Who was the Blind Man?

John Chapter 9 is the famous story of Jesus healing a man who was born blind.  However, the most famous parts of the story are verses 1, 6 and 7.  While I was growing up, the only things I really remember about the story was that Jesus ran into a blind man, put mud on his eyes, told him to wash in a river and when the blind man washed in the river, he could see again.  When I was younger, the part that stuck out at me the most was how gross it would be to be healed from mud that was made from someone's spit.  However, after reading this story again a few days ago, I realized that this story is much more than just about mud made from spit.

To begin with, verses 2 and 3 give insight to an issue many people struggle with: the reason bad things happen to people.  When the disciples saw the blind man, they asked Jesus whether it was his sin or his parents sin that caused the man to be blind.  Since the man was born blind, did he sin before he was born?  If not, then it must have been his parents who sinned and caused the blindness; however, does that mean we will pay for the sins of our parents?  Clearly, the disciples believed that the cause of hardship in life is due to your sin.  This is a believe that many people believe today; some people believe in carma and other people believe believe that those who are struggling to make ends meet don't work hard enough.  However, Jesus replies to the disciples by stating that it was neither his sins nor his parents sins that caused the man to be blind; the man was blind so that God could show his works through the blind man.

Secondly, I believe another important part of John Chapter 7 are verses 18 through 23.  When the blind man was telling the Pharisees what had happened and how he was healed by Jesus, who is Christ, they did not believe he had been blind.  As a result, the Pharisees found his parents and asked if he had been born blind and who had healed him.  In response, the parents answered that the man was their son and that he was born blind, but did not know how he was healed.  They then mentioned that the man who was blind was old enough to speak for himself and told the Pharisees to ask him who healed him.  Verse 22 then goes on the say that the reason the parents mentioned the man who was blind was of age and to ask him how he was healed is because they were afraid they would be removed from the synagogue if they claimed that Jesus was Christ.  Not only was the blind man healed, but he was also a great witness to Jesus at the risk of being thrown out, which he later was.

After reading John Chapter 7, I realized that it is not simply a story about Jesus healing a blind man.  It also shows how bad things can happen to people, not because they have sinned, but so God can show himself to the world.  Chapter 7 also shows how the man who was born blind turned out to be a great witness.

State Park

On Saturday, my wife and I went to a state park about 30 minutes away from here. Here are some pictures that I took while we were there:

Who will go to Heaven?

I know one of the big questions some Christians have is will those who were not told about Christ go to heaven. While I was growing up, this was sometimes a touchy subject. Many people don't want to believe in a God who would allow people to go to Hell without being "given a chance" to know Jesus.

I have always known people who believe that those who were not introduced to Jesus will go to Hell. I believe this believe is based on John 3:16 and John 14:6.

However, I recently read Romans Chapter 2 and Romans 2:13 - 15 says, "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)" (NIV)

Does this mean that Jesus will judge those who have not heard the law (i.e. have not been told about Jesus) based on their conscience?

This seems to go against what I was taught when I was younger, but I certainly can't simply dismiss it.

Fourth of July

Below are two pictures of fireworks I took during the fourth of July. More of my pictures can be viewed from my online picture album. Feel free to click on the link to my album at the right.