Why does it mean that God healed the blind man for his glory?

[elie36]

Guys I really need help with this question it has been in my mind for weeks.

You guys know in john , Jesus heals a blind beggar man and says its not sin, it's for the glory of God. Or it's so God's work may be displayed.

Every article or talk I've seen explaining this says it's for the glory of God. Which then makes me think God made that man blind just for his glory. Now that causes turmoil in me because I cannot believe God would make a poor blind man suffer for years and Years just so he can heal. Now if the man was blind just from the sin and fallen state of the world and God healed him I get it. But every where I look it doesnt say that. It says it was purely for God's glory to be revealed.

Now on top of this on tiktok there has been some people with disabilities that come on my for you page. And honestly it breaks my heart so much. I think to myself why are these poor people dealing with these physical illnesses? Some of these illnesses are so sad. Theres a small baby missing all her Limbs. Theres another with a face deformed. And many more. I mean I can't grasp the fact that God would allow people and babies to suffer like this just for his glory.

Now on top of this in my mind God is healer. I can personally say God healed me from my depression, anxiety, suicide thoughts, as well as a extreme pulsing sensation in my stomach that would drive me crazy. Now my boyfriend has also had epilepsy. And God also healed him. I also know another lady that had a cancer. God took away her tumors.

So I have turmoil inside because I have so many questions. On one hand God healed me and those around me. On another hand a lot of people have illnesses and aren't heal. On another hand the passage in john says blindness was for God's glory. And on the other hand God in the bible has brought illness on some people as well as healed them.

So I really need help. What is the truth? I love God I want a close relationship with him but my mind is split in two just because of this question. Thank you guys for reading and I apologize for writing so much.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Every article or talk I've seen explaining this says it's for the glory of God. Which then makes me think God made that man blind just for his glory. Now that causes turmoil in me because I cannot believe God would make a poor blind man suffer for years and Years just so he can heal. Now if the man was blind just from the sin and fallen state of the world and God healed him I get it. But every where I look it doesnt say that. It says it was purely for God's glory to be revealed.

Greetings Elie. Happy Easter, and welcome to the forum.

God knows the hearts of men, and this is a very Biblical principle. So sometimes He chooses to allow those He knows will submit to Him to endure misfortune and sufferings, so that when the time comes for their healing they will glorify God through their faithfulness in remaining true to Him in spite of it. It's the same principle as what happened with Job. The Lord knew he would remain faithful even in the midst of all the suffering he had to go through, so He allowed him the opportunity to glorify God in a way most men are unable to; i.e. in the midst of horrendous sufferings. Such people's rewards in eternity are far greater, as both the Lord and James after Him alluded to.

So in short, the point is that it is of far less value for someone to glorify you when all you do is make their life terrific all the time. They could still hate your guts but still speak nicely about you for their own sake. But if they still glorify you when you ask them to endure very difficult things, that's different. It reflects a much deeper love and trust, and as Jesus taught, greater love has no man than to die for those he loves. This is what He was teaching them in your passage.

Blessings in Christ, and welcome once again to Christian forums
Hidden

 

[WIP]

Guys I really need help with this question it has been in my mind for weeks.

You guys know in john , Jesus heals a blind beggar man and says its not sin, it's for the glory of God. Or it's so God's work may be displayed.

Every article or talk I've seen explaining this says it's for the glory of God. Which then makes me think God made that man blind just for his glory. Now that causes turmoil in me because I cannot believe God would make a poor blind man suffer for years and Years just so he can heal. Now if the man was blind just from the sin and fallen state of the world and God healed him I get it. But every where I look it doesnt say that. It says it was purely for God's glory to be revealed.

Now on top of this on tiktok there has been some people with disabilities that come on my for you page. And honestly it breaks my heart so much. I think to myself why are these poor people dealing with these physical illnesses? Some of these illnesses are so sad. Theres a small baby missing all her Limbs. Theres another with a face deformed. And many more. I mean I can't grasp the fact that God would allow people and babies to suffer like this just for his glory.

Now on top of this in my mind God is healer. I can personally say God healed me from my depression, anxiety, suicide thoughts, as well as a extreme pulsing sensation in my stomach that would drive me crazy. Now my boyfriend has also had epilepsy. And God also healed him. I also know another lady that had a cancer. God took away her tumors.

