Blindness and Evil in God’s World (John 9:1–7)

Series: “John: Life in Christ’s Name”Text: John 9:1–7

By: Shaun Marksbury Date: September 24, 2023

Venue: Living Water Baptist ChurchOccasion: AM Service

Introduction

One of the toughest questions for Christians to answer, perhaps the most difficult question, is that of the existence of evil. The conundrum goes something like this: How can evil exist when God is both all-powerful and good? Theologians and philosophers have dubbed this problem “theodicy,” seeking to explain how God can justifiably permit pain and suffering in this world.

There have been multiple explanations in theodicy. Perhaps the most common one to hear is that evil is the result of free will. God didn’t want people operating robotically, lacking personal autonomy. Yet, free will would open us to the ability to turn from good to evil. This explanation doesn’t satisfy why God continues to allow evil, but it is an attempt to the rid God of the responsibility for human atrocities.

Another defense is that God created the best possible world there would be. He could have chosen to tweak certain aspects of our personalities or create new laws which would restrict human freedom. However just as with every action comes a reaction, and the outcomes of such adjustments may have resulted with worse consequences than what exists now. This theory seems to constrain God a bit, so there may be a better explanation.

Perhaps the best is one proposed by Scott Christensen in his book, What about Evil? A Defense of God’s Sovereign Glory. In the book, Christiansen advocates for what he calls the greater-glory theodicy. He presents it as one that is faithful to Scripture, arguing, “God’s ultimate purpose in freely creating the world is to supremely magnify the riches of his glory to all his creatures, especially human beings who alone bear his image.” He goes on to argue that the fall of humanity was no accident, but that it was allowed by God to magnify His glory, stating this “glory is seen in the face of the divine hero of redemption—Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This view explains God has a specific reason to allow evil to remain in the world.

Now, I open in this way because that’s the view confronting us in the opening verses of John 9. For context, in this chapter, Jesus opens the eyes of the blind man, provoking division. In the next chapter, Jesus will use this miracle to explain who He is. This shouldn’t be difficult, for the signs of the Messiah would include the opening of the eyes of the blind (Isa. 29:18; 35:5; 42:7). So, they should believe that Jesus is the light of the world (v. 5) and the Good Shepherd (10:14). Yet, the unbelievers seem to rather accept the continued existence of evil than come to the Light of Christ, and even Christ’s disciples seem to have a limited understanding of God’s purposes for allowing evil in this world.

There is evil in this world, like blindness and so much more. However, text like these give us insight into how God’s glory intersects with such troubling issues. So, today, we’ll consider the problem of evil and the Lord’s glory, the purpose of evil and the Lord’s glory, and the power over evil in the Lord’s glory. Let’s consider the first of these.

The Problem of Evil and the Lord’s Glory (v. 1)

As He passed by, He saw a man blind from birth.

It’s difficult to say whether this miracle occurs right after Jesus slips away from the crowd which wanted to stone Him in the last verse. It’s possible to read it that way — that Jesus went out of the temple and then, as He passed by, He saw this man. Some see a possibility that time has transpired, but the most natural reading is that this happens right after the events of chapter 8.

If that is the case, then Jesus punctuates His divine claims to the Jews of Jerusalem with this healing on His way out the gates. And that’s probably where this man was. As one study notes, “Beggars waited by the gates of the temple for gifts from worshipers.” Because Jesus isn’t fleeing for His life (it isn’t His time), He has no concern about stopping here for this person in need.

There’s hope in this. Jesus sees us in our infirmities. He doesn’t hold the sins of others against people in need, for our Lord just faced accusations and rejection but still cares for this individual. We should be of the same mind, not allowing the troubles of the day prevent us from doing good.

Now, in noting that, we read here John’s ironic statement that Jesus sees the blind man. Throughout this account, John plays on themes of spiritual sight and blindness. He underlines this with constant reminder that this man was blind. By the end of this chapter, he has this blind man seeing better than those who were born with healthy eyes! He also notes Jesus’s words in v. 39, which reads, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” In this Gospel, the blind sees Jesus and believes, while the seeing misses Jesus and disbelieves.

We’re not told how our Lord or the disciples knew that this man was blind from birth. Perhaps there was more conversation here than recorded. Perhaps the man himself explained his condition, or he was known to all locals and regulars to Jerusalem (his neighbors knew about him in v. 8). Whatever the case, this was a congenital case of blindness, the only recorded time our Lord heals a person with such a condition.

