11/8/13

11/8/13

Then another message came to me from the Lord : "Why do you quote this proverb concerning the land of Israel: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste'? As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you will not quote this proverb anymore in Israel. For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die. (Ezekiel 18:1-4 NLT)

What I am thinking about today is an incident that happened in the New Testament, with Jesus' own disciples:
'As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" "Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. "Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means "Sent"). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.' (John 9:1-7 BOOKS)

Even the disciples of our Lord didn't get it. They were judging by the effect, not the cause. And they were still set in the ideas prior to Eziekiel's ministry. But still they were judging. They assumed that since the man was born blind, that his parents must have sinned. But Jesus knew this man before he was conceived, and he knew that this encounter was going to happen, and that His glory was going to be revealed. Jesus had a plan for this man all along. I think, we too, can get too caught up on "sin vs. punishment," when we aught to get caught up in His grace.

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