Whenever a crisis ensues, large or small, looking to asses blame seems to be a part of the human condition. The COVID-19 crisis leaves plenty of room for that character trait to be expressed. Our leaders did not make adequate preparations; the news media is overhyping the situation; the American people are too independent and ignore directives easily; other nations are taking advantage of us, and……...
All these things may have some partial basis in facts. As this pandemic is analyzed these and other questions will be discussed. Need-fully so.
However, scripture invites us to answer the "blame" question through a different lens. Two passages invite us to consider another way of responding. John 9 records the healing of a man blind from birth. The question that is posed in verses 1-2 is the blame question. "As he walked 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?'"
This question reflected the prevailing theology of Jesus’ day. Blame and tragedy were laid at the feet of the one who suffered. What did you do to deserve this? Your parents must have sinned, and their indiscretion became your blindness. The sins of the fathers and mothers were visited upon the children.
Jesus broke that train of cause and effect when he said in verse 3, "Neither this man nor his parents have sinned..." The importance of Jesus’ teaching must not be underestimated. Human suffering and tragedy are much more than seeking whom to blame.
What did Jesus say was the reason for the man’s blindness at the conclusion of verse 3? "...[H]e was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him."
This conclusion must be handled with care and compassion. To tell a person that God’s purposes are being revealed through their suffering is small consolation. At the same time, it is true that when we endure suffering with a sense of God’s presence and purpose, then the meaning of suffering can be transformed. We bear witness through our endurance to the broader work of God in the world. It is an opportunity to demonstrate the glory of God in our lives.
No one is to blame. The glory of God is revealed.
Luke 13:4 tells a similar kind of story. There was a construction accident when a tower fell on the workers. Scripture tells us that 18 were killed. This kind of tragedy was sure to be on social media and the evening news.
Again, the question of who was responsible and who sinned lie behind the question of Jesus. "...[D]o you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?"
Jesus' answer in vs. 5 broke the "cause and effect" theology when he said, "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."
Hmm. The issue is not the revelation of God’s glory but rather an internal moment. "Unless you repent you will perish as they did." Was Jesus continuing the blame game in a more subtle manner?
I do not believe he was. Rather, Jesus is saying that any tragedy, suffering, or human dilemma is an opportunity for self-examination. Rather than seeking to blame, we should use this moment as an opportunity to repent. Not repent of any wrongdoing regarding the specific incident but rather respond to the invitation to "turn toward" Jesus once again. The collapse of the tower gave Jesus' followers a chance for self-examination and a reorienting of their lives toward God.
Now regarding the COVID-10 virus. Suffering is immense. The disruption of our lives is real. The sobering reality of many people not having access to needed services rests upon each of our consciousness. This is nothing to be trivialized in word, thought, or deed.
Who is to blame? How did Jesus answer that question? That God’s purposes and glory might be revealed; repent and reorient your life toward God.
John Jantzi
District Executive Minister
Shenandoah District
Quotations are from the New International Version
