Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?

20Aug
Shall we receive the good at the hand of God, and not receive the bad?

-Job 2:10

I remember being angry and upset as a child when my father would declare something unpleasant was going to happen “because I said so”. I wanted to know exactly WHY some perceived injustice was inbound, but often he would make it clear that I was not entitled to an explanation. I know now, as a parent myself, that it is not only time-consuming and difficult to try and explain the “why” to a small child, sometimes it is actually impossible. The child lacks the wisdom, understanding or life experience to appreciate many situations and so - for a busy parent after a long day at work - the best and fairest answer to an immature child is often: “because I said so”. You, the parent, know that there is no injustice or cruelty in this answer because you, the parent, know the child and (crucially) you see the bigger picture the child cannot.


I think my relationship to God is like this. Of course, I am the child with limited wisdom and understanding in this analogy and God sees the bigger picture. When unpleasant or cruel things happen to me in life, I might feel justified to cry out to God for a “why”. Usually, there is no answer. I don’t really expect a booming “BECAUSE I SAID SO, THAT’S WHY” from above, but it would be nice at least to know for certain that God notices my distress. So far, I have no tangible assurance of this. As a physician, I see bad things happening to good people all the time - sometimes truly terrible and unfair things that should not have to happen to anyone. Why does this much suffering happen to kind and gentle people? How can a loving God allow it?


I suspect most of you have already decided upon the only answer that makes sense for a person of faith - that the “why” simply isn’t for us to know. To be righteous before God, to be in a proper relationship to God, is to understand that we must trust that God’s plan inexorably works itself out across many thousands of lifetimes. Perhaps the tragedy that happens to me in this small lifetime of mine - even a tragedy that ends that life entirely - could be necessary or useful somehow. How could I possibly know? As Job’s story teaches us, we must - at least with respect to how we see God’s role in the event - take the good with the bad and do so with equanimity. Something “bad” happening to me doesn't mean God loves me any less, just as something “good” happening to me says nothing about God’s love for me. God loves us all equally. If we believe that God's plan for the kingdom will someday come true broadly, then we must also believe that God’s plan for each of us must be about making us more perfect, rather than simply more comfortable. We cannot see far enough to see the plan, so we must - like Job - have faith. 


Musical Reflection - Why Me Lord - Kris Kristofferson


Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Trust

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