“Why?” is an important question. It gets to the central issue. It is, we may say, the basic question. Why leads us to the reasons for whatever exists. Many never bother to ask why. They keep doing the same things without even thinking. Just going through the routine day after day without any bother to ask why.
Now, my friend, we are not a machine to do only one thing one way. God has given us minds with which we can think. We have the right, therefore, to establish the reasons for our actions. We can change if we want to and there are reasons to change. Of course, just to change for the sake of change isn’t really very smart. But we are not machines. We can make changes and we can think over the reasons why we do what we do.
From a very interesting experience in the life of Jesus in John 9:1-12, we learn about ESTABLISHING REASONS.
1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man who was blind from his birth.
2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.
4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
6 When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay,
7 And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
8 The neighbours therefore, and they which before had seen him that he was blind, said, Is not this he that sat and begged?
9 Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.
10 Therefore said they unto him, How were thine eyes opened?
11 He answered and said, A man that is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, Go to the pool of Siloam, and wash: and I went and washed, and I received sight.
12 Then said they unto him, Where is he? He said, I know not.
From this text we learn to follow the INSTRUCTIONS which will help us to establish reasons for what we do.
The first Instruction:
Examine the Problem.
This was indeed a very critical problem, for the man was born blind. The disciples asked a right question. They said, “Who sinned, this man or his parents?” That’s what I meant by saying a why question is a very basic one. It is hidden in their question. Why is this man like he is? Who sinned? Somebody must have sinned, they thought.
They reasoned that any problem like a disease or a handicap was indeed the result of somebody’s sin. But Jesus corrected that. While they were examining the problem He answered, “Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents.”
He gave them a correction. This is a situation where the glory of God is going to be manifest. He answered them to help them understand exactly what the problem was. But they had a right to examine the problem and that’s the instruction I’m bringing to you. First of all, to establish the reasons examine the problem.
Then Jesus went on with a directed acknowledgment. He said, “I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day because the night comes when nobody can work.” Do what is yours to do when you ought to d...
