The Mystery of Suffering.
Mark 6: 1 – 13; 2 Corinthians 1: 1 – 11
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved. (Helen Keller.)
Helen Keller at the age of two contracted an illness that rendered her deaf and blind. Through an amazing teacher she progressed by the age of six to communicate effectively. Helen is the first American deaf-blind person to attain a Bachelor of Arts. She became a well know humanitarian and was the co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Paul wrote to the Roman Christians saying; “we boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, … because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” [Rom 5:2-5].
The first thing I want to say about our theme today is that Suffering is a reality of life.
There is the apocryphal story of the Buddhist monk in training. One day his mentor said to him, Today when you take your rice bowl and go and beg for food, you must first ask this question; ‘have you suffered?’ ‘You may take the gift of food only if the person has not suffered.’ The young Buddhist monk went off with his begging bowl as usual. At every place he asked if they had suffered. After a long day he returned to the monastery. His begging bowl was … empty, for everyone he asked had suffered in one way or another.
Everyone suffers in some way or other and at some stage or another in life. Suffering comes in many forms and leaves its mark upon us. What we can determine is the nature of suffering’s mark on our lives. We can’t avoid suffering, but we can determine how it will affect us. When we suffer we often ask questions. A not uncommon one is, ‘Why did God allow this to happen?’ This is not a helpful question. Firstly, we must say there are many causes for suffering ranging from natural causes related to our growing and nature’s continueing development and our self-centredness. Secondly, God has given us freedom to choose, so that we can have relationships. We can’t have a relationship with God if we’re puppets and neither can we have relationships with each other if we are mere machines. Our freedom is crucial to our humanity. However we make bad choices at times, which add to our and other’s suffering. Finally, if we did know the answer to ‘why?’ we would still have to deal with our suffering. This maybe the most compelling reason for setting aside the ‘why’ question.
The question that really matters is; ‘what can I learn from this suffering?’ The first Christians experienced suffering through persecution. The Christian believer started behaving differently to the general population. The population rejected and persecuted them. They learnt that suffering led to maturity in their faith. Helen Keller’s understanding of the influence of suffering is very similar to the biblical perspective, and especially Paul’s.
Let’s reflect on this some more. We go to our doctors so that the pain can be relieved, but we go to our ministers and counsellors so that pain can be accepted. Now suffering at the physical level can find relief through medication and in most cases a cure. But at the same time we are still suffering. Then there is the suffering of soul and mind. Confronting the suffering, whether physical, spiritual or mental, often creates more pain as we examine it. When we reflect on our suffering we uncover it not mask it. We uncover it not to be resigned to what is happening but to accept it. Resignation leads to the suffering being suppressed, while acceptance leads to suffering being examined and evaluated.
The encounter between minister and parishioner, counsellor and client, deepens the pain of the suffering. This may be the main task of a minister/counsellor so to prevent people from suffering for the wrong reasons. Many suffer because of the false assumption that there should be no loneliness, no confusion, no doubt, heartache, or brokenness in life. However the reality of life is that all this happens, which reminds us of our mortality and the human condition. We can only address them positively when we face them.
When we read about the first Christians they developed an interesting understanding of their suffering. They saw their suffering as an opportunity to share in the suffering of Jesus. They saw their suffering as something they should accept just as Jesus accepted his sacrificial giving for the world. In their suffering they shared in the hope of the Resurrection. So Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4: 10 that Christians are always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. Again in Philippians we read that God has graciously granted you the privilege of not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering for him as well. [1:29] And our response to suffering is to rejoice and be thankful that we can witness through our suffering [Rom 5: 1ff]. And we are reminded in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
They understood that suffering gave them a ministry of consolation. Paul expresses this in the opening words of 2 Corinthians 1, which we read this morning. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. [2 Cor 1: 3-4]
Here is the Christian framework for suffering. Firstly, we see our suffering as sharing in Christ’s suffering. Secondly, through our suffering we witness to the hope and resurrection of Jesus. I believe our last great witness to God is our dying in faith and hope. Thirdly, our suffering is a means by which we develop our character. Fourthly, suffering gives us a ministry of consolation, because God has consoled us. This sharing, witness, character development and ministry of consolation provide the ground for always being thankful to God regardless of the circumstance we are in.
In conclusion I want to narrate to you the legend of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi, who went to Elijah and asked; ‘When will the Messiah come?’
Elijah replied, ‘Go and ask him yourself.’
‘Where is he?’ asked Joshua.
‘Sitting at the gate of the city,’ said Elijah. ‘The Messiah is sitting among the poor covered with wounds. The others unbind all their wounds at the same time and then bind them up again. But the Messiah unbinds his wounds one at a time and re-binds them one at a time so that he can be ready to help saying to himself, ‘Perhaps I shall be needed: if so I must always be ready so as not to delay for a moment.’ (The wounded Messiah is always ready to help the wounded.)
So Rabbi Joshua ben Levi went and found the Messiah at the gates of the city. (That is where the needy and wounded gathered.) Joshua asked the Messiah. ‘When is the Messiah coming?’
‘Today’, answered the Messiah.
Joshua returned to Elijah, who asked him ‘What did he tell you?’
The rabbi replied, ‘He indeed has deceived me, for he said ‘Today I am coming’ and he has not come.’
Elijah replied, ‘This is what he told you: Today if you listen to His voice.’ [Psalm 95:7]
This Hebrew legend echoes Jesus’ words that where two or three are gathered in his name there he is. [Mt 18:20] Equally true when we meet each other at our point of need and offer consolation and hope through our presence and prayers God is present and the Kingdom of God is present. When we listen to the voice of God’s Holy Spirit, and not the voice of our fears and doubts, not the script of our self-interest or negativity, but the voice of God, the Resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is present and consolation, love and hope are present.
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Peter C Whitaker, Leighmoor UC: 01/07/2018
/ Www.leighmoorunitingchurch.org
