Why? Series

Paul Aurandt shares this true story of James Macie. He was an

illegitimate child, which is really a foolish idea, for it is the parents

that are illegitimate, and not the child, but as is so often the case, the

stigma of this followed him for life. The laws of England, in the 18th

century, denied him the rights of any ordinary citizen. He was born

in 1765, the illegitimate son of a British Duke. He abandoned his

mother in France, and then returned to England. James was made a

citizen, but with limitations.

He could not enter Parliament.

He could not hold public office.

He could not hold any job under civil service.

He could not enter the army or navy.

He could not be a member of the church of England.

He was bitter at these and other limitations, and when he grew up

and became a noted scientist, he could not be knighted, as were his

colleagues. The constant rejection by his country led him to reject

them. When he died in 1829 he left his wealth to the United States of

America. He had never been here, but by willing his fortune to the

U.S. he disinherited the country that had disinherited him. He

wanted the money used to establish an institution to increase

knowledge, and perpetuate his true family name, which was denied

him in birth. It was the name Smithson. The result is, we have in

our capital the vast storehouse of cultural and scientific

accomplishment-The Smithsonian Institution. All of this was a gift

from one who was called illegitimate.

God has used so-called illegitimate people all through history. He

also uses so-called illegitimate questions to accomplish his will. One

of the greatest of all so-called illegitimate questions is the question

why? Job in verse 20-21 specializes in this question. In the Revised

Standard Version we read it three times.

1. "Why hast thou made me thy mark?"

2. "Why have I become a burden to thee?"

3. "Why doest thou not pardon my transgression?"

Why in the world the idea ever became so wide spread that we

are not to question God, is a mystery. The Bible is full of it, and Job

is an expert at it. I have had people come in deep distress with a

heavy load on their minds, and they will begin, "I know we are not

suppose to question why-but," and then they share their burden,

which is a questioning of why. My question is, why should we not

ask why? Why should this most natural and universal of questions

be considered illegitimate? It makes no more sense than the custom

of calling and innocent child, illegitimate.

Why should our whys be suppressed? Why is simply a

acknowledgment of mystery, and a probe into the darkness for more

light. It is the natural response of the child to the unknown.

Why muvver, why

Was those poor blackbirds all baked in a pie?

And why did the cow jump right over the moon?

And why did the dish run away with the spoon?

And why must we wait for our wings till we die?

Why muvver, why?

It is foolish to tell a child he is not to ask why, for he will only ask

why, and then what will you say? For there is no good reason why

we shouldn't ask why, since we do it from childhood to old age.

Why?

This is the cry

That echoes through the wilderness of earth,

Through song and sorrow, day of death and birth.

Why?

Why?

It is the high

Wail of the child with all his life to face,

Man's last dumb question as he reaches space:

Why?

This was the question our Lord asked on the cross. "My God,

My God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Why in the world is the world so full of whys?

Why are tears so frequently torn from people's eyes?

Why in this world of laughter is it someone always cries?

Why in this world of the living is it that everybody dies? It is not only not wrong to ask why, it is wrong to not to ask why,

for to never be puzzled by the mysteries of suffering is to be sinfully

indifferent to that which touches all mankind at some point. He who

never asks why is dead from his dandruff down. Why is not only a

permissible question, it is an indispensable, and there's no basis in

the Bible, or in logic, to forbid its use. It is not a illegitimate

question, but one that is both legitimate and profitable. We cannot

live in the shadow of this twisted question mark, but we must walk

under it from time to time, even as we walk through the valley of the