Why Suffering? ............. Parables 767

November 13, 2002

For several weeks, I’ve offered reasons why God allows suffering.

Sometimes suffering is the consequence of our own actions. Israel’s King David chose violence. The consequences were as predictable as dropping an egg on a concrete floor. Not only did bloodshed follow him most of his life, but God also refused to allow him the great thing he wanted to do for God, built a temple. However, God is gracious — David was allowed to write the Psalms.

Sometimes suffering is God’s punishment for sin. This may not happen for each sin a person commits in their lifetime; however, God warns of a coming judgment when unrepentant sinners will receive what is due them. The Bible says their torment will be everlasting.

God may allow suffering because He intends to bring good from it. Old Testament patriarch Joseph was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. Years later Joseph became powerful in the land where he once lived as a slave, and rescued his entire family from a famine and certain death. He said to his brothers, “You intended it for evil but God used it for good.”

Sometimes suffering tests our faith. Job is the strongest example, but every Christian knows that tough times affirm God’s faithfulness. He sustains His people during suffering.

Suffering also results when godly people are hated by the ungodly. Rather than preventing it, God says “those who live godly lives will be persecuted.” In this case, sufferers bear the brunt of godliness.

Sometimes God allows suffering so He will be glorified. A man was born blind, not “because he or his parents sinned” but so that “the work of God might be displayed in his life.” Jesus healed him and glorified God.

And sometimes suffering happens for no reason at all. We live in a sinful world where all people do bad things. Often innocent people suffer because of what others do.

Out of all these reasons why God might allow suffering, there is only one occasion in history when every one of them applies. It happened when Jesus died on the cross.

In one sense, Jesus suffered the consequence of His own actions. He rebuked the legalism and hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His day. They retaliated by crucifying Him.

The cross tested the faith of Jesus. The Bible says “When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made not threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him (the Father) who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.”

Jesus suffered as a punishment for sin, not His own for the Bible says He was sinless, but bore our sins. The penalty for sin is death.

In that, God intended to bring good out of His suffering. He offered Jesus as a sacrifice for us, and promises that all who believe in Him might be forgiven and receive eternal life.

Even though Jesus died because He was godly and hated by the ungodly, He did not deserve death, and death could not hold Him. He rose from the tomb, and His suffering and subsequent resurrection brings great glory to God.

When the life of Christ is examined, there seems to be no reason at all that others would kill Him, but the fact that they did proves the very reason He came to earth — we live in a sinful world where all people do bad things. This innocent man suffered because of what we do.

Yet the only way His suffering can be labeled meaningless is when people refuse to consider Jesus, and will not let His suffering affect what they believe or how they live.