WHAT IF GOD WAS ONE OF US?
All too often, we complain without justification. In
our attempt to come to grips with our situations-in-life, there is a human
tendency to project blame onto The Divine. Theologians call it THE
PROBLEM OF THEODICY. That is, how could a good, just, loving and
all-powerful God allow evil to exist and prevail in the lives of so many?
I read an intriguing story that addresses this issue so
well. Although it’s not scripturally accurate, its application is
substantially sound. It goes something like this…
At the end of time, billions of people are scattered on a
vast plain before the throne of God.
Most shrink back from the brilliant light before them.
But some of the groups were talking rather heatedly among
themselves. They were not cringing with shame, but bristling with
belligerence.
“How could God judge us? What does he know about suffering?”
snapped a young Albanian. He removed his shirt to reveal a bullet-scarred
back. “In Kosovo, we had to endure sheer terror, shootings, unspeakable
torture!”
In another group, an aged aboriginal woman pulled a
crumpled, tear-stained photograph from her pocket. “What about this?” she demanded. “This
is my precious child. I have not seen her since the day she was stolen
away from us, for no crime, other than being black!”
In yet another crowd, a pregnant schoolgirl stood with sad
and sullen eyes. “Why should I suffer,” she cried out, “It wasn’t my
fault.”
Across the terrestrial plain, there were hundreds of such
groups. Each held a complaint against God for the evil and suffering He
permitted in their world. “How fortunate God is,” they collectively
complained, “to live in a Heaven where all is sweetness and light, where there
is no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What does God know about the horrible things
we are forced to endure in this world? God leads a totally sheltered
life!”
So each of these dissenting groups sent forth a leader,
chosen because he or she had suffered the most. A Holocaust survivor was chosen, along with a
scarred survivor of Hiroshima, a terribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide
child, a victim of terrible racism, a man whose wife had been murdered by a
drug addict, etc. In the center of the plain, they consulted with each
other. Now they were ready to present their case before The Throne.
It all seemed so logical and completely clever.
They rendered their collective verdict and presented it to
God. “Before you can be qualified to be our judge, you must endure what
we have endured. You will be sentenced to live on earth – as a man!
You must be born into a hated race. The legitimacy of
your birth must be doubted. You must be given a task so difficult that
even your family will think you are out of your mind when you try to do
it. You must be abandoned and betrayed by your closest friends. You
must face bigotry and false charges, then you must be tried by a prejudiced
jury and convicted by a cowardly judge.
After all that, you must be tortured. You must
experience what it means to be terribly alone.
Then you must die, knowing full well that you are innocent, but
appearing to be guilty to all those around you.
As God’s sentence was angrily announced, loud murmurs of
approval went up from the assembled throng.
But suddenly there was total and complete silence. No
one dared utter another word. No one moved. Suddenly, all were aware in their heart-of-hearts
that God had already served His sentence.
You see, Christ is our credible High Priest, i.e. the One
who is touched by the “feeling of our infirmities.” (Hebrew 4:15)
“Emmanuel, God with us,” has already come to us “in the likeness of sinful
flesh.” He was already “wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him…and with his
stripes we are healed.” (Romans 8:3 – Matthew 1:23 – Isaiah 53:5) And now
we are sons and daughters of the King of Kings!
Small wonder that Governor Pilate was moved to declare, “I
find no fault in him.” (John 19:4)
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