Meeting with Christ

Have you ever questioned God about a situation in your life?  Have you wrestled with Him over why you must endure a particular trial or sorrow or face a seemingly insurmountable obstacle?  Are there times where you cry out to God, “it’s just not fair”?  I know I have.  There have been days, weeks, even years, during which I have constantly questioned my circumstances and doubted that any good could ever come of them.  Can you relate?
            I bet the blind man, whose story is found in John 9, could relate.  Not only was he blind, but he was born that way.  That means that until he met Jesus, this man never experienced a sunset, the beauty of a smile, or the freedom of exploring a new part of town.  He was limited by his circumstances, stuck.  And perhaps worst of all, his disability carried with it a stigma.  People assumed his blindness pointed to a dark family past, that it was the consequence for a sin he or his parents had committed.
            But here is the interesting part: Jesus knew God’s plan for this man’s life.  And it had nothing to do with living down a sin.  Instead, it had everything to do with the transformational power of an encounter with the Messiah.  Jesus, in John 9:4 explained to His disciples, “he was born blind so the power of God could be seen in him.”  And then, Jesus spit on the ground, made mud, placed it on the blind man’s eyes, and changed his life.
            This story carries with it a difficult lesson to embrace, but a critically important one nonetheless.  Because of sin in this world, we deal with tragic and unfair circumstances on a daily basis.  However, God, the Creator of the Universe, our All-Powerful Protector, stands ready to transform the tragedies of our lives into a witness that binds us to Him and reveals His love.  Do you think the blind man lamented his former blindness after meeting Jesus?  Not a chance!  In fact, he immediately took a stand for his Healer when questioned by the Pharisees.  His encounter with Jesus healed him physically, but it also empowered him spiritually.
            We serve a God who, by very definition, is Love.  He wants only good for us.  He wants to wrap us in His arms and hold us during the storms of our lives.  This knowledge does not make the tragedies of this life any less difficult.  But, in the midst of our struggles, the story of the man born blind demonstrates God’s faithfulness and desire to draw us to Him, the Source of hope and life.