Was it his sin or his parents’ sins that he was born blind? This was the question the disciples asked Jesus when they saw a man born blind. This kind of question was very prevalent among the Israelites. They believed that the sins of parents affect the children. They picked this idea from various sources. One of them is found from Moses’ record of what God said in Exodus 34:7, “.. yet by no means clearing the guilty, but visiting the iniquity of parents upon children, children’s children to the third and fourth generation.” Therefore, the Israelites believed that children were punished for the sins of their parents, and it passes down to several generations.

Jeremiah 31:29 prophesies, “In those days they shall no longer say: The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge.” Jeremiah clears this doubt. Prophet Ezekiel further clarifies this in his book Ezekiel 18:20 “The person who sins shall die.”

But the disciples asked Jesus the same question. Was it his sin or his father’s sin that he was born blind? It is a wrong question to Jesus. Jesus, the Messiah, the healer is here. He is there to give abundant life. Having already known Jesus, they should have asked Jesus to heal him. Jesus has not come to dig into the past and to blame. But he has come to give life. The same Jesus is present in our lives too. Go to him with the right requests, I am sure you will be blessed. May the dear Lord help us so that we enjoy the fullness of life available in Jesus! God bless!