Why?

The question 'Why?' is put forth five-hundred and ten times in the Bible.  Not all are a question of inquisitiveness; some are descriptions - (this is why something happened) - but more often than not, the question becomes an accusation.  After praying for God to allow them to have a family, Rebekah becomes pregnant and when the boys struggle inside of her during the pregnancy she asks, "If it is to be this way, why do I live?"  (Genesis 25:22)

Often when we get what we ask for (or even get what we deserve) we ask God 'why' to accuse him for not fulfilling all of our wishes.  I would guess we've all done that at least once or twice, but usually the question stays hidden deep in our spiritual emptiness.  We don't want to ask God why he has allowed something to happen (the pious way of saying it) or accuse him directly of manipulating our lives, ruining them, for fear that something even worse will happen.

It doesn't seem like the biblical figures had that issue.  They never seemed to fear asking (or accusing) God with the question 'Why?'

You will be in the right, O LORD, when I lay charges against you; but let me put my case to you (anyway).  Why does the way of the guilty prosper?  Why do all who are treacherous thrive?  You plant them, and they take root; they grow and bring forth fruit; you are near in their mouths yet far from their hearts.  (Jeremiah 12:1,2)

This seems like the antithesis of what we wrote about yesterday, that the wicked shall not prosper and certainly not bear fruit.  Jeremiah accuses God of actually planting those people there to be thorns in the side of the people of Israel and when they take root, they are taking what belongs to the people of Israel.

The question 'Why' continues to resound in minds and hearts of the faithful and non-faithful alike.  The faithful ask the question when they feel like their faith is being attacked.  The non-believer asks the question to somehow validate their own disbelief that there is no God, that somehow God should reward all people at all times, that somehow trials and tribulations are a sign that God is impotent, not omnipotent.

When the disciples ask Jesus a question in the book of John about a blind man, the question is changed from 'Why?' into something entirely ignorant of the way God works.  "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents that he was born blind?" (John 9:2)

Instead of asking 'why?' the disciples have an understanding, passed down through the generations, that a powerful God is a punishing God, one that continues to punish through layers of family dynamics (which does happen sometimes).  Jesus responds, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him."  (John 9:3)

The difficult part to understand is that God's works could have been revealed in that man even if his sight was not restored, but Jesus' nature was revealed in that brief passage: the God who answers the question 'Why?' in the midst of softened criticism or accusation.  I'll tell you why things happen: because this world is a broken place and even in the midst of spiritual blindness, I can open eyes again, I can bring light to this world, I can restore you all to God.  That's why.

There is nothing wrong with questioning God about what happens in life.  If the biblical heroes can take their time to address what they believe to be an injustice, why can't you?  Why can't I?  But we might be surprised by the answer that comes a little later in life.