Hurricane Rita is ready to pound some Gulf coast towns into rubble tonight. She is the second monster storm to hit the Louisiana coast in a month's time. And we're all wondering why! Pornographers, perverts, pedophiles, and polluters will be blamed -- among others! We do the same thing when someone goes through a hard time in life. To make sure we don't have the same experience, we look for the cause and try to avoid making the same mistake. That's not all bad! Now that the link between much higher incidence of lung cancer and cigarette smoking is well known, there is more reason to teach our kids, 'Don't smoke!' Since it is a proven fact that excessive speed raises the probability of having an automobile accident, we should slow down.
But when things like hurricanes blow ashore, discovering a 'cause and effect' is much more difficult. We are tempted to invent one or guess at one, aren't we? It's an old human trait. Jesus disciples were wondering about a tragedy so they asked the Lord about a headline event that defied understanding. Jesus answer speaks to their hearts, because he knew they had made an assumption about the people who were suffering! They assumed that tragedy had befallen these people because they sinned. Jesus' response to their conclusion is compelling. Take a look. "About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were sacrificing at the Temple in Jerusalem. “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than other people from Galilee?” he asked. “Is that why they suffered? Not at all! And you will also perish unless you turn from your evil ways and turn to God. And what about the eighteen men who died when the Tower of Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will also perish.”" (Luke 13:1-5, NLT)
You know what is curious about Jesus' reply to me? He didn't offer a reason for the tragedies mentioned. His comment was - "Repent!" His words carry this message: "Stop feeling superior and understand that you, too, live in a world full of unpredictable events. Get humble before God and understand that unless you're living right before Him, when these kinds of things happen, you will perish."
Remember Job's suffering? Who doesn't? It was awful! He lost his fortune, his family, his health, his dignity, and his reputation. His friends came to comfort him and ended up blaming him, saying that his suffering was surely the result of personal sin! Eliphaz preaches to a broken Job: "Is not your wickedness great? Are not your sins endless? You demanded security from your brothers for no reason; you stripped men of their clothing, leaving them naked. You gave no water to the weary and you withheld food from the hungry, though you were a powerful man, owning land— an honored man, living on it. And you sent widows away empty-handed and broke the strength of the fatherless. That is why snares are all around you, why sudden peril terrifies you," (Job 22:5-10, NIV) Sounds reasonable, doesn't it? Except it wasn't true! Job's suffering was not the result of God's judgment, but because of God's trust! He allowed Satan to test this man to show the depth of Job's faith!
Let's continue throughout this day to be prayerful for those who will feel the crushing impact of this storm. Let's continue to pray for those whose lives remain shattered from Katrina's impact. Let's give generously. Let's listen to Jesus and repent, turning from our pride, our judgment, our assumptions and say,
"Lord, let me be your hands and use me to comfort those who suffer.
Help me not to blame, but to embrace.
Keep me from making a judgment that allows me to feel that I won't suffer in the same way because 'I don't deserve it' the way another did.
Lord, let me live mercifully and humbly in my world. Amen."
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