Suffering

Biblaridion


	Suffering

Some considerations on the question of suffering in the light of the Asian disaster
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Is there any point to suffering? Why do the innocent suffer? What about unmerited suffering? The book of Job attempts to answer these questions – it does not however, give us any easy solutions, for God does not answer Job’s question directly, but rather gives Job a display of his awesome power and wisdom; a theophany that challenges Job’s right to demand that God justify himself. Does God need to explain himself to man? Ought it to not be the other way around?

You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge? Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know’ (Job 42: 4)

A little humility, when faced with ultimate questions, goes a long way. Robert Davidson has the following to say: Rather than revise their theology [that religion is something that ought to pay dividends], they [the friends of Job] are prepared to rewrite Job’s life [p.173]. The book [of Job] is an attempt to kill stone dead a far too simple view of the relationship between sin and suffering. It is a view which dies hard (cf. John 9:2). Nowhere in the entire book is the orthodox thesis of the friends [of Job] upheld….the intellectual honesty which brings orthodoxy to the touchstone of facts and finds it wanting is an act of faith which in the end is justified. “The basic fact for an understanding of the Dialogue is that Job is represented, not in a theological position, but in a spiritual pilgrimage away from the uncritical current orthodoxy towards a faith and hope deep grounded in experience.” [1]

These are questions that have exercised minds for centuries and even given birth to philosophies such as Buddhism. According to Buddha who was enlightened while meditating under the Bo tree, “all life is suffering” and suffering itself is caused by desire – man can attain the cessation of suffering, or Nirvana (Nirvana means freedom from all worries, troubles, complexes, fabrications and ideas) by following a middle way between the two extremes of excessive self-indulgence (hedonism) and excessive self-mortification (asceticism).

This is however, a vain philosophy, for the Bo tree is similar to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it promises enlightenment and esoteric wisdom that is attainable without God – its fruit is desirable – desired to make one wise (Gen.3:6) but the outcome is not Nirvana, only annihilation (which in the end is probably the same as Nirvana). Buddha has replaced petty human desire with the greatest desire of all; to be divine (although Buddha would not see it as such).

The problem of human suffering is caused by sin not by desire; it is craving the wrong things (or the right things in the wrong way; like Buddha did) that causes alienation from God in the ground of our very being. We desire too many things: “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.”(Ps.27: 4) Jesus himself had only one desire; to do his Fathers will – “with desire, I have desired to eat this Passover.”

Buddhism leaves itself open to the charge of self-adsorption, (cosmic navel gazing) where human desire instead of being extinguished is elevated to a quest after divinity, where the illusion of self is replaced with the delusion of self righteousness. As a consequence the compassion of Buddhism is a sterile fruit incomparable with the agape displayed by God, who sent his own Son to demonstrate to the world that God is not indifferent to human suffering. The cross is a violent image that puts suffering and death before us in a way that is unavoidable and demands a response. [2]

If anyone expects easy answers or glib platitudes to such a difficult question then they are in the wrong place. Sometimes unpalatable truths need to be aired and we need to face ourselves in the mirror without turning away. If we want to play the blame game then we should at least be honest enough to start with the right question:

This may seem a strange question, especially in the light of the terrible suffering and loss in the wake of the Asian disaster. At the time of writing it is estimated that over 100,000 people have lost their lives and possibly 5 million people are facing homelessness and hardship. However, if it were possible for us to see the world through God’s eyes (which it is not) – what would we see? Today (and every day), while you are reading this article 30,000 children are dying from preventable diseases, every minute of every day a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth; in Sierra Leone a third of children do not reach their fifth birthday. “A quarter of the world's countries are suffering increased poverty. The combination of famine, internal conflicts, HIV and Aids, and failed economic policies have turned the clock back and piled on the misery for masses of our fellow human beings.” [3]

These are hard, undeniable facts about human nature, facts that cannot be blamed on God but are of our own making. But what else does God “see” happening this very minute? Does he “see” the husband or wife cheating on their spouse – does he “see” the child being sexually abused, does he “see” the man or woman being, murdered, raped or robbed? Of course Almighty God sees all these things – a God that is so holy that he cannot abide sin must experience the sorrow of his creation self-destructing. We are indeed fortunate that we cannot “see” what God does, for we would surely be driven insane by the unrelenting evil of man; “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart” (Gen.6: 5-6). The question is not; why does a loving God allow suffering? – But rather – why doesn’t a righteous God destroy man altogether? Why does God tolerate the situation?

The Apostle Peter answered the question nearly 2,000 years ago; he was responding to first century Christians who doubted the promised return of Christ and the delay in judgment day;

“The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Pet.3: 9)

God does not want anyone to perish but allows ample time for repentance; unfortunately the “longsuffering” of God also means the continued suffering of man. It is God who makes the decision when to call an end to it – it is only God who is able to judge whether it is worthwhile extending his patience; to weigh in the balance the suffering caused by the hardness and wickedness of the human heart against the number of sinners that can be saved. Only God knows when the measure is full – when human wickedness outweighs the continued patience of God and no more repentance is possible. In the first century the long expected judgment came against the Jews with the destruction of the Temple and the nation, resulting in the Diaspora [4]; but also against the Christian church which had become corrupted [5] and against the Roman world. [6] It did not, however, result in the return of Christ, merely a delay that allowed the Gospel to spread world-wide and the Jews to return to Israel, thus setting the scene for end time events. Humanity is therefore left without excuse; we have had our chance for the last 2,000 years and made an absolute mess of it – the time for repentance has nearly expired – the window of opportunity is almost closed.

