Who sinned?

John 9:1-2 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”


People in Jesus time thought that if you were blind or lame or sick in some way it was the result of sin. It could be your sin or the sin of some past generation, but the idea was that people got what they deserved. We find in our own world the same mentality. It is as if the rich deserve to be rich because they are somehow better people and the poor deserve to be poor. Taken in a theological way it would follow that if you really believe in Jesus you will be prosperous. You can watch television preachers or read books by prosperity gospel authors and get persuasive arguments for this position. What would this say about God? 


John 9:3 Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents," Jesus made it clear that this did not have to do with what the man deserved because after saying it was not the result of sin, he healed the man. It is easy for people to use bad theology to make themselves feel comfortable with their own desires, and make it seem like they are surely God's desires too. 


I am not saying that we will not be held accountable for our actions. God does care about our sins. We do all deserve consequences for our sinful choices. But I know that my redeemer lives, and he has rescued me from the penalty for my sin which is eternal separation from God. He has not promised me health and wealth in this life, but rather an assurance of His love and presence with me no matter what. 


So who sinned? We all sin and fall short, but we are all given the same spirit to drink that will help us to sin no more. Not a special blessing for some, but the same blessing for all.