So I have turmoil inside because I have so many questions. On one hand God healed me and those around me. On another hand a lot of people have illnesses and aren't heal. On another hand the passage in john says blindness was for God's glory. And on the other hand God in the bible has brought illness on some people as well as healed them.

So I really need help. What is the truth? I love God I want a close relationship with him but my mind is split in two just because of this question. Thank you guys for reading and I apologize for writing so much.

The glory you speak of may not have been for God's benefit but rather for the people around to understand. In other words they can experience, see, and know His glory. It doesn't necessarily mean that the man was born blind just so God could heal him. Perhaps God just took advantage of a situation to display His power and glory to those in attendance. Read the story of Moses and think about how many times God says that he hardens Pharoah's heart or caused a plague, "So that they will know that I am the Lord." or, "So they will know that I am God." In fact, God says this over 130 times in the Old Testament alone. We are stiff necked and refuse to accept Him as Lord and God and we take Him for granted thinking we can control Him.

Too often we try to bring God down to our level rather than working to Him to raise us to His level. When you say, "I cannot believe God would make a poor blind man suffer for years and years just so he can heal" are you not trying to be god and judging Him? We should rather be grateful for what God, the Creator of all, does for us.

 

[Vinny37]

Guys I really need help with this question it has been in my mind for weeks.

You guys know in john , Jesus heals a blind beggar man and says its not sin, it's for the glory of God. Or it's so God's work may be displayed.

Every article or talk I've seen explaining this says it's for the glory of God. Which then makes me think God made that man blind just for his glory. Now that causes turmoil in me because I cannot believe God would make a poor blind man suffer for years and Years just so he can heal. Now if the man was blind just from the sin and fallen state of the world and God healed him I get it. But every where I look it doesnt say that. It says it was purely for God's glory to be revealed.

Now on top of this on tiktok there has been some people with disabilities that come on my for you page. And honestly it breaks my heart so much. I think to myself why are these poor people dealing with these physical illnesses? Some of these illnesses are so sad. Theres a small baby missing all her Limbs. Theres another with a face deformed. And many more. I mean I can't grasp the fact that God would allow people and babies to suffer like this just for his glory.

Now on top of this in my mind God is healer. I can personally say God healed me from my depression, anxiety, suicide thoughts, as well as a extreme pulsing sensation in my stomach that would drive me crazy. Now my boyfriend has also had epilepsy. And God also healed him. I also know another lady that had a cancer. God took away her tumors.

So I have turmoil inside because I have so many questions. On one hand God healed me and those around me. On another hand a lot of people have illnesses and aren't heal. On another hand the passage in john says blindness was for God's glory. And on the other hand God in the bible has brought illness on some people as well as healed them.

So I really need help. What is the truth? I love God I want a close relationship with him but my mind is split in two just because of this question. Thank you guys for reading and I apologize for writing so much.

I’d argue that exceptionally the man was born blind by God’s design for a bigger blessing—for himself and for others—and likewise that Lazarus was made ill and died in God’s bigger plan (Jhn.11). In the latter, Jesus deliberately waited two days to allow Lazarus to have been dead for four days. Ethno-Jewish thinking held resuscitation by God only possible upto the end of three days.

That the unknown man suffered is clear. We all do in many ways, often without rhyme or reason. Certainly DNA is far from flawless. An important thing to understand is that God craves not glory from his creation, but that he seeks to be glorified for our sakes, like a mirror is polished for the sake of the viewers. The Jhn.9 miracle shone glory on Jesus, and looking on him the blind, no longer blind, was more blessed than many not born blind. Had you asked him to choose between physical blindness followed by spiritual and physical sight, or physical sight alongside spiritual blindness, I think I know how he would have answered.

Fanny Crosby was effectively born blind, not I’d say by God’s design. Though I think her mistaken, she said “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.” We can rejoice in spite of affliction, whether by God, nature, or the devil.

