[Kindly read my previous two posts to understand the context of this one. Thanks.]
I saw in several posts on Facebook a quote from Pastor Jun Cebanico, Given Grace Cebanico’s father, that says, “We don’t understand but God understands.”
When Pastor Jun Cebanico said this, he probably meant, “We don’t understand why this happened but God does.” And this is so true. We humans have limited vision and knowledge. We experience time in a limited way. But God is not bound by our limitations. He sees all of time as a whole. He knows every consequence and every result of the chain reaction of consequences every single event produces. His wisdom and knowledge takes into account every single event in history. Such things we could not even grasp.
In the book of Habakkuk, Habakkuk asked God why God’s answer to the violence and injustice in Judah was greater violence by the hands of the Babylonians who were sent to invade Judah. God’s answer? “You would not understand even if I told you.”
It’s not that God did not want to explain it. It’s more of that Habakkuk would not even have the capacity to grasp the answer even if God explained it. Why more pain? Why more injustice? It would take a very long explanation here but centuries later, this very event led to the events that would cause the rapid expansion of the gospel in the whole Roman empire, the salvation of the world and the dramatic reduction of violence and injustice in the Empire. But how would Habakkuk understand?
I guess it was like a doctor trying to explain to a 2-year old toddler the intricacies of why he needed to administer the antibiotic shot. Could you imagine this dialogue with me?
“Baby, you have been infected by a strain of Gram positive bacteria that is currently attacking your digestive system. If the infection persists, your system would release so much water through your bowel movement and vomiting that you would soon be dehydrated. Do you follow? What you need is an antibiotic specifically targeting the strain of bacteria that you have. This antibiotic shot I will give you will target the cell wall of the bacteria you are infected with. It will inhibit cell wall development and hence cause the death of the bacteria. You get that so far? However, due to your tendency to vomit, this cannot be administered to you orally. It has to be done intraveinously…yadda…yadda…yadda…”
That toddler will have absolutely no capacity to comprehend that. All he knows is that he will experience tremendous pain but he can only trust that his parents and the doctor know what they are doing.
In the same way, it is infinitely far beyond our remote comprehension as to why such a fate would befall Given Grace. We can only trust that God does what He says He does when He says, “All things work together for the good of those who love Him.”
As to how this work of the Devil can be turned around for the good of Given Grace and her family, I don’t have the slightest idea. In a way, a lot of people have heard the gospel and have put their faith in Christ because of this but I guess this doesn’t even measure up to the whole explanation.
But this is not exactly the point of this post. My point is that what Pastor Jun Cebanico said that “…God understands” goes way beyond “…God understands why.”
You see, He also understands how it feels like to lose an innocent Child to unjust and violent men. He knows what a Father feels to see His Child do nothing but good, healing the sick, bringing good news, raising the dead and then experience betrayal from these very people he helped. When instead of crying, “Thank you, thank you” they shouted “Crucify Him,…crucify Him.”
He saw His Son given the thirty-nine lashes which shredded His back. He saw His Son being made to carry that rough timber of a cross up the rocky mountain path. He saw His Son being spit on and mocked by the very same people He came to save. He saw the the nails driven into His hands and feet, hitting major nerves and resulting to excruciating pain. He saw His Son suffer such violence and heard His Son saying, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
He witnessed the injustice as His Son took on all our sins and the punishment due our sins. He saw all the disciples but one (John) forsake His Son during His greatest time of need. His heart was torn in piece as He saw His Son, cry “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me,” as He Himself, had to turn away from His Son because of the sin He bore.
He saw as His Son bore the greatest violence and injustice in all history for the world of sinners He loved. It was in His and His Son’s greatest sacrifice that grace, such as the grace given to Given Grace, was poured over for all mankind, so that by faith in His Son, we would no longer have to suffer the same fate. The greatest suffering and injustice brought about the greatest salvation, the greatest good to all us unworthy sinners who would believe – the forgiveness of all our sins and the crediting to us of all His Son’s righteousness.
You see, for every suffering person, for every person suffering injustice, for every parent who has to suffer the loss of a child, God understands. He more than understands why. He and His Son experienced it.
P.S. As I was writing this another pastor from Nueva Ecija, Pastor Jun Marquez, wrote me that his 10-year old son, Josh Marquez, also suffered injustice and death as he was hit by a car as he was buying food after the Sunday service. I hope we could all join in and pray for them as well. Thank you.
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Related posts:
Given Grace has been given grace: A Tribute
Given Grace – When God Doesn’t Make Sense
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There are many times God allows hopelessness, despair, pain, and frustration. The experience are brought by unexpected or unbelievable events in our life and this adds to the injury.
Some years back when I was suffering from a group of “believing” Christians who used power and influence and take me out of a leadership post, my brother gave me a devotional on Habbakuk. He said read this. Shortly after that, a parent related to me a similar account in his office and told me about Habbakuk.
Even as I make a comment the pain comes back afresh but not as powerful anymore because all the years I just Habbakuk when I feel the hurt. There is something in the Word that comforts beyond words. Just like Romans 5:1-5. Praise God because everyday He is writing our stories.