pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: suffering


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Jesus Our Hope

In a physical sense we are much like all other living creatures.  We share much of the same DNA.  In addition, some animals have a language, some use tools, and some even have social orders and live in families.  All of the living creatures on earth experience illness and death.  The feelings of loss and pain associated with death are exhibited by many others species as well.

Two of the things though that separates humanity from other creatures is our superior intellect and our reasoning ability.  As time has evolved we have come to understand the intricacies of the human body and have sought means to extend life.  To be alive is awesome and amazing so we fight to preserve life.  Over time in our society the act of death has developed a fear and has become something to be avoided at almost all cost.  For many there is a meaninglessness and an unknown to dying.  For those without faith, there is a finality that has no hope and peace in death.

Jesus became incarnate so that ultimately He could experience suffering and death.  This sounds so countercultural because it is.  Yes, Jesus also come to put a human face and example on God’s great love for us.  But in the end Jesus came to suffer and die in sacrificial love for us.  He willingly bore the cross and the weight of our sins.  Through His blood He paid the cost for us to have eternal life.

In Hebrews we are reminded that all of creation is subject to Jesus.  Yet out of love for us He allowed Himself to the subject to death.  For all who call on Jesus as Lord and Savior, we find grace and forgiveness.  In Jesus we know that death does not have the final word.  In Him rests our eternal hope and a peace that passes understanding in the midst of death.  Jesus is our hope.  Thank you Jesus.

Scripture reference: Hebrews 2: 5-12


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Job’s Great Example

The story of Job fascinates me.  A devout and faithful man suffers unjust persecution.  He loses all of his family and all of his possessions and is afflicted with illness.  His wife and friends badger him and go so far as to advise him to just curse God and die.  But Job does not turn from God.  He questions why he is suffering but he remains faithful.

Almost daily we see examples of unjust suffering in our world.  It can come from a natural disaster or from one’s fellow man.  It can affect one person or dozens or the masses.  In all people’s lives there are times of unjust suffering.  For many, our response is not like Job’s.  We wonder why God is punishing us or we get angry at God or we walk away from our faith.

The story of Job reveals to us in great detail that unjust suffering does occur in our world.  It also reveals that God does not cause it and that God remains present to us in the midst of our suffering.  It is up to us if we continue to draw upon God in the midst of our suffering or if we get angry or if we walk away or …

Job sets us a great example.  He was blameless yet suffered.  He was put to a severe test and he came through it.  He relied on God, listened to God’s voice, and drew upon His strength.  We too will suffer at times.  May we also realize that we are not alone and may we draw upon God’s strength, love, and presence as we journey through our hardship.

Scripture reference: Job 1:1 and 2:1-3


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In the Pain, Suffering… Love

On the cross Jesus cries out, “My God, my god, why have you forsaken me?”  In His anguish and pain Jesus is using the psalms as a prayer to God the Father.  Most of this psalm is a song of lament – full of pain, anger, suffering.  Surely on the cross Jesus felt all of these emotions.  Today, as we remember what He did for us on that cross, may we too allow ourselves to feel the pain, the suffering, the loneliness.

We all have experiences that were painful.  There are and will be times in our lives when we hurt physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  There will be times when we cry out the same prayer, “My God, my god, why?”  In these moments, know Jesus is interceding for you.  IN those times and places, allow Him to come and minister to your hurts, your pains, your suffering.

Sometimes we want to remain in the hurt.  Sometimes it is hard to get past it.  Because He died, He was able to rise.  Because He rose there is always hope.  The psalm goes on.  In the last third we are reminded of that hope and the promises and our call.  We are called back out of our hurts to praise His name, for in the praise we connect back to God.  We are called to care for others, for the poor and the afflicted, for in caring we are also connected back to God.

We are called to praise Him, to cry out to Him, to walk in the hurt with Him, to remain confident in His abiding love, to trust in Him.  Our creator and sustainer is always near, always present.  In the pain, suffering, and loneliness of today, remember His promises.  Remember His love.  The next psalm has some familiar words as well.  “The Lord is my shepherd..” and “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”  It too concludes with hope: “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”  Thanks be to God for his abiding love and presence.

Scripture reference: Psalms 22 and 23


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Suffering and Faith

For many, many years most images of Jesus show his miling and gentle.  Art generally depicted Jesus’ life and rosy and carefree.  But in recent times, we have begun to see a different side of Jesus’ life.  Most notably in the movie “The Passion of the Christ” we saw a suffering Jesus.  Other movies and television shows have allowed the public to see the sacrifice and pain Jesus experienced.

Jesus did have a lot of pain and suffering in his life.  He wept when Lazarus died, he was sorrowful when John the Baptist was killed, shed tears like blood in the Garden of Gethsemane, lamented over the lost children of Israel, and personally endured the pain and suffering of being beaten and crucified.

All of Jesus’ suffering was for us.  Because He experienced these emotions and feelings, Jesus can have empathy for us and can intercede more directly when we suffer trials and pain.  He has walked through these things and can relate to us.

He also suffered to give us an example. Jesus could have chosen to not suffer by calling in angels or exerting power himself.  Instead He gave us the example – be obedient to God, pray through our trials, trust in God’s big plan, lean into His love.

Although no one chooses to suffer, it is often in the trials that our faith grows the most. As we follow Jesus’ example, we learn that we can only make it through some things with God’s help.  Our relationship then grows, deepens, becomes more trusting.  God will carry us through.  We just need to call upon Him and follow Christ’s example.

Scripture reference: Hebrews 5: 5-10


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Today, Today

Our world contains much that is broken and many who are suffering.  For some it is abject poverty in a country far away.  For some it is oppression that we cannot imagine because of a a political system or because of  prejudices against religion, gender, race, or ethnicity.

Within our own land of plenty and freedom, some suffer in poverty, in abusive relationships, in dysfunctional or broken homes.  Others battle homelessness, addictions, or injustice.  As the people of Abba Father, to whom are we called and what are we called to do?

At a minimum we are to offer what we can – maybe it is in the form of cash or maybe it is actual food, counseling, or other forms of direct assistance.  At a minimum it is praying for justice and equality.  At a minimum it is offering Jesus Christ and the hope that comes with knowing Him.  All Christians are called to make disciples.  All Christians are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.  These actions may be in your own home, in your community, or far away around the world.  But today we must each ask, ‘What will I do to answer the groans and needs in my world?’

Scripture reference: Romans 8: 12-25


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Waiting on Glory

In this life is joy and sorrow, elation and suffering.  All of us go through the ups and downs of life.  At times our choices and decisions bring sorrow and suffering upon us.  Suffering can take the form of caring for a family member dying from an illness.  Suffering can come in how people treat us because of our faith.  Suffering can come from the decision we make based upon our faith in Jesus Christ.  All of these things are part of the cost of following.  All of these things also test us.  Despite the testing being difficult, it will help us grow in our faith.

Peter tells us that we should rejoice in our suffering for Christ because that will bring us a greater joy when His glory is revealed.  By accepting and embracing the sufferings, we can draw closer to Christ, the source of our strength.  In times when we rely on Him, we become less and He becomes more.  In this we begin to see His glory revealed.  It is only a glimpse now, but we begin to see what it may be.  And, in the end, He will make our joy complete.