The Q the disciples raised shows that they rightly assumed that most folk born physically infirm were not born so by God’s design, though they wrongly suspected such was by God’s punishment. It was neither, and they themselves were blind. Likewise most pain comes through randomness, but a little bit comes by sovereignty, and sin has made us vulnerable. God seldom intervenes in nature. Jesus neither delivered the zealot nor himself from the cross, but he did promise the zealot heaven beyond death, when nature will be subject to spirits made perfect. Note by the way that as an insurrectionist the zealot had made a rod for his own back: crime and punishment. C S Lewis switched from Atheism to Christianity, after he’d seen trench warfare in WW1 and heard the screams of horses. His book The Problem of Pain, is worth a read. God is a semi-interventionalist, allows sin and innocent suffering, and can cause suffering and salvation.

 

[Josef]

I’d argue that exceptionally the man was born blind by God’s design for a bigger blessing—for himself and for others—and likewise that Lazarus was made ill and died in God’s bigger plan (Jhn.11). In the latter, Jesus deliberately waited two days to allow Lazarus to have been dead for four days. Ethno-Jewish thinking held resuscitation by God only possible upto the end of three days.

That the unknown man suffered is clear. We all do in many ways, often without rhyme or reason. Certainly DNA is far from flawless. An important thing to understand is that God craves not glory from his creation, but that he seeks to be glorified for our sakes, like a mirror is polished for the sake of the viewers. The Jhn.9 miracle shone glory on Jesus, and looking on him the blind, no longer blind, was more blessed than many not born blind. Had you asked him to choose between physical blindness followed by spiritual and physical sight, or physical sight alongside spiritual blindness, I think I know how he would have answered.

Fanny Crosby was effectively born blind, not I’d say by God’s design. Though I think her mistaken, she said “It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.” We can rejoice in spite of affliction, whether by God, nature, or the devil.

The Q the disciples raised shows that they rightly assumed that most folk born physically infirm were not born so by God’s design, though they wrongly suspected such was by God’s punishment. It was neither, and they themselves were blind. Likewise most pain comes through randomness, but a little bit comes by sovereignty, and sin has made us vulnerable. God seldom intervenes in nature. Jesus neither delivered the zealot nor himself from the cross, but he did promise the zealot heaven beyond death, when nature will be subject to spirits made perfect. Note by the way that as an insurrectionist the zealot had made a rod for his own back: crime and punishment. C S Lewis switched from Atheism to Christianity, after he’d seen trench warfare in WW1 and heard the screams of horses. His book The Problem of Pain, is worth a read. God is a semi-interventionalist, allows sin and innocent suffering, and can cause suffering and salvation.

Hey All,
Vinny37, I understand your point of concern. It does seem cruel for God to purposefully allow someone to be born blind just to heal him as an adult so Jesus could show His healing ability. We cannot sugarcoat it and make it seem better. None of us would want to be that man.

All that said, blindness is a minor inconvenience now compared to what it eas during Jesus time. There are blind college graduates. Lawyers,entertainers, business entrepreneurs and more. Life may be more difficult, but can still be lived in a productive way. Blindness does not stop people from getting married, or having children. So of all the things that could be a birth defect, blindness seems to be a more manageable one.

And to be a person healed by Jesus, what a thrill that would have been? He was forever known as such in his lifetime. His name may have been lost in time. ( I looked it up and the best I found is that Church traditions call him Celidonias. How much we can trust that, I don't know.)
But we still know him by what Jesus did for/to him. We have to figure he believed whatever Jesus said after that. I am sure the man is in heaven. So the outcome of the man's blindness is one for the record books.

Does any of this lessen the cruelty of God for you?

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[WIP]

I want to remind everyone that in this Q&A forum the rules require that we address the OP's questions.

 

[Who Me]

You guys know in john , Jesus heals a blind beggar man and says its not sin, it's for the glory of God. Or it's so God's work may be displayed.

My three penyworth about the story of the healing of the blind bugger in John ch. 9.
May I encourage you to reread it, because it does glorify God, as you read of the faith of that blind man as he, in faith, made his way across town to the pool, to wash and to receive his sight.
Then there is the fuss about is he the blind begger?
A fuss that had to be investigated by the local Authorities.
A miracle examined and tested and proved as real by those authorities, who also had their noses rubbed in the fact that the man from Nazaruth had performed this miracle.

Do read it again and see how God is glorified by that healed blind man, who could see far better than the authorities.

 

[Vinny37]

Hey All,
Vinny37, I understand your point of concern. It does seem cruel for God to purposefully allow someone to be born blind just to heal him as an adult so Jesus could show His healing ability. We cannot sugarcoat it and make it seem better. None of us would want to be that man.

