (Based on Dr. C. Stanley)
b. This Truth is Beautifully Illustrated in the History of Israel’s Turbulent 40 Year Wilderness Experience. Deut. 8:2-3 And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee [Taught Them Humility], and to prove thee [Tested Their Sincerity], to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. [3] And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. [He Strengthened Their Faith]
Through adversity God taught them Humility, He Tested Their Sincerity, and He Strengthened Their Faith! This too is a part of God’s plan for your life Child of God.
2. Second, God Can Turn Bad Things to Good for You Regardless of the Situation You Are Facing Today. You may think your life has derailed and crashed beyond any repair. But the Scriptures say, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Rom. 8:28).
a. The Lord Has a Way of Arranging Things So That Good Comes from Bad. That's His very nature as Redeemer—to take what attempts to enslave us and to use it to free us.
b. Not Only That, but When the Lord Redeems a Situation, He Also Sends a Message to Other People Who Observe What God Is Doing in Our Lives. That message may bring about many different reactions—from conviction to repentance to praise. What God does for good in our lives is never limited to us; it is always for others, too.
Jesus taught this to His disciples through the healing of a
man who was blind in Jerusalem. There was a grand purpose to the man's
adversity. The disciples saw his blindness as being caused by something bad. Jesus taught that the
man's blindness was for the cause of
something good.
Jesus said that God had a purpose higher than anything the disciples had considered. God intended to use the miracle to bring about something positive and eternal in the man's life and in the lives of the people who witnessed his healing. That puts an entirely new light on any type of adversity we may experience.
CONCLUSION:
Have you been so hung up on trying to figure out why adversity has come your way that perhaps you have missed God? Has the adversity in your life strengthened your faith, or has it weakened your faith? Adversity is a reality that none of us can avoid. Therefore, it is in your best interest to begin responding in such a way that the negative can be used, to accomplish the will of God in your life. And as you begin responding correctly, perhaps you will begin to understand why!
That the man was blind
from birth pointed out his seeming hopelessness. This illustrates man’s
spiritual blindness from birth (9:39–41; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:1–3).[c]
The blind who come to sight are those who, admitting their helplessness and inability, trust Jesus for salvation. Those who see and become blind are those whose self-trust and pride blinds them to the wonders of Jesus. He does not condemn them by making them blind; they blind themselves by rejecting Him and Satan contributes to that blinding (2 Cor. 4:4).[d]
While there is good reason to be concerned about what
causes adversity, our greater concern must always be with what results from
adversity. Do we allow adversity to throw us back, defeat us, or pull us down?
Or do we see adversity as something that can make us stronger, better, and more
whole?
Do we regard adversity as a destroyer? Or do we see it as
having within it the seeds that can produce something beneficial and helpful?
Do we see adversity as linked to death? Or do we see it as
linked to growth and eventually to eternal life?
Do we look for the results caused by adversity to be negative or situation bound? Or do we look for the results of adversity to be part of God's miracle-working, for-our-good plan? (Based on Dr. C. Stanley)
This study is concerned with how we can advance through adversity. Adversity can
be a teacher. From adversity, and especially as we work through adversity by
our faith and according to God’s Word, we can learn valuable lessons that
prepare us fully to be the people God created us to be.
Yes, God has a plan and a purpose for your life.
And yes, God can use whatever comes against your life for
your good.
Reflect on these questions as we move forward.
[a]
William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible
Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad
(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1520–1521.
[b] J.
Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible
Commentary, electronic ed., vol. 4 (Nashville: Thomas Nelson,
1997), 423.
