IS IT OUT OF PLACE TO QUESTION GOD?

An old woman was asked to lead in prayers on a good Friday and during the prayers, she began to cast aspersions upon Pilate and the Roman soldiers for their cruelty in killing Jesus her beloved Lord and savior after which she ended her prayers by saying, “may the soul of Jesus and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace”

Today’s celebration of Easter is the reason the old woman’s prayer appears funny because our redeemer levity (Job 19:25). Today is also the reason we had a Good Friday and not a Black Friday, today is the reason why Christianity makes sense, today is a proof that pain may endure through the night but joy comes at dawn (Psalm 30:5).

A young man suffered so many misfortunes ranging from the painful loss of both parents, poverty, rejection and ill health. All these led him to question God and his faith in God’s love and providence. Most times we equally find ourselves in such situations and we might be pushed to question God but then, it is not completely out of place to question God. Jesus as we saw on Good Friday questioned God when He asked “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” (cf. Matthew 27:46, Psalm 22:8)

However, the problem comes when we question God and walk out on Him without waiting for an answer. Waiting for this answer doesn't not equally remove the fact that we can receive silence as an answer just as we saw in the case of Jesus. After the question of Jesus, He got silence as an answer and the scripture recorded that some of the bystanders began to mock him saying “He is calling on Elijah... Let us see if he will come to save Him” (Matt 27:49).Yet, Jesus after receiving the answer of silence and its accompanying mockery from the crowd, did not pick offence or walk out on God rather He simply prayed saying, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (cf. Luke 23:46)

The answer to the question of Jesus finally came today (Easter Sunday), that is, after three days of silence when God raised Him from death. The resurrection is clearly an answer that Jesus was never forsaken by God on Good Friday. The message of Easter is one of hope that God will respond to our cries, that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that darkness can never overcome light. While Jesus’ answer came after three days, ours may come after three seconds, three minutes, three hours, three days, three weeks, three months, three years, three decades etc. All we need do is to wait hopefully without walking out on God. May we continue to place all our hope in Him who made heaven and earth, in Him who raised Jesus from the death.