All that said, blindness is a minor inconvenience now compared to what it eas during Jesus time. There are blind college graduates. Lawyers,entertainers, business entrepreneurs and more. Life may be more difficult, but can still be lived in a productive way. Blindness does not stop people from getting married, or having children. So of all the things that could be a birth defect, blindness seems to be a more manageable one.

And to be a person healed by Jesus, what a thrill that would have been? He was forever known as such in his lifetime. His name may have been lost in time. ( I looked it up and the best I found is that Church traditions call him Celidonias. How much we can trust that, I don't know.)
But we still know him by what Jesus did for/to him. We have to figure he believed whatever Jesus said after that. I am sure the man is in heaven. So the outcome of the man's blindness is one for the record books.

Does any of this lessen the cruelty of God for you?

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

I think that the Q&A rules prohibit engagement with anyone except the OP. You may PM me if you wish to engage with me.

 

[Josef]

I think that the Q&A rules prohibit engagement with anyone except the OP. You may PM me if you wish to engage with me.

I just made a mistake. I should have put elie36 where I put Vinny37. I messed up and when I read WIP's message it was too late to edit the post. Sorry about that.

Keep walking everybody.
May God bless,
Taz

 

[miamited]

Hi elie36

What is the truth?

The truth is what God's word says. Yes, God asks us to have compassion on the hurt and suffering people of the world. They are like sheep without a shepherd. But he took up our infirmities. Here's the truth, as I understand it. We can't know whether or not God had a hand in making the man blind. Maybe, maybe not. But we do know that his blindness was used to example the great glory and mercy of the God who created all that is, so that we might know that He does care for us.

Let me ask you a question, if I may, When you get to the end of this search, and maybe determine that God did make the man to be born blind, are you going to then forsake that God because you can't reconcile that with how you think He should be?

I mean, let's be honest for a moment. God has told of a lot of things that He has done that surely wouldn't seem fair to us humans living on the earth. That all the firstborn of Egypt were killed would be one. That an entire globe of people were destroyed would be another. So, if your position is that, "well, if God's not going to be like I think a loving, righteous God should be, then I'm just going to turn away, that's probably not a good plan.

God bless you,
Ted

 

[Mark51]

Guys I really need help with this question it has been in my mind for weeks.

You guys know in john , Jesus heals a blind beggar man and says its not sin, it's for the glory of God. Or it's so God's work may be displayed.

Every article or talk I've seen explaining this says it's for the glory of God. Which then makes me think God made that man blind just for his glory. Now that causes turmoil in me because I cannot believe God would make a poor blind man suffer for years and Years just so he can heal. Now if the man was blind just from the sin and fallen state of the world and God healed him I get it. But every where I look it doesnt say that. It says it was purely for God's glory to be revealed.

Now on top of this on tiktok there has been some people with disabilities that come on my for you page. And honestly it breaks my heart so much. I think to myself why are these poor people dealing with these physical illnesses? Some of these illnesses are so sad. Theres a small baby missing all her Limbs. Theres another with a face deformed. And many more. I mean I can't grasp the fact that God would allow people and babies to suffer like this just for his glory.

Now on top of this in my mind God is healer. I can personally say God healed me from my depression, anxiety, suicide thoughts, as well as a extreme pulsing sensation in my stomach that would drive me crazy. Now my boyfriend has also had epilepsy. And God also healed him. I also know another lady that had a cancer. God took away her tumors.

So I have turmoil inside because I have so many questions. On one hand God healed me and those around me. On another hand a lot of people have illnesses and aren't heal. On another hand the passage in john says blindness was for God's glory. And on the other hand God in the bible has brought illness on some people as well as healed them.

So I really need help. What is the truth? I love God I want a close relationship with him but my mind is split in two just because of this question. Thank you guys for reading and I apologize for writing so much.

Jesus’ words at John 9:3 showed that neither the man nor his parents were responsible for his blindness; and, before the man was born, he was being punished for sin.

All humans inherit the sin of Adam; therefore, all humans are born physically imperfect, subject to sickness and death. -Romans 5:12; 9:11.

This condition in the man presented another opportunity for Jesus to make manifest the works of God.