About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. (Acts 12:1-5)Sometimes things happen that make you really wonder why God allows them.
The church was not very old. But all of a sudden one of their leaders is put to death. James, the brother of John, one of the three that went with Jesus wherever he went, one of Jesus’ favorites, was killed.
Why? What purpose did it serve to lose one of the Twelve on the whim of a madman?
It served no purpose. That is because sometimes things happen.
The king who killed James got approval from the Jews so he decided to arrest the ring leader himself: Peter. He did, but God let Peter out of prison miraculously and he got away.
Why did God let Peter out of prison, allow James to be killed right off, and for that matter, let the apostle Paul maybe die in prison? What was different about these three men that he treated them so differently in what was essentially the same situation?
There is no answer. As much as I like things tied up neatly in nice little theologically pleasing bows, there is no answer.
James died, Peter lived, Paul stayed in jail. Three men, all leaders, all apostles, all needed in the early church, but each met different fates.
As I said, though, it served no purpose except maybe for the purpose that the Book of Job showed. Sometimes things happen that seem to be out of the will of God.
It makes you wonder, was he paying attention? He was distracted maybe and the devil got one by him? Is he not powerful enough to notice that James was in danger? Did he care?
I believe that God is not in the process as some teach. I believe that God is the process. I believe he is all-knowing and all-powerful, and that he is always in control. But sometimes things happen that baffle me, things that do not seem to be in his character.
I do not know what great thing was accomplished by the death of James and we never will, unless God tells us when we get to heaven.
Maybe the early church got complacent when James was arrested and figured that God would just let him out so they didn’t pray about it. The verse says that after he died, and Peter was imprisoned, they prayed very earnestly for him.
Maybe that was it. Maybe God was trying to show them that he was not going to be a free fount of blessings with no effort on their part.
And maybe it just happened. Sometimes things do. The entire staff of my seminary, all very good men with families that needed them and students that loved them, was killed when the plane they were in crashed in bad weather. For what reason? The seminary was very hard hit by it. They came out of it but at great cost emotionally.
My wife, the sweetest and most godly person I have ever known has MS which almost debilitates her with pain. Why? What purpose does it serve?
People in Hollywood who are as godless as anyone can be are healthy and wealthy, seemingly without any difficulties. Yet they are useless to the Lord. People who are godly suffer in poverty. What is the point?
I have kind of written myself into a corner here because there is no answer. Lots of people better than I have written on it and it still is unsolved.
All we can do is recognize, as Job did, another godly person who suffered for no good reason, that God is still there.
But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives,And I praise his holy name, no matter what happens. He is my King.
and he will stand upon the earth at last.
And after my body has decayed,
yet in my body I will see God!
I will see him for myself.
Yes, I will see him with my own eyes.
I am overwhelmed at the thought! (Job 19:25-27)
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