I remember the day that my friend Bob died. I remembering crying and then yelling at God. I was angry at God because He didn’t heal Bob and maybe a little guilty that possibly God didn’t heal him because I didn’t believe enough that He would.
When I read passages like John 9 where Jesus heals the man who was born blind, I am in awe of the miracle of healing. I also don’t fully understand it. I am very thankful that I don’t have to fully understand things for God to do them.
I tell you this to let you know that I don’t fully understand the miraculous power of healing that God has and why He heals and why He doesn’t heal.
In John 9:1 Jesus encounters a man who is described as blind from birth.
There are several things that this passage speaks about.
In John 9:2 the disciples ask Jesus a question. They ask, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?”
We seem to be constantly looking to assign blame for things. We want to know whose fault it was or who caused the bad thing to happen.
I know a lot of people who struggle with why bad things happen to “good” people.
We live in a fallen world. We live in a world dominated by sin.
Our whole creation has been corrupted by sin.
When God punished Adam for his sin of rebellion and disobedience, He cursed the ground.
In Romans 8:22 Paul speaks of all of creation groaning and along with humanity waiting for the fulfillment of our redemption.
David in Psalm 51:5 says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” David knew that he was born into a sinful world.
Bad things happen to “good” people because that is what happens in a fallen world dominated by sin.
That is why Scripture tells us not to sin, to even run from the temptation to sin.
We also learn from Romans 3 that there is no one who is really good.
Romans 3:10-12
As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one, no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
It seems very clear from this passage that no one is naturally good. And no one can make themselves good.
In Matthew 19 when Jesus is asked about good, He says that only God is good.
Since I am not born good and I cannot make myself good, and since God is good, then I would need to come to God so He could make me good.
Why do bad things happen to good people? Because we live in a world full of sin and we are not good without God in our lives
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is realizing how awesome a thing is the gift of God’s grace that leads to forgiveness and salvation.
Another thing about this passage is the answer that Jesus gives His disciples in response to their question.
In John 9:3 Jesus says, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
One thing I have learned about God is that He doesn’t think like I do. And because He doesn’t think like I do, He doesn’t do things the way I do them. He actually says that in Isaiah 55:8 & 9 that His way and thoughts are not like ours. And His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.
I don’t understand all of God’s ways, but I do know that I can trust God’s ways because of the truth of John 3:16.
God loves me!
Nothing will ever change that. Everything God does He does out of love. Everything God does will glorify Himself and benefit us.
I have learned that when I can’t understand what God is doing I just trust His heart.
In this passage the man’s blindness didn’t come because He had sinned or His parents had sinned. His blindness wasn’t about his or his parents lack of faith.
This man’s blindness was so Jesus could show the awesome work of God and be glorified.
I am blown away by the fact that Jesus can take the things that we label bad, and many are, and use them for His glory and our benefit.
When Paul says in Romans 8:28 that God takes all the stuff in the life of the person who loves God and is walking according to God’s purpose and works it out for their good - He Means It!
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is not worrying about fault or blame but helping others find the grace of God and yielding their lives to Jesus as Lord.
The next statement from Jesus reminds us again who He is.
John 9:4-5
We must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when no one will work. As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the World.
Jesus again tells us that He is the Light of the World.
We are to allow God to use us to show His works as long as it is day.
Are we then in the night or dark now that Jesus is not in the world?
The church is called the Body of Christ and Jesus is the Head.
In Matthew 5:14 followers of Jesus are called the light of the world.
The church as the Body of Christ with Jesus as our Head is to reflect the Light of God through us into a dark world.
Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
We need to not allow circumstances to discourage us. The Holy Spirit is living in us and He will shine out through us so that the world sees Jesus.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus, the Light of the World shine in and through us so the world sees Jesus.
The Jesus heals the blind man.
John 9:6-7
Having said these things, He spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then He anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.
Jesus made a paste of dirt and spit.
I have never seen a pastor or a televangelist heal with dirt and spit. I don’t think it would play well in the pew. That is what Jesus did.
Jesus never healed anyone else like this.
In fact Jesus uses seven other distinct methods of healing in the Gospels.
Touching People
People Touching Him
Speaking to the People
Speaking healing from a Distant
Spitting on them
Touching People Twice
Telling the People to Go Do Something
Why does Jesus use different methods?
Jesus is showing us it is not in the method.
It is in the person - Jesus.
We depend on methods to build the kingdom when Jesus is showing us that it is our following Him that will build the kingdom.
I spent may years trying to help people connect with Jesus using methods. It was only when I realized that it was about connecting people with Jesus in a relationship that I saw things happening.
We connect with Jesus by the truth of His Word.
We connect with Jesus in the relationship of prayer.
We connect with Jesus in the celebration of worship.
We connect with Jesus in the service of ministry.
We connect with Jesus in the intimacy of fellowship.
We connect with Jesus in the joy of sharing Him with others.
These are not about methods; they are about relationship.
Raise the Roof and Removing the Walls is relating to Jesus as Lord and letting Him determine how you live.
Humans complicate things.
God simplifies things.
God says to us, I know you are sinners, but I love you and sent Jesus so you could know and love me. I have opened Myself up to you so come and yield your life to Me so we can spend eternity together.
Trusting God’s Heart Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe
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