If God's Your Father

Recent news in New South Wales has highlighted political debate around a proposed religious discrimination bill which was intended to protect people of faith.  Others have shared their concerns that by protecting believers it could legalise discrimination towards other people groups, even those who have physical disabilities.  Tennis champ and Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott revealed at the age of 16 he was singled out by a "preacher" and called "the spawn of Satan" as he sat in a queue in his wheelchair whilst on a date.  An article expressed his concern "...that some 'more traditional' religions believe people with disabilities are a spawn of Satan and view their disability as a punishment because they or their parents have done something wrong."  It is evident those hurtful, horrendous words wounded Dylan.  I have no idea of the religious beliefs of that preacher, but from a Christian vantage point it was a wicked and sinful thing to say.

Beliefs can be a tricky minefield to navigate:  one person can make a false, hurtful accusation, and the one injured then believes a whole group of people are again them.  It is possible we can make caricatures of those we do not understand or agree with.  In Dylan's case, I do not doubt for a second someone would make such an evil, callous remark because Jesus dealt with such self-righteous judgments of His disciples, and people have not changed.  John 9:1-3 tells us, "Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" ³ Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him."  Seeing a man who suffered blindness from birth, men who followed Jesus looked for someone to blame.  Someone must have sowed seeds of sin to reap the fruit of blindness.  Jesus showed this view was all wrong and missed God's redemptive plans.

Jesus, being God with all wisdom, knowledge and authority, rejected full stop this man's condition was a result of a particular sin.  All have sinned, yet God's grace was clearly apparent by giving judgmental men sight who were blind to God's redemptive purposes and power.  There is a flawed assumption held by many that God rewards the deserving with good health and prosperity, and that sickness, disability or suffering is always a result of sin--despite the examples of the Book of Job or the blind man.  And what of God's statement in Exodus 4:11:  "So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?"  A person who has suffered from a disability, judged disabled or called God-forbid "the spawn of Satan" by fellow human beings can have their eyes opened to realise God has His purposes in creating a person who is mute, deaf, seeing or blind.  This knowledge should not prevent us from loving, showing compassion and standing up for those who are vilified for differences.

Some accuse God of cruelty or unfairness for causing a man to be born blind or to have a tumour wrapped around the spinal cord at birth.  On the authority of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world we can know God has purposes beyond our imagination.  By faith and obedience to Jesus the man born blind was miraculously made to see.  Though rendered paralysed by an operation, Dylan Alcott went on to compete in tennis and has inspired our nation and the world, even boldly saying he loves his disability--not because it made his childhood easy or makes life more convenient--but because of the countless positives obtained through it.  He has a platform to speak as an advocate of those who have endured disabilities and have been marginalised, having been shaped in part by all he has persevered through.  From a Christian perspective, God is the central part of everyone's story as our Maker.  Since He redeemed the crucifixion of His only begotten Son by providing salvation, forgiveness and eternal life through faith in Jesus, He can also redeem our light afflictions which seem to drag on permanently.

Jesus identified those self-righteous hypocrites as children of Satan who claimed to honour and worship God but rejected Him as the Son of God.  John 8:42-45 reads, "Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. ⁴³ Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. ⁴⁴ You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. ⁴⁵ But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me."  There are many religions and preachers out there, and anyone who says a disabled person is the "spawn of Satan" had better shut their mouths and take a look in the mirror.  Those who do not listen to Jesus Christ or speak with a loving desire to see people receive salvation through Jesus, braying such vicious accusations reveals your own soul to be in grave danger.

It is most lamentable Dylan, the man born blind and Jesus Himself faced persecution and hatred for basically existing.  I cannot speak to those outside the church but I exhort followers of Jesus, those members of the body of Christ, to do and say according to the example provided us by Jesus Himself:  to love the LORD our God, love people, and make disciples of Jesus by grace through faith in Him.  It is only by being born again we can be enabled to walk in wisdom and exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit exemplified in love.  It is beyond our power to right past wrongs or to take back sinful and ignorant words even we have said, but we can humble ourselves before God and love one another as He loves us.  If the LORD can be glorified through a person being born blind, He can be glorified when we apologise for our foolish pride and humble ourselves to genuinely love others.  Since God is our Father, we ought to hear His word and humbly walk in His ways.