“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.“
Matthew 5:43-45
Did you ever wonder why good things happen to bad people? Sunshine on Evil and good…We are more prone to believe that bad things happen to good people. Rain on the just and the unjust . As we grow older we may tend to be judgmental in our view of what happens to OTHER people. . . .Why does this always happen to me?
“An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked. We are more often disgusted and judgmental than loving and compassionate.” – Proverbs 29:27
- UNJUST: unrighteous, morally perverse, evil
- ABOMINATION: disgusting
- JUST: lawful, righteous man
- UPRIGHT: lawfully straight in his course of life by custom, conversation, and manners
- WICKED: morally wrong, guilty, ungodly wrong doer
As a young Christian I did hear a preacher say that a man was in the hospital “having his tithe taken out.” This was a satement intended to bring fear and obedience to the listeners. Unfortunately this is one of many a false statements used by unscrupulous teachers that promotes fear and ignorance rather than peace and love.
“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:1-3
“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”
– Matthew 5:45
Two Reasons Bad things happen to good people:
- IDENTITY: The children must be like their father.
- COMPARISON: The children of God must be better than the children of this world.
“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
– Matthew 5:44
We are hoplessly caught up in the cause and effect of the circumstances of our lives.
QUESTION: Who did sin?
“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?” – John 9:1-2
“Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” – John 9:3
The truth is that there are people that shop on Sunday that find great bargains. And there are people who go to church and have terrible car wreck on the way. (Who did sin?)
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28
It is true that shallow and untrue statements by well-meaning people have left scars and wounds that can not be mollified.
“I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” – Luke 13:3
PASTOR WAS SWINDLED OUT OF HIS RETIREMENT FUNDS (Who did sin?)
FISHING BOAT SANK AND EVERY ADULT MAN OF A CERTAIN CHURCH DROWNED (Who did sin?)
3000 PEOPLE WHO DIE AT THE TWIN TOWERS (some were going there to help rescue others . . . who did sin?)
BABIES WHO DIE IN CHILD BIRTH (Who did sin?)
TRAIN COLLISONS IN LONDON (Only wicked people on the two trains? . . . who did sin?)
SMOKERS GET CANCER (SO DO NON-SMOKERS) (Who did sin?)
2,976 people died on Texas roads 2021? (Who did sin?)
| “Some of us have heard in our own experience instances of men who have blasphemed God and defied Him to destroy them, who have suddenly fallen dead; and in such cases, the punishment has so quickly followed the blasphemy that one could not help perceiving the hand of God in it. The man had wantonly asked for the judgment of God, his prayer was heard and the judgment came. And, beyond a doubt, there are what may be called natural judgments. You see a man ragged, poor, houseless; he has been profligate, he has been a drunkard, he has lost his character, and it is but the just judgment of God upon him that he should be starving, and that he should be an outcast among men. You see in the hospitals loathsome specimens of men and women foully diseased; God forbid that we should deny that in such a case—the punishment being the natural result of the sin—there is a judgment of God upon licentiousness and ungodly lusts. And the like may be said in many instances where there is so clear a link between the sin and the punishment that the blindest men may discern that God hath made Misery the child of Sin. But in cases of accident, such as that to which I refer, and in cases of sudden and instant death, again, I say, I enter my earnest protest against the foolish and ridiculous idea that those who thus perish are sinners above all the sinners who survive unharmed.” |
“Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.” – Job 14:1
“Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.” – Romans 14:4
“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” – Psalm 51:1
First of all the Lord said there is none good, no not one.
“They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” – Romans 3:12
Somehow we have the false assumption that our own sins are not deserving of the same judgment as the sins of those other sinners.
“It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.” – Lamentations 3:22
Two Reasons Bad things happen to good people:
- IDENTITY: The children must be like their father. (In all circumstances)
- COMPARISON: The children of God must be better than the children of this world. (They must return good for evil to authenticate their new nature)