Sovereign In Our Suffering

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”

John 9 : 1 - 3 (NIV)

Scripture reading: John chapter 9

Post by: Chris H.

Why do we suffer? Entire belief systems have formed around this one agonizing question. Many have even lost their faith because of it. Given the horrors that exist in this world, how can there be a God? As I write this, tens of thousands of people are dying in the covid pandemic. I imagine many are asking, where does God stand in all of this?

To dig deeper you must first understand that separation from God, what we call sin, is what brought suffering into this world. The first people chose, and every person alive (myself included) still chooses, their own will over God’s will. Though we bring this curse upon ourselves, God is not content to leave us to our own devices. He has a purpose for every aspect of our lives, even the most distressing ones.

Jesus gives us a surprising glimpse into the role that our suffering plays in God’s eternal plan. When His disciples came upon a congenitally blind man, they simply wanted to know, “Why?”. What could this young man possibly have done to deserve such a burden? After all, to be born sightless in that time and place was to be sentenced to a miserable life of poverty and complete incapacity. So was this God’s punishment for some sin? Why else would he allow this to happen?

Jesus’ answer is so simple and yet so profound. The man was born blind “so that the works of God could be displayed in him.” Jesus then went on to heal the man’s blindness. The word of miracles like that one went on to threaten the power of the religious authorities. Those authorities went on to condemn Jesus to death, resulting in His ultimate sacrifice on the Cross. That blind man’s suffering was part of something so much larger. The life stealing darkness that the blind man experienced was really an opportunity for Jesus to bring light into the world. 

People are dying tragically in the covid pandemic, but there are also thousands of responders showing incredible heroism, sacrifice, and love. I believe we are the body of Christ and that he sends us out in the face of suffering to do his good work; little mirrors reflecting the light he brought into the world. God does not cause our suffering, but all suffering is part of His good plan.

Photo by Kristina Tripkovic on Unsplash