This week’s suggested reading: John 9
This week’s question to ponder: This week we’re going to use our imaginations. There are a number of “characters” in John 9: the blind man, his parents, the Jewish leaders, and Jesus’ disciples. If you had to insert yourself into this story, based upon where your faith is right now, who do you think you would be, and why? This is meant to spark internal reflection and lead to times of personal prayer with our good God.
We cannot assume we know the why behind all suffering.
Humans love to draw really straight lines of explanation when we see suffering around us. We like to define the why. Maybe it’s because we’re insecure. Maybe it’s because we’re proud. Maybe it’s because we’re judgmental. Whatever the motive, we like it. “As he (Jesus) passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'” (John 9:1-2)
Jesus’ response shows us that the why isn’t that simple. “Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.'” (John 9:3-5)
Yes, sinful choices lead to consequences. It’s the nature of being a human in this world. And every parent knows this all too well. If I say to my child – because I love my child and I don’t want him to get hurt – “Don’t touch the stove. It’s hot. It will burn you.” But then my child chooses to touch the stove anyway. My child will get burned. It’s the consequence to touching the hot stove. Straight line of explanation.
But if we flip the scenario around, just because we see a burn on Johnny’s hand doesn’t necessarily mean that Johnny sinned. There could be a wide range of explanations as to how he got what looks like a burn on his hand. And based upon Jesus’ response, we learn that sometimes suffering is a pathway for God to show his strength, grace, and power in and through us.
There’s a famous poem called “The Thorn” by Christian poet Martha Snell Nicholson that completely obliterated what I thought I knew about suffering when I first read it years ago. It still overwhelms me even today. Ms. Nicholson suffered decades of debilitating pain from a number of diseases that rendered her an invalid. Yet listen to her explanation of her unimaginable earthly pain.
I stood a mendicant of God before His royal throne And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own. I took the gift from out His hand, but as I would depart I cried, “But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart. This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me.” He said, “My child, I give good gifts and gave My best to thee.” I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore, As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more. I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace, He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face.
[Woah]
We can’t assume we know why someone suffers. Yes, there are times we suffer simply because of our stupid choices. I can call them “stupid choices” because I’ve made so many of them over the years. But regardless of the why behind our suffering, we have a God who can take our suffering and reveal himself – his love, his power, and his peace – to us through our suffering in ways this world cannot explain. Sometimes that means a miraculous healing visible for all to see. And sometimes that means a powerful, intimate sustaining of our body and soul in the midst of suffering that this world could never fully explain or take away.
Fear of man can cripple our testimony.
Fear of man can creep up in nearly all of us at times. It often shows itself when we go along with something that we don’t actually agree with. Maybe we stay silent instead of speaking up. Maybe we lie or reframe a scenario. But at it’s root, fear of man means we’re afraid of being rejected or harmed by someone, or some group, that we admire, value, or honor, so instead we modify our words or actions in efforts to avoid the rejection.
Back in the John 9 text we read, 18 “The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight 19 and asked them, ‘Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?’ 20 His parents answered, ‘We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 21 But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.’ 22 (His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if anyone should confess Jesus to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, ‘He is of age; ask him.’)” (John 9:18-23)
The blind man’s parents feared the Jews’ reaction. So they deflected. The didn’t testify to what Jesus had done. Instead, in fear, they punted the question to their son to answer. And personally, I think they probably missed a blessing.
One day years ago when I was working out at the gym, an old worship song from my playlist came through my headphones. The song talked about how God adopts us into his family and calls us his child. It had me all undone right there on the treadmill to the point that I felt that God wanted me to encourage someone right there in the gym with this concept of his fatherly love for them.
I proceeded to have an internal debate, “Surely that’s not what God said. I’m sure everyone here is fine. Chill, Lara.” Then I walked into the women’s only area to lift some weights and saw a woman with the word heavenly embroidered on her sweatpants across her bum. “Lord, you’re kidding me, right? You want me to tell heavenly bottoms?” So with slight internal resistance, I started walking towards her…and then I quickly chickened out. “She’s going to think I’m crazy, Lord. I don’t want her to feel weird.” I proceeded to walk right passed her…and I immediately felt deflated.
I went into the locker room to change clothes and continued with my internal battle of feeling terrible for staying silent. “Lord, if you give me another chance I’ll tell her,” I silently prayed. And would you believe, as I turned the corner, the only woman standing in the locker room was heavenly bottoms looking at a flyer on the mirror?! So I said, “Hey, this may sound strange, but I think I’m supposed to tell you how much God loves you. He sees you. He knows you. He is your father. And he hasn’t forgotten you.” Her eyes welled up with tears as she choked out a quiet thank you.
Believe me. I don’t tell you that story to pat myself on the back. I tell you because there have been many many times that I’ve stayed silent out of fear when I know God is leading me to speak out. Many times. But one thing I have learned the older I get, when I allow the fear of man to keep me silent, I miss a blessing. How do I know? Because when I do testify to the love and power of God, in spite of any fear of man, God always meets me there.
Get ready. Buckle up. God will bust open the box we try to put him in.
“They (the Jews) said to him (the blind man), ‘What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?’ 27 He answered them, ‘I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?’ 28 And they reviled him, saying, ‘You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.’ 30 The man answered, ‘Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.’ 34 They answered him, ‘You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?’ And they cast him out.” (John 9:26-34)
We like to think we have God all figured out. We like to think we can define him so that he fits perfectly in our box. But God’s thoughts aren’t our thoughts. His ways aren’t our ways. We’re literally living in a moment of time on an eternal continuum that the God of the universe is outside of. There’s never been a moment that he hasn’t existed. There will never be a moment that he won’t exist. Yet in an effort to understand him, and possibly try to control him, we take the things he reveals about himself and try to neatly stuff him in our box of understanding. Until one day he busts it wide open.
The Jews of the time thought they had God neatly defined. They had their laws. They had their traditions. They had their understanding. Yet the coming of Jesus completely busted that box wide open. And sadly, many rejected him because Jesus didn’t fit in their box. Or maybe they didn’t want him to fit.
God gave us his Word as a guide. He sent his Son to save us. He puts his Spirit within us to lead and convict.
But he cannot be fully defined. Because he’s God.
In the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, there’s a scene where Mr. Beaver explains the character of God, depicted as Aslan the lion, to Susan.
“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion,” said Mr. Beaver.
“Ooh” said Susan. “I’d thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion…”
“Safe?” said Mr. Beaver “Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”
Our God may not be able to be fully defined. He definitely cannot be controlled. He will bust out of every earthly box we try to fit him in. But he’s good. He’s love. And he can be trusted, even when we don’t fully understand what’s up ahead.
Disclaimer: Words in Red is a devotional blog series created for personal reflection and spiritual encouragement. All writing is original and created solely by the author, Lara Howard—AI was not used in the development of this content. All content in this series is copyrighted and may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without written permission. © Think True Things
