Since I was asked to preach on "Marked with Patience" a few months ago, I have been surrounded by suffering. A girlfriend from high school was diagnosed with breast cancer and has been going through chemo treatments. An ex-fiancee just lost her mother to a battle with cancer. Today at a youth ministers' meeting, one the ministers shared that his father had just passed away last week. Not only is there localized suffering going on around me, there are situations like Haiti that break the heart of the whole world.
In addition to the physical suffering we see around us, I talk with numerous people who are suffering emotionally and spiritually. Often those who suffer in these ways have the added stress of dealing with conditions that cannot often be seen. While those who are homeless, dying of cancer, or caught in an earthquake have something tangible to point to for their suffering, these others often suffer in silence, often unable to understand or explain what they are going through.
In times like this I often hear the following question: Why would God allow this to happen?
I don't have all of the answers, but I do feel like I am gaining a better picture of what is going on and why there is so much suffering in the world.
In the beginning, God created the world as He intended it to be. At the end of each day in the Creation account, God says it is good. At the end of the sixth day, God says that it is very good. So what happened?
Human beings, the part of creation that God intended to partner with him as caretakers of this new world, lost their way. Instead of embracing their partnership with God, they wanted to be God. Instead of relishing their relationship with the Creator, they selfishly wanted to be God. Satan, ever the deceiver, convinced these two people that they could be more. They bought the lie and death entered the world.
From that day forward, all of the earth, human beings and the rest of the creation, have suffered from the consequences of a broken relationship with God. Because God's partners, God's caretakers, no longer had a complete, unbroken relationship, their role was compromised. The creation suffered as a result of the sin of human beings. Paul describes this in Romans 8:20-21, when he writes, "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God."
Until the arrival of the eschaton, we will face suffering and difficulties in this world. In the next two verses, Paul writes, "For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." (Romans 8:22-23)
God does allow us to live in a fallen and broken world. I believe that is true. But it's not because God doesn't care. God cared so much, that in the person of Jesus Christ, God Himself came and suffered with us. Don't miss this. The God that sees us suffering because of our choice to fracture our relationship with the Creator and damage our role as caretaker of Creation, turned around and chose to become a part of Creation to suffer with us.
Rather than blame God for what is happening, we should join God in His mission to make things right in the world. One day our bodies will be redeemed and Creation will become what God intended it to be all along. In the meantime, my desire is to partner with God to move this world in the direction that He wants it to move. I am still imperfect and I still sin. I still make choices that damage that relationship with Creator God. But if Jesus was willing to suffer for me, even though He was innocent, why shouldn't I be willing to suffer as a partner in making things right in the world?
shine!
Jason
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