This week has been a week in which my family was touched by the evils in this world. I found myself as a Father reasoning with my grown child and contemplating the tragedy which had unfolded, the why’s, and the grief which it wrought. As we were going about the events of our week, Tuesday, there was a profound loss in the Yukon and Mustang communities as an entire family was lost to violence. Additionally, this week is the observance of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, which remembers the tragic loss of 168 souls in the bombing of the Murrah Federal building in 1995. Events such as these cause us to sometimes feel overwhelmed by the evil that is in our world. Sometimes these events cause us to ask questions, and sometimes, we ask why? Some question why a person could commit such acts, yet others pose the question as, “Why does a loving God allow such evil?”
Briefly, let us contemplate this and with the help of our Bibles we can be equipped to consider such questions and have an answer for them, understanding that these events are fully the fault of men, the fault of selfishness, the fault of sin.
Sin entered the world in the garden when Adam and his wife Eve partook of the fruit which God had forbidden (Gen 3:6-7). Because God loved us and created us with free will, sin exists. Because there is sin, men are allowed to be selfish, self-centered, and self-serving. This, Paul describes as sin ruling in the world. [Rom 5:12-14 NKJV] 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned– 13 (For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
In the first Century, there existed among the Jews an idea that sin on the part of a person or their parents could bring upon men certain illnesses. They held a belief that misfortune and disease was a judgement of God upon men. We see this in scripture a few times. In ancient times, this is the accusation of Job’s friends against him. In the days of Jesus, we see this by way of the disciples questions as they pondered why one had been born blind (Jhn 9:1-5). Jesus answer to this was that this particular blindness was not due to sin, but that He might have the opportunity to heal this man and so be made manifest and confirmed by this healing.
On another occasion, Luke records for us how some came asking Jesus about great evils and tragedy in their day. Notice their questions, and also notice Jesus answer. [Luk 13:1-5 NKJV] 1 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all [other] Galileans, because they suffered such things? 3 “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. 4 “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all [other] men who dwelt in Jerusalem? 5 “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Sin is the answer to why such tragedy happens. Sin is also the answer to why diseases afflict us, why the weather and phenomena of this earth afflict us. As King Solomon observed and contemplated all that men could engage themselves in, he concluded that men share in this life that all will end at the grave. Then, from this conclusion, he says, “[Ecc 9:11 NKJV] 11 I returned and saw under the sun that–The race [is] not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.” Solomon goes on to observe that fearing God, obeying His word, and living to serve Him was the only way that the days of men are not run in vanity (Ecl 12:13).
Paul provides for us the answer to such questions and contemplations as he addressed the Romans, “[Rom 5:8-11 NKJV] 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only [that], but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” God provided the salve for tragedy. God provided the answer that can heal in the face of such things by way of Hope.
Hope is so very powerful in each one of our lives. It is only by the blood and the sacrifice of Jesus our savior that we can find that hope. A hope that this mortal life with its sickness, afflictions, and tragedies is not the best that our existence will be. Jesus offers to us an eternal life through His sacrifice where we will overcome pain and suffering and death. We groan, the creation groans as we experience the pains of the curse of sin. Paul helps us to be encouraged and to make sense of it though. “[Rom 8:18-23 NKJV] 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected [it] in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only [that], but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”
These things don’t mean that we aren’t touched by tragedy, but we are not left hopeless, because of Jesus. Let us encourage each other, and encourage those around us to know the hope which is a salve to our hearts when we must face profound loss due to evil and due to events in our lives.