Unanswered questions Week 8, 2014

Perhaps you are facing darkness of some sort in life. Darkness mingled with pain. Perhaps you have sought to make meaning of it all and desire to cry out “God! Why?”. Do you realize that Jesus asked God “Why?” in a question which we have no record of a verbal answer?

He’d been hanging on the cross from 9am, and 3 hours later at noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.  At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "Eloi, eloi, lema sabachthani?", which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"Mk 15:33, 34(ISV).  In all the gospel records no verbal answer from heaven is recorded, but without doubt the Father heard.

O how many of us cry out and become dejected when we get no answer. Heaven’s silence did not mean Jesus is no son. He is the unique son of God. In heaven there was silence following Jesus’ action: When the Lamb broke open the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Rev 8:1(GNB)  Your hearing silence now is no indication you are no child of God.

What do we do then? In  Jesus we have our example and pattern. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses. Instead, we have one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet he never sinned.Heb 4:15(ISV).

Some say don’t ask God “why”. Since Jesus never sinned how come some teach that we must never ask God “Why?” when confounded? Consider Hannah: but I poured out my soul before Jehovah…  for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken1Sam 1:15, 16 (ASV) .

Her cry was silent, a burden poured out voicelessly. Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and so it was not a secret cry.

It is good to cry out to God in our bitter pain. But His cry was not a rage against heaven, a fist shaken against the Almighty. It was and is the greatest expression of faith: “My God, my God…” not “this God”. Is it not painful worship? Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped …  Job 1:20(KJV).  At such times cry out to God honestly: call Him “My God” and so worship Him in the midst of your pain.

The next thing we see is Jesus’ action to fulfill scripture. Jesus, that the scripture might be accomplished, saith…. Jn19:28 (ASV) When you face silence from heaven ask “what scripture in my situation remains to be fulfilled?” Then do it. Give; do what God had said to be done in your situation. His glory will  come. Call Him “Father”, and genuinely commit your cause, your spirit, to Him.

I believe God answered. Heaven’s apparent silence is but for a moment. God is not silent as our senses may think, but on is course. He answered in tearing the curtain separating the holy of holies from human access in two from top to bottom (Lk 23:45), He answered in continuing the work for which Jesus Christ cried out in pain at the cross. Shall He not confirm and complete you as well?