Suffering with suffering
Series: EIFACH muetig – with Jesus as a role model | Bible text: Psalm 46:2
Suffering is part of life as a human being and does not stop at anyone. But who is responsible for it? The existence of suffering is often seen as a refutation of the existence of God. However, the fact that there is a God does not fundamentally rule out the existence of suffering. The causes of suffering are very different, but generally have their origin in the fall of man. The question in dealing with suffering should not be why, but rather what for!
On Good Friday, I preached a sermon on the topic of «Jesus is victorious». He has triumphed over death, evil and sin. Sin means missing the mark and can be described as the tendency of people to follow themselves rather than God. I left out a whole point of the sermon, which comes today. Namely the question «Why does God allow suffering».
Is God to blame?
There are different answers to this question. These range from God sends the suffering to God can only stand idly by and watch. I find both difficult. Today, however, the main issue is that God should be the author. I keep coming across sentences like «God allows this and that, but it’s for my own good!» «God already has a plan». These are all well-intentioned statements, but in the end they have a fatal background: God is seen as the author of misfortune. In my opinion, this is partly due to a misunderstanding of Romans 8:28, where it says «And we know that for those who love God and belong to him according to his will, all things work together for good» (Romans 8:28 NLB). This verse does not say that God permits evil. In my view, Adolf Schlatter hits the nail on the head, so I’ll let him have his say. «But if we love God and he has become our joy, honour and riches, then our chief good is eternally established, and now everything also becomes subject to us for service and benefit, because everything leads us to God. The good things that make us happy lead us to him because they are his gifts. The bitter things that hurt us do no less; they make our love pure and firm. They all nourish and increase our love of God. The joyful things increase the confidence of love, the painful things increase its humility; the former make it grateful, the latter hopeful» (Adolf Schlatter). I will come back to the causes of suffering later.
The way I experience the God of the Bible, the way I read about him, I cannot believe that he is responsible for the disaster (e.g. James 1:13). I cannot believe that the following things are God’s will. These are all things from my environment. That a small child dies of leukaemia. That couples can’t have children. That people become widows or widowers young. Children being abused. People are left alone. Many people are mentally distressed. A child falls ill with polio and is then confined to a wheelchair for life. A teenager has a motorbike accident and loses an eye. A young couple go on holiday and die in an accident. I’m sorry, but I can’t believe that! When I read the stories of Jesus, this can’t be his will!
Various causes of suffering
But this leads to a tension. If God is the creator of the earth, why does he allow suffering? Suffering means: deep emotional pain as a result of experienced misfortune, injustice or evil that is inflicted on me. I am absolutely convinced of God’s omnipotence and absolutely convinced that God takes us humans seriously! There are various causes of suffering. I attribute most of the causes of suffering to the fall of man. It is the moment in history when people decided that they wanted to decide for themselves. Since then, it is no longer God who comes first, but man. These different interests have been playing against each other ever since. The consequence of this is Not everything that happens is in accordance with God’s will! Not only people, but also the whole of creation is affected. I can suffer because of the people around me. I can suffer because I am part of the fallen creation. Be it as a victim of a natural disaster, an illness, etc. For creation itself suffers and groans (Romans 8:22). But often I myself am not innocent of my own suffering. Be it through my selfishness, by not doing my job, by being hateful, by blaming others, etc. We would like it to always be the others» fault. But the line between good and evil runs right through the human heart! If it’s always only the others who are to blame in my life, then perhaps I’m not as innocent as I always think. Another reason could be that suffering is a divine discipline. But these are extremely rare and are mainly found in the Old Testament. There you can find biblical passages like this: «[…] Or can a calamity happen in the city that the LORD has not sent?» (Amos 3:6 NLB). Another reason could also be that the adversary of God is attacking me. But be careful not to be too hasty here. Not everything is spiritual hostility. Many things are not hostility, but can be attributed to me as a person. If I have slept too little during the night and «hate» my wife and children the next day, this is usually not spiritual hostility, but rather I was an idiot and slept too little. The basis of all these considerations is my conviction that God takes you and me very seriously! It is often not so easy to determine who is to blame, there are usually several things together.
Dealing with suffering
God does not want anyone to suffer. This statement is not explicitly found in the Bible, but all the stories make it very clear. However, something else is more decisive for God. «[…] For he does not want even one person to perish, but all to repent and return to him» (2 Peter 3:9 NLB). God does not want anyone to be lost. Being with him here and forever is more important! Paul, who wrote a large part of the New Testament, also had to suffer on earth. «[…] But so that I do not become arrogant, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, who torments me and prevents me from becoming arrogant» (2 Corinthians 12:7 NLB). It is not clear who gave him this thorn. The question of why is often very difficult. The question of why is much more pertinent. Jesus Christ is the victor. This does not make it easy in a situation of suffering, but it does make it easier. Jesus Christ invites us. «Come to me, all you who labour and are almost crushed by your burden; I will take it from you. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am kind and humble of heart. In this way you will find rest for your soul. For the yoke I put on you is not burdensome, and the burden I give you to bear is light» (Matthew 11:28–30 NLB). We can always come to Jesus Christ. He has a light burden that he places on us. People suffer, with or without following Jesus. But as a follower of Jesus, I have a different confidence.
Horatio Spafford was born in New York State in 1828 and was a successful lawyer in Chicago. He married Anna Larsen in 1861 and had five children, four daughters and a son. The son died of scarlet fever in 1870. Not enough suffering, he lost almost his entire fortune, which he had invested in property, in the great Chicago fire of 1871. In 1873, his wife travelled to Europe by ship with their four children. The ship collided and sank. His wife then sent him a telegram saying «Saved alone». Spafford then travelled to Europe by ship. He wrote a poem on the spot where his daughters drowned. This was published in 1876 «It is well with my soul». I would like to end by reading out the German translation – not the German version of the song.
When peace accompanies my path like a river
When worries roll like ocean waves
Whatever my lot is, you have taught me to say it
I am well, I am well with my soul
It is good
With my soul
I’m fine, my soul is fine
Though Satan should strike, though trials would come
Let this blessed certainty reign
That Christ has looked after my helpless fortune
And has shed his own blood for my soul
It is good
With my soul
I’m fine, my soul is fine
My sin, oh, the bliss of this marvellous thought!
My sin, not in part, but in whole
Is nailed to the cross and I can’t take it anymore
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
It is good
With my soul
I’m fine, my soul is fine
It is good
With my soul
I’m fine, my soul is fine.
If I am anchored in Christ, then I can say with Horatio Spafford even in the greatest suffering: «I am well, my soul is well». Or as the psalmist puts it: «God is our refuge and our strength, he has proved himself a help in trouble» Psalm 46:2 NLB.
Possible questions for the small group
Read Bible text: Psalm 46:2 & Romans 8:28
- What does the thought that Jesus is the victor trigger in you – especially with regard to suffering and pain in your life or environment?
- In which moments have you experienced God as a «refuge» or «strength» despite suffering – as it says in Psalm 46:2? Or are there moments when you rather missed him?
- Romans 8:28 says that «all things work together for good» – what could this mean specifically for your life or a difficult situation?
- What causes of suffering can you understand from your own life or environment – and how do you deal with the tension that not everything is God’s will?
- What helps you to deal with unanswered suffering – and how can the community (small group, church) be a space in which people are supported in their suffering?
