I love church. But I expect that tomorrow morning there will be more than the usual urgency to get to church.
You see, Pastor John is preaching on John 9, the accounting of Jesus healing the man born blind. This blog gets its name from John 9:3 (mostly).
I love the entire word of God. It was not always so. I was ambivalent about it during those years.
I was not ambivalent about John 9.
I hated it.
I hated that God claimed sovereignty over disability. I hated that one man got healed, and that one man wouldn’t be my son. I hated that people thought it would be comforting to bring it up, since I had my own little man born blind. I hated how I felt whenever anyone mentioned Jesus healing the blind.
Then, one day, I loved it. I certainly wasn’t ‘willing’ myself to change my heart. God simply moved on me and the Holy Spirit gave me both eyes to see and a heart ready to embrace that God is this big and this good and this powerful and this sovereign.
God did it. To God be all the glory!
So, of all the passages in the Bible, moving from a profound hatred to a rapturous love makes this a particularly special part of God’s word for me. I really can’t get enough of it.
And because God used the means of Pastor John to help me see it, I am particularly looking forward to hearing what God has given him to say.
So, please pray with me, that while Pastor John is preaching, and then when it is posted on the internet, that God would do it again – that he would move on hostile hearts, crush their opposition to his kingship over all things, let them see the necessity and beauty of the cross, and for the first time in their lives, live as entirely free people in Jesus Christ, full of joy, full of hope, full of anticipation about what God will do next.
May MILLIONS more say with the man who had formerly been blind, “One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see” (John 9:25)!
And if you happen to be free at about 6:10 p.m. (Central) on Saturday, you can watch the live stream of the Downtown service.
The Works of God 
Twenty-four years ago I was struggling with the fact that God had chosen not to heal my disabled baby. It was this very part of scripture that God used to convict me on how sovereign and powerful He really is. I have meditated on that chapter many times over the years and like you I always see better afterwards.
Thanks, John.
Of all the teachings of God, I find this is one of the hardest to accept and one of the most wonderful.
In part, and from time to time, I can’t accept it. But I can see and rejoice over God’s heart.
Epicurus’ paradox is often stated:
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
It is convincing but ironically limited. It fails because it equates evil (or sin) with suffering – calling God evil for being as He is. I’m infinitely grateful that God works more wonderfully and fearfully.
I thank you, John, for promoting John 9:3 (and more) on this blog. Jesus confidently and compassionately says that it was not sin (or evil) which caused this boy’s suffering – but it exists that the glory of God might be displayed in him.
Hallelujah! Firstly there is no stigma of sin for those who suffer and secondly there is wonderful grace in the way that God overcomes suffering. What kind of victory would it be to have nothing to defeat? And that God’s glory might be displayed IN a person – what a blessing.
And this grace continues in the way you and others tell out your story.
While I do still rail against my own tiny afflictions and the apparent injustices afflicting innocents like your boy and others – I pray to see God’s glory displayed there.
Of course, I’m just an amateur at this and you can probably call these thoughts of mine quite poor…
“And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters,that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ.” says Paul in Phillipians.
Bad things cause rejoicing in heaven.
Thanks for your openness in God changing your heart in this area. We who have children with disabilities have all gone through that process. For some it makes them harder and some it is continually making them softer. “Lord, continue to make us softer”. I will look for that sermon when it’s posted. Looking forward to it.