John 9:1-3 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. (NIV)
Most other parents had it easier than we did, it seemed, because our child had special needs. Other parents could take note of the typical milestones their children reached: walking, talking, going to school, learning how to drive, etc. We, on the other hand, daily struggled to help our child with the basics of human existence: eating, sleeping, and using the toilet. It’s understandable, then, that sometimes we wondered: were we being punished?
As you raise your child, you as a parent have your own difficulties and challenges. We would probably be able to relate to some of them; others of them are uniquely your own. But here’s the rub: you didn’t ask for any of this – not for you, not for your child. Who would?
Jesus and his disciples came across a man who had been born with a disability. The disciples reasoned along the same lines we sometimes do. Since nobody would ever ask for something like this to befall a person, there must be a reason that this happened to him. Take note, too, that the disciples’ evaluation of this man included an evaluation of his parents as well. They knew from observance what you know from experience: having a child with a disability presents unique and difficult challenges to the entire family.
The disciples then came up with a simple equation: God allowed this man and his family to experience hardship that they hadn’t; thus, this man and/or his parents must have offended God with some great sin to deserve such a fate. And I don’t doubt that sometimes this man and his parents sometimes felt that they were being punished for some wrongdoing on their part, because I have had similar thoughts.
Jesus straightened them out very quickly that this wasn't a case of cause and effect. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” he said. Now ripped out of its context that statement is patently false. All people are sinners – this man and his parents included. I am a sinner. You are a sinner. Our children are sinners. And we all deserve the punishment God threatens to mete out to everyone who disobeys him: eternal separation from him.
But Jesus is the One who came from heaven to take care of sin and its effects. “So then, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). The blind man was not being punished, because Jesus was going to carry his sins to the cross. Neither were his parents punished by having to raise a blind son, because Jesus would carry their sins to the cross as well. And neither are you or your child being punished now, because Jesus carried your sins to the cross. Every last one of them.
Why, then, do some people carry the burden of disability here on earth? Jesus spelled that out, too: “This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” There’s more to talk about on that subject in the next devotion (“God Will Show You the Good”), but for now we will let this serve as the divine answer to our “why” questions: God will display his works in our lives and the lives of our loved ones.
Prayer: Dear God, when I get frustrated with my situation I want to know “why.” Content my soul in your loving words that you will display your works through my child’s struggles here on earth. If it is your will, display your power by letting them overcome their obstacles; if not, show me how I can responsibly care for them in a way that shows my faith in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.of the most challenging aspects of caring for a non-verbal person is trying to interpret the sounds that they make. It’s frustrating to wonder whether a person is hungry, tired, hurting, or just bored. But let’s admit this: it’s much more challenging for the non-verbal person! God hasn’t given them the gift of speaking a recognizable language, and so they have to devise ways to communicate their feelings and desires. Sometimes the sounds they come up with aren’t exactly socially appropriate, but how can you blame them? If they have urgent needs, it only makes sense that they would try to communicate until those needs are met.
It’s especially heart-rending when a parent discovers that they have been misinterpreting their child’s sounds. Perhaps we thought they liked a certain food or drink, but later we discovered what we thought was joyful exuberance was actually their way of saying, “Please, not this again!” Perhaps we thought that they were merely tired, but later we discovered that they were groaning because of an internal pain.
God the Holy Spirit never makes those sorts of mistakes. As God, he shares all the attributes of the Father and the Son. And he has the special role of being our Comforter, the One who figuratively puts his arm around our shoulder to tell us that everything will be all right.
Maybe we’ve been blessed with people who do that – who cheer us up and say encouraging things to us. If so, we should give thanks to God for them. At the same time, the comforting work of the Holy Spirit is better.
First, unlike our fellow human beings, he understands perfectly. He understands what we are feeling and what all our loved ones are feeling. He is not ashamed of our weaknesses. Even a person who cannot talk is perfectly understood by the Holy Spirit.
Second, he puts himself in a position to do something about our weaknesses. The apostle Paul tells us that he “intercedes” for us – that is, he puts himself between us and whatever challenge we are facing. He translates even unspoken feelings and desires into his own language, a language that is filled with understanding and compassion. And then, in that language, he urges the Father and the Son to act on our behalf.
As parents, we certainly do feel weak and helpless sometimes. At those times, the Spirit reminds us that he has decided to make our challenges his own.
Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, what you inspired the apostle Paul to write is absolutely true: sometimes I do not even know what to pray for. Thank you that you always know. Thank you that you intercede on my behalf. Teach me to pray confidently, and remind me of the wonderful love of God that you have revealed to me through Holy Scripture. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
by Stephen and Margo Schmidt