Sickness and glory

A good friend of mine was telling me that a family member has been diagnosed with a horrible incurable illness that leads to a painful slow debilitating death. The entire family is devastated and a couple of them are wondering what sin that they might have committed in order for God to punish them and him in such a manner. Apparently their belief system is such that this disease has to be direct punishment from God.

Hmmm I’m not saying that sin does not result in punishment, it surely can, but just because a bad thing happens to a good person does not mean God is taking us to the woodshed either. God has various purposes for the trials that we endure including punishment, purification, preparation, and the glorification of God to name a few.

It can be said with little fear of contradiction that the Bible makes clear that our bodies are subject to God’s curse for all of mankind because of the original sin in the Garden of Eden. Prior to Eve and subsequently Adam’s willful sin against the Lord our bodies were absolute perfection. Because of sin, suffering, pain and death entered the world and our bodies are now subject to decay and disorder in the cosmos. Things now fall apart, people get sick. Black evil is alive and surrounds us like a dark ominous cloud.

The book of Job completely rejects the view that sickness and other afflictions indicate that sufferers have sinned. Just apply a little logic here. If it were possible that sickness and death or any form of physical corruption could be conquered and avoided by living a Godly life free from sin without any taint of moral corruption, then what need would there have been for Jesus to come to this earth. The righteous would go on living forever and only the ungodly would die. The Bible negates this concept by saying all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and thus we are all susceptible to the consequences of sin in death and sickness.

Jesus was asked what sin made the blind man blind; was it from the parents or the blind man’s sin that caused his affliction? Jesus answered neither, it was done to demonstrate the power of God in healing Him. Jesus did not cause the blindness to demonstrate His power. He extended His mercy to someone afflicted by the imperfections now existant because of the Garden of Eden as a precursor to the mercy that He would soon extend to the entire world forever.

It is fruitless to dwell on the why of sickness too long. There will not be satisfactory answers forthcoming. It is better to devote all of our energy to responding to the sickness in a way that is pleasing to God. Times of sickness are when we need God the most. When we reach out to Him in faith, He responds with His comfort.

If you insist on knowing an answer for sickness then dwell on this Bible verse and then look for ways to make it happen in your family’s lives.

Joh 11:4
When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.