Yet, we arrive at the theodicy problem. The skeptic might ask us: Was the Lord not able to create a world without blindness? If He could do so and didn’t, then how can we call Him good if He created it anyway? The assumption behind that faulty logic is that God has no good reason to allow evil. He has a purpose, as we see next.

The Purpose of Evil and the Lord’s Glory (vv. 2–5)

And His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he would be born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”

The disciples have a limited understanding about God’s reasons for allowing evil, but it will be helpful to consider their question before we move on to consider Jesus’s reply. First, they ask if “this man” sinned so that “he would be born blind.” Sin can have divine consequences, and God does punish the evil which exists. Yet, they propose a fascinating scenario, requiring us to imagine someone sinning before birth! Their question leads to a couple of theories.

One theory is that they refer to reincarnation. In other words, they might be asking if this man sinned in a previous life and is now paying for it. However, that’s a belief foreign to Jewish thought, as they believed in resurrection, not reincarnation. So, that doesn’t explain their question.

They might have asked this because the Jews believed a person is a sinner from birth (v. 34). Understand that this went beyond the concept of original sin — they believed that a person could commit sin within the womb. For instance, Scripture says that Jacob and Esau “struggled together” in the womb (Gen. 25:22), which some rabbis took to mean they were engaging in fetal sin. That wasn’t a universal view, but it seems to explain the disciples’ faulty understanding of why this man might be born blind.

They also ask if this man’s parents caused his blindness. That question makes more sense to us. We know all too well that poor parental choices during pregnancy can cause developmental issues. For instance, we’ve seen fetal alcohol syndrome create physical, neurological, and even behavioral problems which children may carry into adulthood. Even past actions can affect infants, for as one commentator notes, certain sexually-transmitted diseases can infect children as they pass through the birth canal.

Moreover, God might specifically bring chastisement through the children. He warned this in the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:5) and says later that “He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations” (Exod. 34:7). We see an example of this when David’s baby with Bathsheba died (2 Sam. 12:14–15, 18). Yet, that was a special case (David deserved death for his sins, but an innocent died in his place in full view of the watching people) — becoming a picture of the gospel of grace for undeserving sinners as well as a graphic reminder of the destructive nature of sin. If children are to honor parents, then parents should live as people of honor.

Still, that speaks more of societal consequences, and God also commanded the people to bear their own sins. He tells them, for instance, that sons shall not be put to death for their fathers — “everyone shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deut. 24:16). Moreover, He says in Ezekiel 18:20, “The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father’s iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son’s iniquity.” He is just and desires mercy, and a child living for God need not fear God’s wrath for the sins of his parents.

They assume all suffering is the result of sin, which is why their question betrays such a hyper-religious spirit. It is easy to wrongly assume that suffering comes because others are greater sinners (Luke 13:2). Yet, our Lord rebukes such a notion in the entire Book of Job — Job was a righteous man who suffered staggering loss while his friends assume he had somehow brought it upon himself. The Lord gives us another example in the Apostle Paul, who contracted a bodily illness (perhaps malaria) which ultimately led to him to leave the low lands and preach the gospel to the Galatians for the first time (Gal. 4:13). There are reasons God allows us to go through what we do that unrelated to personal sin, and that’s what we see here.

It’s sad that so many still think all evil results from sin. We expect this in false religion, but sadly, some Christians still believe it. For instance, those in the prosperity/health and wealth orbit teach that a Christian must declare healing over sickness, and that remaining disabilities or ailments are the result of faithlessness. One of the training centers for such nonsense is just outside of Colorado Springs, run by Andrew Womack, and I’ve heard from local pastors there about how his false teaching hurts people. The Bible never says sin universally causes sickness nor that faith universally heals.

We see the truth of the matter here. In v. 3, Jesus says, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Our Lord doesn’t deny that it’s possible that sin might result in suffering, but we cannot assume that’s the only reason it might exist. To be clear here, God allowed the natural evil of blindness to display His works; He didn’t create it. He uses situations in a way that doesn’t compromise His character or integrity to bring about a greater good.

Not just one greater good, either, for Jesus says “works of God” (plural)! As one commentator notes, first, the man’s blindness may have had a humbling effect on those who witnessed it. Moreover, the goodness and power of God is displayed in the curing of the blindness. These works exalt Christ, encourage His disciples, and prompt men to glorify God. God has reasons for allowing the evil in this world that He does.

He keeps that plural with what He says next — “We must work the works of Him who sent Me.” Jesus says that God’s purpose includes us! As Galatians 6:10 says, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” When we perform a good work for someone in need, the Lord is indeed using that as part of His ultimate plan to glorify Himself.

