Tragedy sparks wrong questions

Wrong question: "How could a good God allow such a thing?" Remember, we are all sinners. Right question: "How could a good God prevent such things from happening to so many of us?"

A good judge is one who does NOT prevent justice. He allows the criminal to get what comes to him. How could a judge be good and keep the justice system from exacting the punishment a criminal deserves?

Being good means you give someone what they deserve. What do you and I deserve, fellow sinners?

It seems that a truly good God would not have let ANY OR OUR children come home to us this week. His goodness is not in question when any of the sons of Adam suffer. His goodness is brought into question when he intercedes and prevents justice from having its way with us- prevents us from the suffering we deserve.

So how can God be good and keep so many of us sinners from experiencing the sorrow that our fellow countrymen experience tonight?

Answer- GRACE. Suffering beyond measure is what we deserve. The fact that our children came home Friday, along with with the children of millions of other sinners like us, speaks of the unfathomable GRACE of God- giving sinners what they do not deserve.

That same grace creates eternal life for children and saves sinners so that we sinners can be with our children again forever. Jesus said of small children like those who died in Newtown, CT, "Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."

Christmas is God sending HIS SON to suffer on our behalf. His Son paid the fine for the crimes we've committed so that we can go free.

We do not deserve the promise of a world where, one day, this kind of tragedy will happen no more. We deserve to live in a world where such things happen to all people in all generations forever. But Christmas brings good tidings of great joy of a world where, because God gave HIS SON for us, the curse is eradicated, sin is destroyed and tragedy like we have seen this week is no more forever.