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The Problem of Evil
Mar
11
Written by:
Sunday, March 11, 2007
3rd Sunday of Lent
March 11, 2007
Jesus is asked a question today that is on many people's minds at one time or another: why do bad things happen to good people? (Luke 13:1-9). More specifically, why did that tower fall on those people? Is it because they committed more sin then other people did? Did they deserve it? Were they any guiltier than anyone else? Why, why, why?
Jesus answers this by saying, in effect, "You are asking the wrong question!" Yes, from our perspective these are all legitimate questions, but Jesus has the divine perspective: he sees things a bit differently than we do. Jesus has a different vantage point: we are in time, he is in eternity. We tend to see only immediate effects of tragedies and suffering; Jesus looks at the eternal consequences of these circumstances.
For Jesus, many of the seemingly inexplicable events of our lives are really opportunities for repentance. For example, while an illness may be inconvenient and perhaps unfair, it also reminds us forcefully of our mortality and that our true home lies elsewhere. A collapsing tower or bridge can force us to think about our lives and where they are going, and perhaps even to realize that everything we accomplish in this life is transitory except what is done for God, and what is done out of love. Everything else will one day fall down.
Repentance in essence means to turn around. When we repent, we re-establish our priorities, goals and values according to those things that really matter. Not only does this glorify God, but repentance is in our own best interests as well. Seeing the world as it really is is one of the best ways to live a full life here on earth as well as one that truly prepares us for the eternal life to come, and this is what Lent is all about.
Father Gary
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