God uses the tragedies of life

(One Perfect Life Chapters 113-118) Jesus begins this portion of the Gospel by looking ahead to when He will ultimately judge the earth. But before He can judge, He must first sacrifice Himself in order to save those who believe in Him (Luke 12:49-53). While Jesus message of love should be the most unifying message of all time, satan has blinded many into not only failing to respond favorably to Jesus but to actively oppose Him. Jesus criticizes the people for their lack of discernment.

Next the people ask Jesus if persons that die under tragic circumstances (killed by the Roman authorities or a collapsing tower) did so as a form of punishment (Like 13:1-9). Jesus dismisses this notion (there is no karma in Christianity) but warns them that to die apart from salvation in Him is the most tragic circumstances under which to die. He then compares the Jewish people that reject Him to a fig tree that is tended for three years and bears no fruit. He warns that the tree will be cut down. The vineyard keeper intervenes, asking for more time. The time is granted but there will be a day of reckoning.

Jesus next uses two healings performed on the Sabbath to show their lack of faith. First He heals a woman that had been “bent over” for 18 years (Luke 13:10-22). Jesus critics respond not by rejoicing with the woman. Instead they criticize Him for “working” on the Sabbath. Jesus call them out for their hypocrisy and points out that they engage in work they deem appropriate on the Sabbath. His argument put them to shame but this only kindled their hatred for Him.

The second healing preceded by the disciples asking Jesus whose sin caused a man to be born blind (John 9:1-12). Again Jesus rejects sin as the “cause and effect” behind the blindness — just as He had rejected it was the cause of tragic deaths. Instead He shows them that God uses the misfortunes of life to demonstrate His power. Jesus is the “light of the world” that will dispel the man’s darkness. Jesus’ critics will accuse Him of violating the Sabbath by making clay and by healing the man. The man washes the clay from his eyes, as instructed by Jesus, and his vision is restored.

The Pharisees object to healing on the Sabbath and questioned both the man and His parents (John 9:13-34). They did not accept the man’s response so they asked His parents if he was truly born blind and how he was healed. They affirmed the blindness but feared being put out of the synagogue so they refused to answer how their son had been healed. The man was put out of the synagogue for crediting Jesus for healing Him and identifying the healing as a sign of God working through Jesus.

Jesus later finds the man who affirms His faith in Jesus (John 9:35-41). The Pharisees were the ones that were truly blind. They could not see their need for a Savior.