About the School tragedy

Let me quote a scripture from Matthew 2:18.  "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."

This scripture was used by Matthew as a prophetic scripture originally found in Jeremiah 31:15.

The beginning of Matthew tells the Christmas story. The tragedy that happened today is as bad as it gets when it comes to human behavior and the scripture fits this situation perfectly.

I was working on my sermon this morning when the news broke. I was working on a joyful, uplifting sermon when all this happened. Now what? How can there be joy when so many families have lost their most precious gift, a child.   Why?

I have struggled all day with this news. I have cried, I have prayed and I have thought about what to say.

God is still God, Jesus is still alive and well and He now has 20 beautiful children with Him in Paradise. The world is no worse today than it was when Matthew recorded the above scripture when Herod had all the male children put to death from 2 years old and younger because of His anger over the fact that the wise men who were seeking Jesus had tricked him. We don't know the motive behind the shooter today but it doesn't matter anyway. What is done is done.

There are no possible words anyone could have for the parents of the children who have died in this tragedy. In this case we are called to weep with those who weep. So some will ask, "How could a loving God allow this to happen?"  Questions like that are using the wrong perspective. We try and understand things in this fallen world from our extremely limited perspective. God sees all, knows all, and is in control of all things.

What we are really asking is, God "IF" you loved us, you wouldn't let this kind of thing happen.
We are trapped in our own world view. The truth is God has already answered once and for all how much He loves us by allowing His own son to die on the cross for you and I and anyone who accepts His son Jesus.

God has felt the pain. God endured the same thing we are all experiencing in this tragedy, grief. But because He loves us so much, we will get to experience life the way it was originally meant to be in the next world. We have been called to eternal life because of our advocate and savior Jesus. A life eternal without such tragedies.  A place where there will be no more tears, no more sickness, no more hate, no more death. That is why I preach he gospel. That is why my life has been changed.  We are loved so much even in the midst of such unspeakable tragedies that we can go on and know with assurance that there is something much better to come. There is something to look forward to.

As David spoke when he lost his young son, "He will no longer come to me but I will go to him!"  There is hope. This is the season of hope even in the face of this tragedy. Jesus is you hope!  He has an answer. Put this tragedy into your "Life Refocus plan". It is the perfect time to do so.    What in this life are the real important things?  What have I been taking for granted? What trivial little things am I complaining about? What more could I possibly ask for this Christmas other than my health and the health of my friends and family?   Are you ready?

As Jesus taught us in His word,

Luke 12:39-40

³⁹ But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

Let us all be ready!  Accept the gift of Jesus. I was going to rewrite my entire sermon for this Sunday because of this tragedy but I have changed my mind. I will continue with my original plan to preach o the joy of the gospel because we need to hear the hope found in the story of Christmas. Please pray for the families who have lost their children. We will have a special prayer for them on Sunday. But we will not let our Joy of the Lord be stolen by the enemy.  Jesus is real, He has a plan for you. Accept Him into your life.  Sincerely, and with love, Kent

If you need to talk, 618-334-3575.