John 9:3

“Neither,” Jesus replies. “His condition is not due to his sins nor those of his parents. But given his condition, it will be an opportunity to see the power of God working in him today!”  John 9:3 EFP 

This is one of those texts that says a lot about the character of God. One thing in clearly stated—that is, the answer to the disciples’ query. The man’s blindness is not the result of any sin he or his parents have committed. It is not divine judgment pronounced before or since his birth for any sin committed or yet to be committed.

This then leaves the hearers to conclude that bad things happen randomly in life. The world we live in is saturated with sin, and thus bad things happen. God does not promise deliverance from bad things, he simply promises his strength and presence in this midst of the trial. But then Jesus makes a statement that is challenging at best, and potentially damaging, in my opinion, to those who read the passage from that perspective.

It has to do with the sovereignty of God. This concept is foundational to Christian faith. God is God. Period. He sees, knows, and works in and through all the affairs of humanity. His will is over all. This can potentially lead us to see this verse as saying God caused the blindness of the man simply to allow for God to heal the ailment on this particular day, for the purpose of bringing glory to God, who according to this reading caused the very blindness he now heals. God, thus is sovereign over all the good and bad that happens in the world. That, in my opinion, and I believe from the totality of Scripture, is not accurate and is damaging to the character of God.

The Book of Job is a prime example of the distinction between the “volitional” and “permissive” will of God. It is clear from the Book of Job that God allows evil to happen for reasons that are beyond the limits of our personal lives. Romans 8:28 establishes that God can and does work through all circumstances to bring about good. In other words, God does not do evil in order to prove his goodness. Evil takes place in an evil and decaying world. And given that reality. The power of God and his ultimate will and purpose for humanity breaks through the miracle of providence. Good can comes out of the vilest of circumstances. I will always side with the argument that speak well of God. God is good all the time.