Mensa Otabil - God Will Be Glorified (10/24/2025)
We are looking at an encounter Jesus had with a blind man in John chapter 9. We’ve looked at verses one and two; today, we look at the third verse. So, John chapter 9, verse 3: Jesus answered, «Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.» The question the disciples of Jesus had asked earlier is, «Who sinned? Whose problem is it? Is it the man’s sin or his parents?»
Jesus answers and gives a brilliant response: neither the man nor his parents. That is something we need to pause and take hold of. Jesus is basically saying it’s not the man’s fault; don’t blame him for his calamity. Don’t blame him for what has happened to him; don’t sit and judge him. You know, many times when people are in trouble, instead of helping them, we sit back and judge them and criticize them because we think they must have done something wrong. But sometimes people get into trouble without having done anything wrong.
Now, don’t get me wrong; sometimes a person’s sin can bring trouble to them. Sometimes a person’s own mistakes can bring them calamity. But sometimes people get into trouble, and you can’t blame them. Neither can you say that it’s an offense they’ve committed, and that is what Jesus is telling us. We have to have grace in our hearts, not to always seek blame and try to pin a fault on people simply because they are in trouble. In any case, when somebody is in trouble, do you really want to find out where the source is or discover what the solution is?
That also tells us spiritually, for those of us who believe that many of the woes of Christians or people today are based on curses or ancestral problems, and they want to trace your ancestry. It’s not always the case. There could be some cases where someone’s past may influence them, but most of the time, it’s just that something went wrong. Then Jesus said something else. He says, «Well, it’s not the man’s fault, but this is for God’s glory.»
God set this issue up to showcase His power. Did God make him blind? No, but God is going to use this blindness. God is going to use this calamity. God is going to use this problem to work His works. So, I don’t know what situation you are in. Probably you are also in a similar situation. You may not be blind, but something has gone wrong, and you’re wondering, «What did I do wrong? Is it my fault? Is it from my ancestors? Is it from my parents? Is it a spiritual attack from my family?» God says, «Just pause; I just want to showcase my power in your life.»
God is able to use the negatives of your life to work out His positives. God is able to use your falling to lift you up. God is able to use that which has come against you to bring His favor toward you. And that’s what God is saying-what Jesus is saying here: God is going to use this blindness to work His works. The thing with God is He can start with anything to do His work. He can start with zero to work His works. He can start when you are negative to work His works. He can start when you are down to work His works. No matter where you are, He finds you and works His work.
So, Jesus is telling His disciples to stop looking for blame and to look for God’s glory. Stop criticizing and look for God’s glory. Look for God’s work; look for God’s intervention. I pray that we will have the same attitude toward other people so that instead of blaming, we will look for God’s glory, we will look for God’s work, we will look for God’s beauty. May the Lord take you from wherever you are to wherever He wants to take you, in Jesus' name.
Let’s pray. Say with me, «Heavenly Father, I know You will use my situation to showcase Your glory to the world, in Jesus' name. Amen and amen.» Well, I’ll catch you again tomorrow. I’m Pastor Mensa Otabil. Shalom, peace, and life to you.