Title: The Life That Displays God / Topic: Dependence On God

Today’s Reading: John 9; John 10; John 11

Scripture: John 9:1-3
1 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"
3 "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life..."

Observation: First, this always strikes me as one of the most stupid questions in the Bible: "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" How could the disciples think that the man's blindness could have been caused by his own sin, since he was born blind. That means he would have had to have sinned in the womb! I'm surprised that Jesus didn't crack up when he heard it.
Instead Jesus answers their question. What I noticed for the first time is that I have always made an assumption that may not be correct. I have understood Jesus' words, "this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life," to mean that the man was born blind to give an opportunity for a great healing. But could it mean something else? I think so. It seems that a blind person (or any handicapped person) has more limitations that require a certain dependency on others, and that because of that, the blind person could have a greater faith and reliance on God which would necessarily mean that God would demonstrate His faithfulness and grace to a greater degree in this blind person's life.
This makes much more sense to me because I have always felt that it was kind of cruel to the blind man that he had to suffer for so many years just to be a prop in one of Jesus' public relations events. That may be overstating it but the essence is true. (By the way, with my interpretation, the eventual miracle was serendipitous.)

Application: Dependence on God, whether caused of a person's disability or caused of a person's will and decision, magnifies the reality of God's work in a person's life. The more I rely on God, and the less I rely on myself, the greater God's works can be manifested through my life. This is where great competence or resource can, ironically, be a handicap. (Remember that Jesus said it would be near impossible for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.)

Bottom line: I must humble myself and strive to depend on God, not on my own abilities and resources.

Prayer: Father, thank You that You desire to show Your amazing works through the most ordinary of people. Thank You that Your strength is made perfect in weakness. Help me to see and seize opportunities to let You do Your will and work through me. May I be growing in this every day.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.