Monday, January 20, 2020

A biblical perspective on human suffering


Yesterday I found myself sitting in church by myself and a guest preacher was there to preach. Now I understand some of the angst laymen sense when they come to church hoping for a word from their pastor and he has someone else scheduled to speak. Nevertheless, this was one of those divine appointments where the Lord had me right where He wanted me so He could speak to me. The message was about a biblical perspective of suffering. If you are looking for a sweet little piece of prose where you do not have to think and can feel good when you are done reading, this is probably not the post for you. However, if you or someone you know is suffering, and you would like a word from thee Word, then read on.

Some verses in the bible are offensive! If you are living with sin, the bible is truth and it will confront and convict over sin and to the unrepentant sinner that is offensive. However, it offends other times as well. James 1:2 is one such verse, a verse that taken at face value offends the rational mind. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” Joy is defined as “A felling of great pleasure and happiness.” I am confident that few reading this find “great pleasure and happiness” in the trials of life. So what does the bible say regarding suffering? Let’s consider a few of scriptures examples.

2 Corinthians – The apostle Paul penned this and many others books of the New Testament. He was the world’s greatest church planter ever and certainly had a strong walk with God. Yet in chapter 11, he gives detail to all the suffering he had endured: multiple lashings, stonings, shipwrecks, and being robbed. Yet all of this seems to pale in comparison to some other unnamed struggle the great apostle faced. In chapter 12 verses 7-9, Paul speaks of a “thorn in the flesh” that he prayed 3x that God would remove. God’s sole response was that His grace is sufficient. While the word “No” does not appear in the text, it is clear that “no” was God’s answer to Paul.

Luke 22 – At the Last Supper, Peter tells the Lord that he is ready and willing to follow Him to both prison and death. Jesus responds by telling Peter of his coming betrayal and denial, three times, before the next day’s dawn. However, it is Jesus’ words to Peter in Luke 22:31-32 that are worth noting here. Jesus tells Peter, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you that he may sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail, and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” The bible does not tell us what equates to a person being “sifted as wheat”, but it certainly does not sound pleasurable. This reminds me of Job 1 where there is a dialog between Satan and God, and God asks the devil is he “has considered my servant Job.” Satan asks for and is granted permission to bring suffering into Job’s life … and he does in great measure. Notice in Luke 22 Jesus does not say that He denied Satan the chance to sift Peter. Instead, He states that He has prayed for Peter. Again, human suffering is allowed inside the sovereign will of God.

Matthew 26 – In verses 36-ff we read the account of Jesus and the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night He was betrayed. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John a little further into the Garden then the others and asks them to watch and pray with Him. He then goes further into the Garden and prays to the Father. “O Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” God the Son, facing the human cruelty about to take place ultimately ending in the crucifixion, prays to God the Father, and asks if there is another way, outside of the suffering of the cross, to accomplish God’s will. He then goes back, finds the disciples sleeping, wakes them up, and chastises them for sleeping instead of praying. The same exact scenario plays out again with Jesus again asking the Father if there is another way where He would not have to endure the suffering He was about to face. Then He finds the disciples sleeping again, once again rebukes them, and then returns to pray Himself. Verse 44 says, “He prayed the third time, saying the same words.” In Hebrews 5:7-8 we read words that I think, at least in part, refer to this Garden of Gethsemane and crucifixion period in Jesus’ life. We read, “… in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.” This states that Jesus, with vehement cries and tears, prayed to the One who was able to stop the suffering but God did not say yes to these cries. The reason of course is that the cross was the only hope for man’s redemption.

There is this dynamic tension between the fact on one hand that God can deliver, yet on the other hand, in His sovereignty He allows suffering. Paul, the greatest church planter and biblical writer ever, asked three times for suffering to stop and God’s answer was no. God allowed Satan to sift Peter, the man God would use to preach Pentecost. Jesus, God the Son, prayed three times asking the Father, if it was possible, to remove the suffering He was about to face, and God the Father said no.

Back to James 1:2. So how exactly are we supposed to have joy when we find ourselves facing great trials and suffering? When you walk the road of suffering, you will likely not find out the reason why. However, what you will find there is Jesus, as He too has walked that road. Are you in a dark place right now? If so, trust the heart of a good God. Or, as I used to say as a pastor, “When you cannot see His hand, trust His heart.”

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