There is, unfortunately, limited time to do good. Jesus uses a metaphor to describe His walk on earth — the daylight hours — warning His disciples that night would soon come. They would not have Him in the same way, but they must also recognize that their time and ability is likewise constrained. We all have a limited time, requiring us to conduct ourselves “with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity” (Col 4:5). The Lord has allotted this current world only so much time, so let’s seek to help fulfill God’s purposes to turn evil to good.

Jesus is not away from His disciples just yet, of course. This is what He says in v. 5 — “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” The world is already dark and evil. Jesus comes in His grace and mercy to show forth the Light of truth and goodness. Even after His time on earth, we who are in Christ remain as lights in the dark world (cf. Matt. 5:14), presenting His message.

For now, Jesus is going to prove that He is indeed the Light of the world. Jesus said He was during the festival (8:12) and again here. Now, He is going to open eyes of darkness to the Light.

The Power over Evil in the Lord’s Glory (vv. 6–7)

When He had said this, He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and applied the clay to his eyes, and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

Now, we understand that our Lord can perform a miracle without intermediate sources. He could have touched the man simply, or He could have but spoken a word over Him. Yet, He sometimes chooses to work through objects (and people).

In this instance, He uses His saliva here. Some have wondered if He believed there was medicinal value in it. Some rabbis thought so, though others condemned it as pagan superstitious magic. In Jesus’s case, He most often didn’t use it (only in one other miracle does He do so, in Mark 8:23–25). His virtue and power, as we’ve often noted, is from the Father. So, it’s unlikely that He placed any faith in His human spittle.

He also uses mud or clay. There is arguably limited medicinal value to it, but certainly not anything that can cure blindness! So, there must be some other purpose for our Lord to utilize these means.

Commentaries contain numerous suggestions as to why He might do this. For instance, one study suggests, on the basis of some early interpretations, that Jesus was fashioning a new set of eyes for the blind man, though the language doesn’t quite support that. Alternatively, Jesus may have been calling the witnesses’ minds back to the first creation, when God took the dust of the earth, mixed it with His breath and created man (Gen. 2:7). That’s possible, and our Lord may have also done this purposefully to flout Sabbath tradition, since kneading mud or clay was forbidden. It’s also possible that it tested the man’s faith, for as Matthew Henry notes, “Daubing clay on the eyes would close them up, but never open them. Note, The power of God often works by contraries; and he makes men feel their own blindness before he gives them sight.” Whatever the reasons, Jesus applies this to the man’s eyes, apparently without request.

In the next verse, the Lord commands the man, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam,” which is just southeast of where they are. Now, if the man’s eyes had just needed a good mud soak and washing to cure his blindness, his parents would have undoubtedly “cured” him in his childhood. Nothing in mud, saliva, or the water explains here what is clearly a supernatural event.

Jesus sends him, and John adds the comment here that Siloam “is translated, Sent.” This is more than evidence that the author is familiar with the area. As one study puts it, “The man was “sent” there and Jesus was the One “sent” by the Father.” Our Lord is the apostle of God, the sent of the Father (as Jesus notes in v. 4), and this is a message that the sent Messiah who opens the eyes of the blind has come. Because Jesus sends him, the man must exercise faith, which ultimately brings about more glory; he won’t know Jesus by sight yet, but through the questioning of others throughout this chapter, he’ll come to believe in Him.

This may also be a symbol here for the washing of water with the Word/Spirit. We all walk in darkness without Christ in this world. Yet, once we experience the cleansing of the Spirit in Christ, our spiritual eyes are likewise opened to the glory of Christ. Just as the man doesn’t open his own eyes but trusts the word of Christ, we too find the true source for spiritual healing in Jesus Christ Himself!

Conclusion

We read about the compassion of Christ here, but there’s also a clear message. So many are just as willingly blind as the Pharisees today. They cannot see the truth of God. Yet, He can give sight to the blind, if they want it.

God has a reason for continuing to allow evil to exist in this world, but He will soon bring all of it to an end. That’s both good news and bad. The ones who embrace their sin will find themselves punished along with the evil to which they cling. The ones who turn from evil toward God, though, find forgiveness and cleansing now as well as a promise of full physical healing in the resurrection.

Don’t reject Christianity because you see the problem of evil and then refuse to hear God’s Word on the matter. Don’t allow heartache to close your eyes to the truth. God has a purpose and a plan, though we can’t always know what it is. So, see pain and suffering as a chance to turn to God, not as a temptation to remain in sin.