Cause vs Purpose

Last week we talked about sin, and our response to sin in other people’s lives. We remembered the story of Jesus and a woman caught in adultery, and the grace that he so freely offered her. Well, in today’s passage from we are once again going to look at sin, as it plays a central role in this story.

Someone once said to Helen Keller, “What a pity you have no sight.” She answered, “Yes, but what a pity that so many have sight but cannot see!”

. It was a rock-hewn pool in Jerusalem into which the Gihon spring flowed. It was the main source of water for Jerusalem during sieges. It’s water was called the “waters of life.”

a. People can refute your logic;

b. They can question your theology;

c. They can disagree with your conclusions;

d. They can disregard your opinions;

e. But they can’t deny your Testimony!

Last week we talked about sin, and our response to sin in other people’s lives. We remembered the story of Jesus and a woman caught in adultery, and the grace that he so freely offered her. Well, in today’s passage from we are once again going to look at sin, as it plays a central role in this story.

So, Jesus and his disciples are walking along one day, and they come across a man born blind. Upon seeing this man the disciples ask a very interesting question to Jesus- who sinned to cause this man to be born blind? So, today we are going to unpack that question and some of the theologies surrounding it, because the Bible has much to teach us about sin, sickness, and the relation between the two.

So, we are going to build a Biblical understanding of sin, sickness, and faith today. Now we are not going to have time to examine all of the nuances and details, but think of this as roughing in a house- we are going to lay the foundation, frame the walls, and put it under roof today.

Sin and sickness are, in fact, related

Okay, so let’s get started-when we turn the pages of the Bible we find out that sin and sickness are, in fact, related, but in a general way. So, God creates a perfect world where all is in good order and in harmony- nothing is out of place- and then the rebellion of man enters, and the world becomes broken. Therefore, we see that sickness as a concept, as a condition, as a part of life is related to sin. However, to relate one particular condition to one particular sin is naive and really not true to how the Bible portrays sin and sickness.

For example, let’s say that there is a couple who has a child out of marriage and that child becomes sick; some people might say that it is because of the sin of the parents that the child is sick- but that projecting something on the Bible that is not there. That is like when we joke with someone like Andrew that works for VDOT that ‘my taxes pay your salary.’ That is true in a general sense, our money does go into an account that the state uses to pay salaries, but not specifically- they do not take money directly from your taxes and deposit it into Andrew’s bank account.

The Disciples had, evidently, been schooled in this kind of thought. A number of Jewish theologies supported this kind of view- for example, if a Jewish woman went to worship in a non-Jewish synogauge or ate food sacrificed to a false idol their child would have a physical or mental disability. This was their way of explaining things like children born with cleft palates, autism, or other special needs. The disciples ask what sin led to this man being blind, and Jesus basically says ‘“you don't get it...”

Sickness is not always effected by faith

While I think we have developed a more wholistic understanding of sin and sickness as a people, I am concerned that there is another unhealthy understanding of sickness and pain rising up in the church.

There is a rise of teaching that suggests that sickness or pain is an indicator of faith- in other words, if you believe hard enough, pray hard enough, or do the right kind of things God will heal you.

So, let’s look at 2 particular Scriptures that completely refute this idea. First,

English Standard Version Chapter 1

There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. 2 There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. 3 He possessed 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, and 500 female donkeys, and very many servants, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. 4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

Satan Allowed to Test Job

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the LORD and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” 8 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?

So, here is Job- literally the most righteous man on the Earth- that’s God’s quote, not mine, and he loses EVERYTHING. The entire story of Job is built on the premise that righteousness and holiness do not keep us from trouble, but keep us holy in the midst of trouble…more on Job in a bit.

Second, consider the words of Paul in

English Standard Version Chapter 12

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Paul, writer of more than half of the NT, one of the 2 biggest church planters of the early church, a man who withstood prison, and beatings, and shipwrecks all for the cause of Christ pleaded with God three times for his physical ailment to be relieved…and God said “No.” In fact, Paul reasons that God wanted Paul to have this ailment in order to keep him from becoming conceited. Sometimes God teaches humility through sickness and pain.

So, let’s think about this on a practical application level. Anointing is one of the ordinances we practice in the CoB- part of our spiritual DNA is built on bringing people forward and anointing them with oil and praying over them. However, we do not do this thinking that 100% of people will be healed of their sickness 100% of the time. We anoint hoping that 100% of the people we anoint will be reminded of the presence of God and the love of the Church 100% of the time.

Not every sickness is the “work of the Devil”

But please hear me, we cannot allow the pendulum to swing the other way completely. We cannot read Job or Paul’s testimony and automatically think that all sickness comes from the Devil and that Satan directly causes all illness- that is an overreaction, and frankly not helpful at all.

Did you know that Jesus spoke more curses against the religious leaders in the Gospels than he ever spoke curses towards Satan? Now, don’t get me wrong, Jesus certainly spoke about, and to Satan, but he does not look at every situation and say- yes, that is the work of the Devil. If anything, Jesus speaks more about the evil and pain that we perpetuate again one another much more than he spoke against the evil that Satan directly caused.

I think that Jesus’ teaching is more based in that fact that Satan is 100% real and 100% involved in the world, but that we, as sinful humans, are completely capable and many times responsible for sin and pain in our lives. Remember a few years ago I preached on Satan and his work and stated that we must remember that Satan is not omnipresent- in other words, Satan is like us he can only be in one place at one time. Yes, there are demons and fallen angles that help to accomplish his work, but many times the sin in our lives is a result of our own doing, not that of Satan or a demon.

Let me give you an example, a few years ago I was praying with some friends over a friend of ours who was dying of lung cancer. This man had smoked for years, packs a day. Now, the side effects of smoking are well documented, and mostly everyone in the world who picks up a cigarette is well aware of what those side effects are. I am sure that this man’s doctor had talked with him, and shared with him the concerns; and I remember hearing one of the people there saying something like “Satan, you brought this cancer- We stand against you, Satan.” And thinking to myself- I am pretty sure the cigarettes brought the cancer. And I am guessing that Satan did not buy the cigs, light them, and force him to smoke 2 packs of them a day.... Can we say that it was Satan that brought the cancer?

For example, if I decided to get on my roof and I did not use a safety harness and I fell off and broke my leg, should I curse Satan, or myself?

Let’s think about this Biblically for a moment. Listen to Paul in

English Standard Version Chapter 1

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them

Sickness cannot be avoided, but it can always be redeemed

God is much more concerned with purpose than cause

The emphasis should be “God, what?” not “God, why?”