The Only Place Where Life Makes Sense Is at the Foot of the Cross
How do we answer the age-old question:
“Why do bad things happen to God’s people, and good things happen to those who hate God?”
Psalm 73 asks that questions and provides an eternal answer:
The only place where life makes sense is at the foot of the cross.
I preached on that theme at Cornerstone Community Church from Psalm 73, “The View from the Sanctuary of God.” Here are sermon resources along with the intro to the sermon.
Sermon Resources
Sermon Introduction: Perspective Changes Everything
Perspective changes everything. That’s true in the silly stuff, and it’s true in the serious matters of life. Let’s start with the silly. David Heller interviewed children seeking to find their views of everyday life. His book, Growing Up Isn’t Hard to Do If You Start Out As a Kid, offers classic examples of the power of perspective.
Keller asked kids, “When does a child officially become an adult?”
- Pierce, age 7, said, “I’m grown-up right now…I’m just short for a grown-up!”
- Roland, age 10, explained, “If the guy at the bank is nice to you, that probably means you have moved up to being grown-up.”
- Emma, age 7, noted, “You aren’t really grown-up unless you have your own hair dryer!”
- Valerie, age 9, shared some interesting insight, “At twenty, you become instantly awesome, and you might even have a house to show for it!”
Keller also asked children, “What do you think it feels like to be a grown-up?”
- Evan, age 8, said, “Ask our teacher, Mr. Reynolds, he might be grown-up!”
- Marie, age 7, didn’t sound very interested in adulthood. “It might be okay being grown-up, but I wouldn’t give up being a kid to try it.”
- Harold, age 7, had wisdom beyond his years. “You might feel big for a while, but then you would run into your mother and that would change everything!”
Keller next asked, “If you saw a person you didn’t know, how could you tell if the person was grown-up?”
- Harold, age 9, had a way to figure it out. “Take a look and find out if they got kids hanging on their backs—then they’re probably grown up.”
- Hilary, age 8, explained, “If they’re Italian they probably are grown up. My grandparents are Italian and they’re pretty grown up.”
- Regina, age 8, was adamant. “Grown-ups definitely won’t be chewing gum no more, and they might not eat candy either…That’s why I’m staying put!”
Perspective changes everything. It’s true with silly questions for kids, and it’s true with the serious questions you and I ask about life. No question is more perplexing than:
“Why do bad things happen to God’s people, and good things happen to those who hate God?”
In Psalm 73, Asaph asks that age-old question. He summarizes his perspective in Psalm 73:3 and 13:
“For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked” (Psalm 73:3). “Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence” (Psalm 73:13).
Asaph looks at life with “eyeballs only,” seeing life from an earthly perspective. It seems to him that it is pointless to live a godly life, purposeless to follow God. As a result, Asaph becomes envious of the ungodly, hosts a pity-party for himself, and doubts the goodness of God.
We might be quick to judge Asaph. But let’s be honest—at times we struggle with the same questions.
“Why does the godly person get cancer and die young, when the ungodly person lives a long, healthy life? Why is my Christian child bullied at school all day long, and the non-Christian kids are the most popular? Why does God allow the unethical business owner to become successful, when I’m struggling to make ends meet as I follow Christ? Why does my unsaved sibling who hates Christ seem to have an easy life, when my Christian family seems to struggle constantly?
Like Asaph, we struggle to put together the puzzle pieces of life in our fallen world. Like Asaph, we’re tempted to envy the ungodly, to pity ourselves, and to doubt God’s goodness. When the wicked prosper, Asaph teaches us that:
The only place where life makes sense is at the foot of the cross.
Join the Conversation
How does the cross of Christ change your perspective on the question, “Why do bad things happen to God’s people, and good things happen to those who hate God?”
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I agree Dr. Kellemen, however the hardest part about this concept is to understand that sometimes those who are supposed to be aligned with you in Christ at the foot of the cross can be the predominant provokers of pain.
Everything else can slide as “not being connected to the Greater Purpose,” but what do you do in response to people who claim the Christian faith while acting in ways that stamp out life and flourishing for the sake of personal preservation and ease?
Such a reality is extremely disheartening, for me its moments like that which make less sense.
Megan, You are correct. It’s hard enough to see the wicked unsaved prosper. It’s even harder when our brothers and sisters prosper at our expense or while they are causing us suffering. Asaph’s principle of “going into the sanctuary of God” is still the only way to make sense of life when Christians don’t act like Christ.