Does Sin Cause Sickness?

So yesterday as I was driving to breakfast with a friend I had a thought that needs some fleshing out.  Basically it relates to the thinking that is described in John 9:1-2 NIV: "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?”

This thinking that sickness and disease were caused by sin were apparently common thoughts in the Jewish society.  This thinking is roughly based on the law and the idea that God punishes law-breakers (sinners).  Here are some of the main passages that talk about this thinking:

Exodus 20:4-6 NIV:
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. [5] You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, [6] but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."

Leviticus 26:14-16 NIV:
“ 'But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands, [15] and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant, [16] then I will do this to you: I will bring on you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and sap your strength..."

What I also find interesting is how common this thinking is in our society today, especially in the church. I must say it is present even in my own life, for one of the first things I think when I get sick is whether this is the result of some sin in my life.

Before I go on, let me say that I do NOT believe this thinking is true, even though I think that way at times.  I believe that disease and sickness are in the world as a result of our fallen nature which was the result of sin, but not that the two are directly related in our individual lives.  I believe that God is first and foremost a loving Father, and that He sent Jesus to save us, not to condemn us and punish us.  I could spend a bunch of time looking at the other passages and developing the logic to say this thinking isn't correct, but instead I am just going to jump to the thought I had yesterday.

So the thought I had yesterday was that Jesus demonstrated that God the Father (for He came to reveal the Father to us) does not cause sickness because of sin.  He demonstrated this through healing every sick person that was brought to Him.  There were only a few times that He addressed sin after healing someone, the rest of the time He just healed them!  He healed them but He didn't address their sins because apparently they weren't related!  Jesus addressed sin several times, but never said it caused our sickness or diseases.

Now imagine thinking to yourself that your sickness was caused by sin, and was the result of God's attitude towards you as a sinner.  Imagine how you would feel about your life, especially if you couldn't put your finger on the specific sin that was the cause of your punishment.  Now imagine all the people around you having the same perspective and how they would look at you, thinking you were clearly a sinner because you were sick.  The book of Job is great example of this type of thinking played out in excruciating detail.

Now imagine how you would feel if you met Jesus, the very Son of God, and rather than punishing you for your sin(s) He looked at you with love and healed you!

Imagine the impact on your self-esteem!

Imagine the relief that would sweep over you!

Now consider the fact that Jesus healed thousands and thousands of people!  He was setting them free from the accusations and judgments of their fellow men, and the enemy!  There must have been a huge uplift in in the regional psyche as thousands of people were set free of the "sinner" label.

The simple fact is that we all are sinners, and if sin and sickness were directly related we would all be sick, all the time.  Jesus, in the story from John 9, specifically says that the man's blindness was not caused by sin, and certainly alluded to that during the thousands of healings He performed without mentioning their sins.  We obviously don't have records of all of those healings, but in the vast majority of specific healings mentioned in scripture, He does not address their sin or need for forgiveness.  In His directions to the 12 He sent out to minister, He does not reference sin - Matthew 10:6-8 NIV: "Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give."

In summary, I believe that the Lord wants to set us free from this wrong thinking.  I believe He wants those who are presently sick to know that they are not being punished for their sin.  I believe He wants to set us all free from this accusation and old testament thinking about sickness and disease.  I believe the Lord wants to reveal to us His true heart for us, because He loves us and desires the very best for us.  I believe the Lord continues to heal people even today, AND has defeated sin and death.

Finally, in closing I thought this was appropriate - Quoting Psalm 103:1-5 NIV:

[1] "Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
[2] Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits---
[3] who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
[4] who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
[5] who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."