In John 9, there is the story of a man blind from birth.  Jesus’ disciples are trying to find whom to blame and ask who sinned, the man or his parents.  Perhaps the disciples at that point didn’t know the man had been blind from birth and thus could not have been to blame.

Jesus heals the man; he is not concerned with blame, but with hope and with the future.  But the religious authorities can not let go and continue to try to find someone to blame.

When Jesus comes across the man and gives him sight, does it really matter what causes the blindness? Of course, if we want to prevent future blindness, finding the cause can be helpful.   But for this man, one thing, and one thing, only, matters, as he says “I was blind and now I see!”

When life crashes in around us, and there will be those times it does for all of us, let us not be so quick to blame others, but to seek ways to rebuild our world.  Let us rejoice at the progress made and not seek revenge from others.     How many miracles of God’s grace are overlooked because we want someone to pay a price? 

The Swedes have a proverb, “A sorrow shared is divided in half, and a joy shared is doubled.”   Those who wanted to judge the blind man and/or his family missed the joy of his sight being restored.  Their closed mind and narrow spirit cost them dearly.  Let us be fast to rejoice with others and be slow to judge.

May God bless you and yours

February 27, 2008
© Dunwoody United Methodist Church