I used to be one of those people who, when I saw someone having a lot of bad things happening to them, assumed that they were “being punished” by God for something wrong they had done. You’ve probably thought the same thing a time or two in your life. I suppose we’ve all been guilty of this kind of thinking.
But then I saw a pattern in the scriptures that helped me overcome this wrong thinking. Maybe this will help you too, if you’re one who has leaned towards judging others (instead of encouraging them) when they’ve had tragic circumstances in their life. Watch this closely… it is a recurring thought through the Bible.
1. When Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta, he was helping collect sticks for a fire when a venomous viper latched on to his hand and bit him. The islanders who saw it happen said, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live” (Acts 28:4). You see, they thought (just like we sometimes do) that if someone has something bad happen to them it’s because there’s some kind of sin in their life that they’re being punished for. The story goes on and tells us that Paul did not die from the snake bite. He was God’s servant doing God’s mission …. God preserved his life.
2. When Job was stricken with sickness and was near death’s door, a group of his closest friends came to “comfort” him. If you know the story you remember that three of his friends consistently accused him of having sin in his life, assuming that to be the cause and reason for his great misfortune. God Himself, however, testifies of Job before his tragic set of circumstances, “There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil” (Job 1:8). Listen, if God is testifying that you’ve done nothing wrong then you don’t need any further witnesses.
3. There is one other person in the Bible who gets falsely accused of having shameful sin in his life, thus resulting in tragedy. His story is prophesied in Isaiah 53 where it says, “We considered him PUNISHED BY GOD, stricken by him, and afflicted “ (Isaiah 53:4). Yes, this is referring to none other than Jesus Himself. When He was dying on the cross there were those who looked on and shook their heads and said, “He has done something terribly wrong to suffer this punishment from God.” I remember, when I was a small boy, the first time I saw a picture of Jesus dying on the cross, I asked my grandmother, “What did that man do wrong that made those people do that to him?”
So, here are three good examples of people suffering difficulty and tragedy that was not related to some kind of punishment for their sins. Do you know that there are world religions that believe if you’re poor, weak, sick, lame, blind or have other difficulties, it’s because you were a bad person, either in this life or a previous life? These religions refuse to help such people because it is thought that they are receiving their “just reward” from God (their “karma” if you will), and that to help them would take away their punishment and hinder the cleansing process for their past sins.
Christianity is a religion of compassion and forgiveness. Don’t fall into the trap of dead religions in the world that judge people who are in desperate need of comfort. And, if you’re suffering difficulties in your life, don’t allow people or Satan himself to point an accusing finger at you. Someone has already paid the price for your past sins and failures. The man mentioned in POINT NUMBER 3 ABOVE!
