As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth.

"Rabbi,"

his disciples asked him, 

"why was this man born blind? 

Was it because of his own sins or his parents' sins?"

"It was not because of his sins or his parents' sins," Jesus answered.

John 9:1-3 NLT

"Have you been good this year? 

If you have then Father Christmas will bring a you a present."

Maybe it's only my generation who were bribed like that!

The disciples were reflecting something of their culture which said someone has sinned and this is payback from God. 

Someone wasn't good enough.

Someone didn't keep the rules.

Look, here's the evidence of that. 

It must've been him or his parents...which one was it? If we look hard enough we'll find where someone, him, his parents broke the rules, weren't good enough.

Underneath that is this view that I'm not a blind beggar because I'm better. 

Better than him.

God's favour is on me because I'm better. 

This is Jesus' team that is asking him this.

His team who helped feed 5,000 in Ch6, who saw Jesus walk on water, heard him declare he is the bread of life, that he is the Messiah, that he is the living water in Ch7. He offered belonging and forgiveness to a woman threatened with condemnation and exclusion in Ch8 and said he is the light of the world...

And  here Jesus said no, you're looking at this wrong. 

Bread of life

Living water

Light of the world

Feeder of the hungry

Forgiver and welcomer.

That's who I am.

#restinthattoday