Frustrated, Confused, and Trusting God During this Coronavirus Plague

Dear Fellow Children of God,



Do you ever get frustrated with God?  Dissappointed?  Are you, at times, even angry with our Lord?  In truth, some people are afraid to admit their questioning of the Almighty Creator and Lord of the Universe.  After all, “If you’re going to pick a fight, you don’t want to fight the BIG guy!"  We should be in awe, have a righteous fear, of God. 



But, God wants us to be honest with Him, and with ourselves.  Our Lord can take our disappointment, our frustration, and our anger.  In fact, it is only when we are honest that we can then see our sin, our foolishness.  It is only when we are honest that we can see our real need for a forgiving Savior. 



People in Scripture have often questioned God, or argued with Him.  Think of Abraham.  Of Moses, Of Gideon, and the prophets.  The Psalms are also full of questions for God, questions about “Why?”, “When?” and “How Long?”  In addition, the book of Job is based on questions for God about why there is evil in our world, and why we face suffering in this life.  The playwright, Archibald McLeish, in his play “JB,": described Job’s questions in the following way.

            “If God is God, He is not good.

            If God is good, He is not God.”

In other words, if God is really in charge of this world, why do the people He loves face pain, trouble, suffering, and death?  In today’s language, why is the coronavirus ravaging our world?  The obvious answer to Job’s question, and to ours, though not a pleasant answer, is that, even though God is righteous and holy, His beloved children have rebelled against His righteousness, and wallowed in self-indulgence and sin.  We caused the evil, pain, and death.  Sometimes the truth is hard to take.



With these questions in mind, the readings assigned in liturgical churches for last Sunday, March 29, the fifth Sunday in Lent, seem especially suitable for our present situation, and for our questioning of God.  The Old Testament Lesson, Ezekiel 37:1-14, assured the prophet Ezekiel, and assures us, that God can even give life to dead, dry bones!  And, what beautiful assurance in last Sunday’s Epistle lesson from Romans 8:1-11, declaring God’s presence in our lives in the midst of our battle against evil.  Consider verse 11.  “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”  Jesus’ victory over death is our victory!  But, the reading that really struck home for me was the Gospel Lesson, John 11:1-53, the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.



Kathy and I attended worship online last week.  We sang the liturgy, prayed the prayers, sang the hymns, and listened to the sermon from our living room on Sunday morning.  The sermon by Vicar Jake Bellinghausen, of First Lutheran Church in Gainesville, FL, was right on.  The part of the Gospel lesson that really struck me is that, after Lazarus died, Martha, Mary, and their friends, all questioned Jesus.  Please read with me, John 11:20-27.  “20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world."



Do you hear the frustration, the anger even, from Martha that Jesus could have saved her brother, Lazarus from dying, but did not do so?  "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  (John 11:21)  In fact, Martha’s sister, Mary, asks the same question, (see verse 32), as do those gathered to comfort these sisters (see verse 37).  Martha’s questions are similar to Job’s questions.  “Lord, if you love us, if you loved Lazarus, and if you can heal and save, why did you not do so?”  Yet, even in her frustration and anger, Martha still had hope.  She had a blind faith. Listen to the rest of her conversation with Jesus. “But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you." (John 11:22)  In other words, “Lord, I don’t understand.  Jesus, I am hurt.  But I want to trust you.  I am trusting you.” 



Even for children of God, there are times of frustration, of anger, of suffering and loss, because we live in a sinful world.  Questions are normal for people of faith because the results of sin are real in our lives.  But, God can take our anger.  He is big enough to hear the truth, and to answer real questions.  Jesus answered Martha's question, saying, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Jesus, the Son of God, God Himself, is stronger than sin.  Jesus lived without sin (Hebrews 4:14-16), but paid the price for our wayward lives.  The love, the forgiveness of Jesus IS our life today, as Vicar Jake reminded us.  We don’t have to wait till eternity because Jesus is here now with His love and forgiveness.  And, Jesus who is our life, and “The Life”, is also THE Resurrection.  Jesus is stronger than suffering and death.  Jesus took the death which we deserve, and rose victoriously from the grave on Easter.  In the midst of the frustration, the anger, the suffering of this life, Jesus was still with Martha, and He is with us.



If you are like me, rather than having more answers about coronavirus, I have more questions.  Some of those questions are not only, “What is happening?”  One of my questions is, “God, where are you in this plague?”  The answer Jesus gave Martha, He gives us, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. . . Do you believe this?"  (John 11:25-26)



A Child of God, Frustrated, Confused, and Trusting God during This Coronavirus Plague,

Pastor Jonathan



P.S.   I had trouble sending my devotion last week because of the “links” to various stories and pictures.  I’m sorry for the delay.



P.P.S.  One of my prayers for this time of trial is that our churches and people grow in an understanding of how important our fellowship is as God’s people.  I pray there will be a longing for return to our worshiping communities.



P.P.P.S.  I do continue to fish.  I stay 6 feet away from others, and we have many less than 10 gathered at a time.

·       Here are some pictures of a day fishing with my brother, Stephen, on Orange Lake, 3-19-2020.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/36yhejSGsRyscXpC8

·       My wife said, in a Facebook post, that she never remembers me fishing on a Sunday morning before.  However, since worship was “online”, and Kathy and I worshiped at 7:30 a.m. on March 22.  She then agreed to go fishing with me on Sunday morning.  Here are some pictures.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/s49L2qV7gG9gKags9

·       Here are some pictures of me fishing with a “fishing buddy”, Randy. https://photos.app.goo.gl/DvXD65T9TxoswPp59

·       Here are some pictures from a fishing trip on March 26.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/cV78ntj2yFV5tMM27

·       Here are pictures from Sunday night, March 29.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/G3Qy4QvfLnG3uFuL7

·       Here is a picture with my brother, Stephen, again, on March 31.  https://photos.app.goo.gl/dCyMsKtc7MT6HezF8

*****

ABOUT THIS DEVOTION - I am now retired as senior pastor of St. John Lutheran in Palmer, AK.  This devotion was previously titled, "Thoughts from the Pastor."  However, with life's changes I will now call it "Journeys Through Life as a Child of God."  I am only sending this message to those who have asked o receive it.  If you know someone else who desires to receive this message, have them e-mail me at jonrock53@mtaonline.net.  You can also view this message on my Facebook page.

            A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WHY THEY ARE NO LONGER RECEIVING MY DEVOTIONS.  Since I’m only sending these e-mails to people who ask for them, many are no longer receiving them.  BUT, if you read this on Facebook and would like to receive them, or if you know someone who would like to receive these devotions, send me an e-mail at jonrock53@mtaonline.net, and I will add you to my distribution list.