John 9 tells the story of a man who had been born blind. In the eyes of many in those days, sin and suffering were connected, so when Jesus and his disciples come across him the first question the disciples ask is, Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?² Suffering was seen as punishment. Yet the reply Jesus gives to his disciples not only challenges this erroneous view but gives us a new way to look at suffering. Jesus said, Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.³ Jesus challenged his disciples to look for God amid the suffering.

The reactions in this case are interesting. His neighbors ask what happened that now he can see, so he tells them all that Jesus had him do. But instead of being happy for him and celebrating the healing work of God, they bring him to the Pharisees to see if they can make some sense of all this. And what is the first thing the some of the Pharisees say? This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath. I feel like Jesus intentionally healed people on the Sabbath because he knew how much it bothered the Pharisees!

The Pharisees questioned the blind man, his parents, and then called for the blind man a second time trying to get him to confess to Jesus being a sinner, which is the verse above picks up. This man knew he was blind and now he could see! This man gets brave and in verse 30 tells the Pharisees, This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! It is well known that God is not at the beck and call of sinners but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will… if this man did not come from God, he would not be able to do anything. Wow! I would have loved to be there to witness this. The Pharisees got so mad after that, they threw him out into the street!

The Pharisees were so knowledgeable when it came to the law of Moses, but they were completely blind to the love and grace of God. This blind man had most likely been judged all his life because of the sin he or his parents had done to deserve his punishment. He did not know all the law, but he was able to see Jesus clearly and experience the grace of God in such an amazing way.

If you are experiencing suffering, look for God in the midst of it. It is not easy, but trust that God is working. And if you are an observer of someone suffering, remember that grace and love go beyond our understanding. Be like Jesus to those around you.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, it is easy to view things through our limited understanding and miss out on the larger plan you are working. We see messiness and immediately feel the need to make sense of it or fix it. Open my eyes to your will in every situation. When suffering comes to my life, help me look for you in the midst of it and trust that you love me and walk with me always. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

1. John 9:25.
2. John 9:2.
3. John 9:3.

The Encounter for today was written by: Crystal B.