And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2)
Sometimes the question comes up of whether our physical suffering on earth is the result of sin. Who sinned? That is the question the disciples asked Jesus in John 9. Was it the blind man or his parents? Jesus responded by clearly pointing out there was no specific correlation here. In other words, the blind man was not being punished for his own sin or the sin of his parents.
But notice this. Jesus did not say that suffering is just a random event that has nothing to do with sin. Because in a broad sense, all sickness, all disability, and all of the limitations that come with the physical body are a result of sin. God’s original plan was not that this body should ever get sick or wear out, or die. God’s original purpose was for this body to live forever. But because of the sin of Adam, because he disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, sin came into life and spread to all of humanity.
But let me add this. You can experience physical hardship as a result of your own sin. If you are an alcoholic, that is going to affect you physically. If you are a drug addict, that is going to affect you physically. In a sense those physical problems could be directly linked to sin. So yes, you can bring problems into your life as a result of breaking the commandments of God.
There is a reason that He gave us these guidelines. It was for our own good. God had a plan and a purpose for each rule to protect us in life that we might live life to its fullest.
Every day, we have the ability to choose between right and wrong. Choose life!
