Not the Sin, but the Grace

 . . . he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him.

 - John 9

We are so focused on fault. As much as we idealize the innocence of children, it is my lifelong observation that we are born fault-finders. It is very easy to criticize, which is one of the first behaviors manifested by children. Adults that do not mature continue to be good at it. The skill and virtue that is learned, is to note the good in others . . . all others.

Or to put it another way: we are born with an instinct to establish a legal code. We are comfortable with rules that say "do that, don't do that." "No" seems much more accessible than "yes." "No" is clear, but "yes" may involve multiple possibilities.

So it is with these pharisees that questioned Jesus: "Who sinned, so that this man was born blind." (Well, we all sin, which is why anything is wrong in our lives). But the point was, stop focusing on what was wrong with things. Christ brought us back to a connection with God's plan. In the end, we should not concern ourselves with whatever we did (I did, you did), but on what God is doing. God makes a point to everything. And it is to remind us that He is in charge.

The blind-man-given-sight is an under-sung hero of Scripture. He handles the Pharisees to perfection. All he does is answer their questions, plainly and simply. He makes no claim other than what he experienced. And that's all we need to do. Just state the facts and let God's grace handle the rest.

Sin is a reality. The result of it is death at worst, hardship and grief at best. We have our problems not directly because of some sin, or because of some sin of our parents. But because it's all tied together and we all share in the effects of sin, together. 

So we don't need to point our fingers at one another, unless one of us is immortal (evidence that we have not sinned). But now that Christ has come and grace is in the world, every bad thing is transformed into an opportunity for God's power and love to be revealed.