you know...while contemplating the thread I thought about this.
At the time of Christs birth. In order to fulfill the prophesies spoken about Him, there was a time of great child slaughter.
Imagine that. I mean, could God not have "planned" it another way?
I think that most of you know as well as me, that it was that way for a reason. And there are times that we just do not understand what God allows to happen.
I have to wonder. I would think that if I were a parent I would do every thing in my power to take my children away from there. To get out of dodge. But we know that most did not. Most had their babies killed right before their eyes.
Then I would have to think I would have taken out half the men that came to kill my child and they would have had to kill me before they ever got to them. But, alas, it more than likely did not happen that way. Parents were forced to give up their children. What a tragedy...to us that is...if we look at it that way...
Then, I have to wonder, how many of those parents Jesus touched. How many of those parents that gave up their children, did Jesus come into contact with. What sorrow He must have had in His heart. What compassion our Savior had on them. What love is this...
Time would drag on if we were to name all the crazy circumstances that surround life. Another one that pops in my head is the man who the disciples asked Jesus who sin made him that way, his own or his parents.
Jesus never told a lie, and sometimes we let that thought slip our mind. It was not just an accident that this man had suffered nearly ALL HIS LIFE in that condition. Jesus said, it was neither. God did this in order to display His work through him.
Imagine that. A whole life of misery, all because God wanted to show His work through that individual. But wait....think about it...what if you were that man...and heard these words....wooooooohhooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!
I mean really. All of a sudden you knew you had this ailment all your life, and never understanding why. People always telling you it was because of your sin, or your parents....
Then, here is this man. Claiming to be the Son of God. And He said it was God who did it. What an emotional time. Then, you hear Him spit. Then you feel the wet mud on your eyes, and He tells you to go wash your face. What!!!! You have just been told, "hey it was not your sin, or your parents, it was God who did this to you", oh....and by the way....I am going to spit on some mud and now I want you to wash your face.
But he did, and then he could see. At that moment do you think that there was any doubt what had taken place in this mans life? He knew full well what he was before, and what he was after. There was no one going to take that understanding from him. I love the exchange that takes place after this.
"Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind."
The man started teaching the men who were renowned for their knowledge of God. I don't know about you, but during this whole account I never heard any negative thing said from him about his situation. Not once. I mean... wouldn't you have at least asked Jesus afterwards..."hey, why me?".
Oh....I think that we too often project what is to be pitied, and not, onto people. Oh....the greater pity is that there are men and women who just do not have anyone to teach them the truth about eternity. We see the temporal...God see's the eternal...and He even tries to show us if we would just open our eyes...if we would just allow Jesus to spit in some mud, and do what He says...
This is a tragedy, but what if we looked for what God might do through the situation with these kids. Seeking His will for the situation, looking to see His power and might displayed in these children. Or...we can sit back and condemn...get mad...let anger build in our heart....
Its our choice...