The disciples and the Pharisees both thought the man was blind because someone sinned (John 9:2, 34). Why? Maybe they thought this because Psalm 66:18 says “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” And in Exodus 15:26 God told Israel, “If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer.”
Yet Jesus clearly stated the blindness was not caused by the sin of the parents or the man (John 9:3).
We need to be careful not to build doctrines on assumptions. God’s promise to Israel regarding diseases was not a blanket promise they would have no illnesses or diseases, but a promise to protect them from Egypt’s diseases and to safeguard them until they reached the promise land.
God is definitely our healer (Psalm 103:3; James 5:16). But, don’t we first need healing in order to be healed? Didn’t James tell us some of us would become ill? (James 5:14). And yes, some illnesses are because of sin (John 5:14; James 5:16). But it is dangerous to try to see into another person’s heart (Isaiah 16:7; Mt 7:1; 2 Cor 10:12)
Let’s not try to guess about the cause of brother’s illness. Let’s ask God to help us examine our own hearts (I Cor 11: 28-32; Romans 14:12-13).
