The escape to Egypt

Matthew 2:13-18

How can a good God let hundreds of babies and toddlers be killed by sword, spear, and brutality? An entire towns new young boys, slaughtered at the angry whim of a despot.

We know that nothing occurs outside of God's will--Jesus says not even a sparrow falls from the sky "apart from the will of your Father."1 And Paul writes that God's will is "good, pleasing and perfect."2

So, again, how can a good God will for such atrocity as Herod's infanticide, which Jesus and His family narrowly escaped at the behest of an angel? How can a good God let 100,000,000 homeless kids be homeless? How can he let so many innocent kids become slaves in the sex trade industry? How can he let massacres like Virginia Tech happen?

Let me take a whack at this. God desired a loving relationship with man, so, despite making man perfectly, God also gave man the choice to accept or reject God. Man chose rejection, and one consequence of this was evil. God's solution (since His desire hadn't changed) was to substitute Himself for man on the cross, but each person must still choose to accept or reject God's free offer of salvation. In essence, a lot of time has passed since Adam, but the choice remains the same, and it's gotta be made by all: to accept God, or not to accept Him? That is the question.

But I'm still wondering why God doesn't just get rid of evil, despite man's choice. Why doesn't God, who is greater than evil, do away with evil? Why let little kids suffer like that? And I guess the answer to that is summed up by Peter in his second letter:

"But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow... as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."3

I guess (and this is just a guess, because even though God blesses me with friendship, I do not know His mind) God's letting this mess continue out of patience for us--He just wants us all to come back to Him, and so He's waiting, hard as it must be, through all the brutal killing and harsh conditions suffered by so many of His sheep.

Father, give us patience like yours, and give us the wisdom to see its goodness. Thank you, my friend.

1. Matthew 10:29
2. Romans 12:2
3. 2 Peter 3:7-9