People sometimes feel unclean when they shouldn’t

What you do makes you unclean not what happens to you

The disciples’ reaction to the blind man…who sinned?

Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem and they saw a man who was born blind.

The disciples asked who sinned that he was born blind, him or his parents. (John 9)

Jesus response

Jesus responded that neither his parents nor the blind man sinned. He then healed him. Jesus used this miracle to teach about spiritual blindness and the recovery of spiritual sight. (John 9:35-41)

The first sin brought evil and fallenness into the world, but Jesus was clear that not every affliction is a result of a specific sin.

This man’s blindness would be used by God to show Jesus’ power as Messiah. There was a higher good revealed in this evil. (John 9)

The sicknesses and calamities that came on Job were also examples of evil set in the context of higher good. (Job 1-2)

Jesus teaches them same principle in response to legalism

Jesus also taught in contrast to the religious leaders that what goes into you does not make you unclean but what comes out of you. (Matthew 15:1-20)

What happens to you doesn’t make you guilty but what you do does.

But it is hard

We often blame the victim. We look down on people who seem to be suffering the consequences of some, maybe unknown, sin.

Jesus was flatly opposed to that way we sometimes think.

What you do makes you unclean not what happens to you

Questions for consideration:

Have you ever assumed that someone brought their problems on themselves but later realized that it wasn’t their fault?

Have people ever looked down on you for circumstances beyond your control?