Morning Devotionals

by Don Emmitte

 

April 6th, 2008

 

"Life Is Not Fair (Part 3)"

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. (Luke 18:1-8a NIV).

As we continue in this extended min-series, let's start at the beginning. First, we live in a world that is sometimes very unjust. The Bible is very clear about the principle that whatever a person sows, he or she also reaps. But the truth of the matter is that we sometimes reap things we did not sow.

U.S. tennis champion Arthur Ashe underwent heart-bypass surgery in 1983. At that time, hospitals were not checking blood samples for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Through a blood transfusion, Ashe contracted that much dreaded disease. He did not suspect that he was infected until 1988, when he had to have brain surgery after his right arm became paralyzed. The surgery revealed a parasitic infection that quickly led to a diagnosis of AIDS. Ashe had not planned to reveal his illness until the time came when he would be noticeably changed by the disease physically. But USA TODAY demanded he confirm or deny the rumor that he had AIDS in 1992. The tennis star, ranked seventh in the world before he was forced to retire, bravely held a press conference and announced that he was indeed an AIDS victim.

Like anyone else, Arthur Ashe was tempted to aim his rage at God, but he conquered that temptation. Speaking at the Niagara County Community College in the fall of 1992, he testified to the place Jesus Christ held in his life. "I've had a religious faith, growing up in the South and black and having the church as a focal point of my life," Ashe said. "And I was reminded of something Jesus said on the cross: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' Remember, Jesus was poor, humble, and of a despised minority. I wasn't poor in that my father was a policeman, but we certainly weren't rich. And Jesus asked the question, in effect, of why must the innocent suffer. And I'm not so innocent--I mean, I'm hardly a perfect human being--but you ask about yourself, Why me?' And I think, Why NOT me?' Why should I be spared what some others have been inflicted with," he continued. "And I have to think of all the good of my life, of having a great wife and daughter, and family and friends, and winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and playing for and coaching the Davis Cup team, and getting a free scholarship to U.C.L.A. — all kinds of good things. You could also ask about this, Why me?' Sometimes there are no explanations for things, especially for the bad." 

What an extraordinary testimony. There are no explanations for many of the bad things that happen — at least no explanation understandable by our limited brains. But we need to admit that sometimes innocent people suffer. Life is sometimes very unfair.