A. It reaches people by answering the question we all will have to face of why the
wrong people get hurt.
1. The story of Aaron Kushner.
a. was diagnosed with the rapid-aging illness, progeria, at age 3
b. lived a life full of constant pain and disfigurement
c. died at the age of fourteen
B. We know that the conventional answers aren�t good enough�this gives better
answers.
1. The conventional answers
a. �God doesn�t give us more of a burden than we can bear.�
b. �God wanted your son to die so that others would benefit from your story.�
c. It was his time to go.�
2. Would a loving God really torture one child to help everyone else? Doesn�t He
think that every life is precious?
II. The book of Job
A. Summary
1. Job is a righteous man who is wealthy and has children.
2. He loses all of his money, his children die, and he gets very sick.
3. God explains that it was a test to see how Job would respond. God rewards Job
with twice as much wealth and twice as many children.
B. Fundamental Ideas
1. God is all-powerful.
2. God is good, fair, and just.
3. Job is a good man.
C. If Job suffers, then one of the fundamental ideas must be false.
1. Common people�s answer: Blaming the victim�Job must have done
something wrong to make God punish him.
2. Job�s answer: God must not be all good because I (Job) did nothing wrong and
I am still being punished.
3. Kushner�s answer: God isn�t all powerful (He isn�t completely in charge)
III. What God does for us
A. God gave us free will so we could make our own decisions.
B. God withheld the ability to distinguish good and bad from nature
C. When something bad happens to good people, blame should go to who or what did
the bad thing, not to God.
D. Isaiah 40:31��Those who trust the Lord shall have their strength renewed, they
will run and not grow weary.�
E. Human beings are God�s Language�God answers us by coming in the form of
good people, friends, and neighbors.
IV. Kushner�s Advice
A. You should believe in God when you see ordinary people doing extraordinary
things.
B. When you know someone going through a tough time:
1. Reach out and show the that you care, don�t wait for them to ask for help.
2. Tell them �I�m sorry�, then listen. They want consolation and reassurance, not
theology.
V. Why do bad things happen to good people?
A. There is no explanation for it, so don�t look for one.
B. The response should not be why, but what will you do now.
C. In �Job� by Archibald McLeash�Job forgives God for what He did.
D. Kushner�s challenge: Are you capable of forgiving the world, the people in it, and
especially God for not being perfect and predictable?
