The Problem Is Sight, Not Sin

John 9:1-17    Ephesians 5:8-14                                     Rev. Todd B. Freeman

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Dallas                                                      March 6, 2005

Have you ever experienced a tragedy or a really difficult time in your life, like a serious illness, the loss of a job, the breakup of a relationship, or even the untimely death of a loved one, and asked God “Why?!?”

Have you ever looked at such events as either God’s punishment for some sin, or at least asked what purpose God had in mind for causing such a tragedy or difficult time?

To some extent, thoughts like these have probably crossed all of our minds at one time or another. Yet we are not alone, for this has been a cause for much reflection throughout human history. Case in point: today’s Gospel Lesson from chapter 9 in the Book of John.

At the beginning of this story Jesus and his disciples are walking along and they see a blind man, a man who, in fact, had been born blind. The disciples ask Jesus the following question: “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” The assumption being made by the disciples is that there is a very real connection and link between having a disability (even a birth defect) and sin. Underlying this assumption, which is all too alive and well today, is that all misfortune is somehow deserved; that all human tragedy and suffering is the result of our, or someone else’s, sin.

In the case of the man who is born blind, the disciples even ask if it is a result of his sin – as if an unborn baby could have somehow sinned while still in its mother’s womb. That this was even considered a possibility is shocking to me. If the blame doesn’t lie with the baby, so the thinking goes, then at least it must lie with the parents.

Notice the tendency of believing that if something goes wrong in our life, then someone or something has to be to blame. For some, it’s always someone else’s fault. Perhaps worse, many of us blame ourselves. If you sometimes fall into this trap, then I encourage you to remember Jesus’ response to his disciples: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned.”(italics, mine.)

Jesus puts to rest the notion that this man’s disability and suffering are caused by sin. What Jesus ultimately reveals, and I am a strong believer in this, is that God does not cause our suffering, but rather when we do suffer, God’s loving and healing presence can be revealed through our adversity.

I want to remind you of the Apostle Paul’s understanding of this from Romans 8:28, when he stated, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to God’s purposes” (NAS). Paul does not teach that God causes all things to happen, period. But rather, in whatever does happen to us in life God is right there with us, and can somehow bring good out of that suffering – whether we can recognize it at the time or not. For when we remain faithful in adversity, we make a powerful witness to God’s grace.

An important note must be made, however. Even though Jesus shows us that not all suffering is caused by sin, sin can and does cause suffering – which can take the form of spiritual, emotional, and, at times, physical suffering. Our sinful attitudes and behaviors – for example, forms of abuse directed towards ourselves or others – may indeed cause suffering. But not all suffering in life is the direct result of sin. This is an important distinction.

Perhaps the lesson we can learn from this is to give ourselves a break when things go wrong in our lives. For as the saying goes, “sometimes bad things just happen to good people.”

I want to move into another important area, now. There is a different way of looking at all things that are wrong in life than naming it sin, which is a common tendency in much Christian teaching.

Our congregations’ Book Study Group, which met just this past Thursday, looked at this issue as it is presented in Marcus Borg’s book, The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith. The chapter is entitled, “Sin and Salvation.” Borg suggests, as does the Bible itself – including today’s story from the Gospel of John – that what negatively affects us in life is not always sin. Therefore, forgiveness of sins isn’t always the correct remedy for our human problem.

There are other biblical images for the human condition than sin. To quote Borg: “To list some but not all of them: we are blind, in exile, in bondage; we have closed hearts; we hunger and thirst; we are lost.” And I would certainly add, “we are in the dark”, a very common theme in the Gospel of John.

“If our problem is spiritual blindness [certainly a reference the author of this story in John makes] then the remedy is that we need to see; if we are in exile, we need to return home; if we are in bondage, we need liberation; if we have closed hearts, we need to have our hearts opened; if we hunger and thirst, we need food and drink; if we are lost, we need a way, we need to be found.” Also, if we find ourselves in darkness, then we need light. And of course, if we sin, then we need forgiveness.

But as you can see, forgiveness for our sins is not always the remedy we need. Again, if, for example, the issue is our spiritual blindness, then what we need is not forgiveness, but sight. If the issue is bondage [like to a particular addiction, or perhaps in an abusive relationship] what we need is not necessarily forgiveness, but liberation and freedom. If we have closed hearts, we don’t need forgiveness as much as we need to have our hearts opened.”

Here’s a biblical example from the Old Testament. The story of Israel’s bondage in Egypt does not suggest that the Hebrews’ enslavement was their own fault, or the result of their sin. What they needed in Egypt, then, was not forgiveness but liberation. We can deepen our bondage by our actions or inactions, of course. But in an important sense, we cannot always avoid bondage itself, or exile, or blindness, or darkness, or even developing closed hearts. In these cases we need more than forgiveness.

Perhaps one of the most central images of the Christian life, as exemplified by Jesus, is that it is a “way” of life. In other words, it is a way of return from exile, of reconnection; it is a way of liberation from bondage; a way in which our spiritual sight is restored; a way of having our hearts opened through acts of compassion; a way that leads from being lost to finding and being found; a way to move from darkness into the light.

And as Borg states, “The purpose of these suggestions is not a weakening of the notion of sin, but an enriching of our understanding of the condition from which we need deliverance.”

So here’s the question for you to ponder this week: What kind of life situation do you find yourself in at this particular moment in time? What, then, is the proper remedy to make your salvation a greater reality in your life?

If you conclude that you are in need of forgiveness of sins, then seek and receive God’s forgiveness and acceptance; if you are feeling disconnected from God and others, seek out ways to connect; if you feel imprisoned, seek the liberation that will set you free; if you sense that your life is shrouded in darkness, seek light; if your issue is spiritual blindness, seek the ability to see in a new way; and if you feel like you have lost your way in life, seek a path that will bring you home.

This is what salvation is all about. And God is there to guide us along the way. Salvation is not only a matter of eternal life in the hereafter, it is about life in the here and now; it is a very present reality.

So whatever it is that you need this day to make the broken areas of your life whole, know that God is always with you and that God is always for you. Know that God hears your prayers for wholeness. And remember today’s Gospel Lesson: sometimes the problem is sight, not sin.

Amen.