Once you do all that, you begin to try to come up with some reason for what happened today. You read the news online, you watch it on television and you hear explanations. We need new gun laws some say. If we only had stricter gun laws, this tragedy would never happen. Some agree, others disagree. But ultimately this answer doesn't explain today. Especially, since in China today, a man slashed 22 children with a knife as they were going through the gates of their elementary school. (Click Here for Article) Children are hurt and killed, even when there are no guns.
The brother of the perpetrator says that he was mentally ill. Reports are out that he may have been autistic or he had some other personality disorder. That must be the cause. Yet, there are so many others who live with these disorders who never commit such a heinous crime.
The only explanation that we come to is that there is evil in this world. And evil has been around for a long time. As we celebrate Christmas, we often forget that there was evil in the original Christmas story. Matthew 2:16-18 (ESV) says,
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:
“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”
Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (NLT) Evil and wickedness reside in the human heart. We sin because we are all sinners. Thank God that all of us are not murderers, but the seed of murder is in our hearts. Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire." The anger, the contempt we have for people in our hearts is where murder begins. We cannot look at this young man and say you are guilty without looking at ourselves and saying I'm guilty.
Which brings me to the good news and the only hope that can be found for days like today and everyday. Jesus came into the world to save us from evil. He first saves us from the evil in our own hearts. Evil will be punished. When you trust Christ, that punishment is placed on Jesus at the cross. When you are free from that evil, then you have the hope that one day you will be freed from the presence of evil. One day, Jesus will return and He will make all things new. There will be no more sin, death, evil, tears for they will all pass away. Everything will be made new. It will be made the way God originally created this world, good.
Until that day, we grieve with those who have lost so much today. The only comfort we can share, is the comfort found in the hope of the Gospel. And we cry out each day the prayer of John, even so Lord Jesus, Come!
