Why Do I Have to Hurt? The Meaning of Suffering

On Sunday, I had the awesome task of preaching on “How could a good God allow suffering?” I will share some more thoughts below. But before I do that I wanted to recommend some books on the meaning of suffering from a Christian perspective. Two books that I most quoted in my sermon were:

Why Does It Have to Hurt? The Meaning of Christian Suffering by Dan McCartney
The Reason for God: Belief in An Age of Skepticism (chapter 2) by Tim Keller

Other books worth considering are:
A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
How Long, O Lord? by D.A. Carson
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God ed. by John Piper and Justin Taylor
Surprised by Suffering by R.C. Sproul
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
The Hidden Smile of God by John Piper
When God Weeps by Joni Erickson Tada

A blog from Gordon Glover who attempts to integrate suffering, science and Christian orthodoxy.

Some more thoughts on God and Suffering:
1. Jesus identifies with our suffering:
Albert Camus writes:
Christ the god-man suffers, too, with patience. Evil and death can no longer be entirely imputed to him since he suffers and dies. The night on Golgotha is so important in the history of man only because, in its shadows, the divinity ostensibly abandoned its traditional privilege, and lived through to the end, despair included, the agony of death. Thus is explained “Lama sabachthani” and the frightful doubt of Christ in agony(p. 31, The Reason for God by Tim Keller).

Keller adds, “So, if we embrace the Christian teaching that Jesus is God and that he went to the Cross, then we have deep consolation and strength to face the brutal realities of life on earth. We can know that God is truly Immanuel—God with us—even in our worst sufferings.”

2. There is some mystery in regards to suffering:
Dan McCartney explains:
Again, this theme is surrounded in mystery. God does not just sympathize from a distance; he has himself taken human suffering upon himself to a degree that we cannot begin to understand. They mystery of unjust suffering is compounded by the greater mystery of why God should purpose suffering for his own beloved Son. Even though we know the biblical doctrine, that the suffering and death of Jesus was necessary to remove the wrath that stood against us, the thought of God subjecting his most beloved Son to that wrath in lieu of the persons who deserved it is something we cannot fathom. It makes no sense to us. Somehow it does make sense to God…God’s purposes are often mysterious, but they are nevertheless purposes, not random acts of violence that God is powerless or unwilling to prevent. God suffered not because he was powerless but because he intended to suffer. Jesus said, “I lay down my life for the sheep…No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:15, 18). Thus suffering does have meaning, because it is not accidental or arbitrary (pp. 34, 35, Why Does It Have to Hurt?).

As we are all aware this is a difficult subject matter and no glib answer will suffice. However, if we experience suffering or we are helping others in the midst of their suffering, I pray that the God of all comfort and grace will sustain us as we lead one another to Jesus!

Warmly,

Pastor Jeff