Why does God make children suffer?

By William Pelrine Jr.

In the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to John in The Holy Bible, Jesus is asked something similar to this frequently asked question above.

“As he went 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?’

 ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’” (John 9:1-3)

 Soon after saying this, Jesus gave this blind man his sight for the first time in his life.

Many witnesses had seen the man blind and begging.  When they saw that he could see, his neighbors began to ask, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” (John 9:8b)  The man who had been blind from birth told them that he was the same man.

 After he told his neighbors how Jesus gave him back his sight, his neighbors brought the one who had been blind to the Pharisees.  The Pharisees were the religious leaders of the time period in which Jesus lived in Israel.

     The day Jesus gave this man blind from birth his sight was a Sabbath day.

     “Some of the Pharisees said, ‘This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.’

     But others asked, ‘How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?’ So they were divided.” (John 9:16)

Many of the Pharisees didn’t believe in Jesus being a righteous man despite this man’s testimony that he gave him the sight which he never had his whole life.  They threw this man out of the temple saying, “how dare you lecture us!” (John 9:34b)

 All he told them is that he had been blind from birth and that Jesus had given him his sight.

 After Jesus heard the man had been thrown out he came to him and told him he (Jesus) is “the Son of Man.” (John 9:35b)

 He also said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.’

 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, ‘What?  Are we blind too?’

 Jesus said, ‘If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.’” (John 9:39-41)

 It was for heroic efforts of faith such as this that Jesus was condemned to death by these religious leaders of his day.  He showed that taking suffering away from people who suffered since birth was a very costly endeavor.  It cost him his life.  He shed his precious blood by dying on the cross.  I believe that to follow Christ will cost us our lives also.

 Some Christians in this day and age have this gift of healing.  I have watched Christian television and videos where people are miraculously healed through the power of Jesus.  This shows that the healing power of Jesus is still alive in the Church today.

 The prophet Isaiah foretold long before Christ walked the earth “…God will come…Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.  Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.” (Isaiah 35:4b, 5, and 6)

I believe, to be healed, we must have the faith of this man blind from birth and go to Jesus in prayer and ask for healing.  We can also go to people who have a healing ministry in the Church ask for them to pray for healing for us. 

 Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.  Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.  All rights reserved.