“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in diverse places. All these are the beginning of birth-pangs” (Mtt.24: 7-8)

Jesus warned that events would get much worse before they got better and he was not just talking about first century events. Man made and natural disasters would follow in quick succession prior to his return – humanity will experience the wrath of God and be made to realize their complete vulnerability and dependence upon their creator – but will humanity repent? “They cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him” (Rev.16: 9).

“Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them - do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3-5).

Do these harsh words come from the same man that was moved by compassion for the poor and afflicted? That wept for his dead friend? That saw the multitudes as sheep without a shepherd? Yes, they do – only someone who truly cared about the condition of his fellow man could speak such forthright truth with authority. All men everywhere are perishing, eventually all of us will die – some will die a “natural” death others will perish prematurely. Some men are “more guilty” and others “less guilty” but all will perish unless they repent. [7]

Sin not only causes alienation between man and God, but also in every subsequent relationship – between man and woman, between man and his fellow man and between man and creation. Our relationship with creation is one of rapacious exploitation and disharmony. Why do people build cities on the slopes of volcanoes and known fault-lines? Why do they practice deforestation to such an extent that flooding becomes calamitous? Why do they burn millions of year’s worth of dead fossils – in the form of oil and coal without understanding the consequences for the climate? Why can countries like India spend millions developing nuclear weapons but cannot find the resources to develop an early warning system for tsunamis? Did any animals perish in the disaster? (Jer.8:6-7).The man who is in perfect harmony with his creator has nothing to fear from natural disaster or the elements:

A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ He got up, and rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to the disciples, ‘Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ (Mark 4: 37-40)

To say that God does not care for the suffering of mankind is to deny his Son, who suffered and died that we might have life:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:15-16).

Jesus Christ was the “suffering servant” of the book of Isaiah, “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering” (Isa.53:3) the man who “although he was a son, learned obedience from what he suffered” (Heb.5:8).

My thoughts and prayers are with all those who have lost homes and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters – whatever faith – may you find hope and comfort in the everlasting arms of the living God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things is passed away” (Rev.21:4)

[1] Robert Davidson, The Old Testament (1964, Hodder and Stoughton) quoting Irwin, Ibid, page 179.

[2] These are extracts from the third issue of Biblaridion, which will contain an article on Buddhism (God willing).

[3] Growing World Poverty and Conflict Shows the Barbarity of Capitalism By David Mitchell PCS Representative Home Office Group.

[4] Peter predicts the end of the Mosaic dispensation:

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will disappear by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare” (2 Pet.3:11).

The elements (of the world): ta stoicheia (tou kosmou).: The word stoicheia (stoiceia) means primarily things placed side by side in a row; it is used of letters of the Alphabet, the ABCs, and then, because the learning of the ABC s is the first lesson in a literary education, it comes to mean ‘rudiments’, or ‘first principles’ (as in Heb.5: 12). Again, since the letters of the Alphabet were regarded as the ‘elements’ of which words and sentences were built up, stoicheia comes to be used of the elements which make up the material world (2 Peter 3:10,12). These ‘elements’ the sun and the moon (= the law) were meant to guide the Jews to Christ. The Law was a schoolmaster (Gal.4:2) teaching the Jews the first principles, or ABC s of the truth. The Dictionary of Paul and his letters (I.V.P. 1993) pg. 231 has the following to say:

“From second temple Judaism there comes ample evidence of speculation about the universe and how the heavenly bodies were related to angels. The book of the Heavenly Luminaries in 1 Enoch 72-78, a work dating from perhaps the first century B.C., testifies to Jewish astrological ideas and the association of an angel, Uriel, with the stars. This is set within a context in which particular attention is paid to times and seasons. (My emphasis) It is of some significance that Josephus could say that the woven veil separating the ‘holy place’ from the outer vestibule of the Herodian Temple was ‘a kind of image of the universe.’ It’s four colours symbolised fire, earth, air and sea, and embroidered upon it was a ‘panorama of the heavens’ excepting ‘the signs of the zodiac.’ The latter, however, were represented by the twelve loaves upon the table, while the seven lamps represented the seven planets. (Jos.J.W.5.5.4-5) Thus even at the heart of the Jerusalem Temple cultus there were symbols which suggested a necessity of penetrating the heavens in order to reach the throne of God in the Holy of Holies. The earliest extant extra biblical Jewish evidence for the word stoicheia (elements) being associated with both spirits and stars is later than the first century (second and third centuries A.D.), but is well attested and may very well represent beliefs contemporaneous with Paul.”

The epistles of Paul and Peter confirm that this understanding of the symbolism is correct. Paul substitutes sun and moon with “the elements (of the world).” In both epistles (Galatians and Colossians) these “elements” are associated with the law and with feast days

GALATIONS 4	COLOSSIANS 2
Bondage under the elements of the world (v.3)	Tradition of men, elements of the world (v.8)	The law and the “Jewish world”
Weak and beggarly elements (v.9,10)	Ordinances (v.20,21) [see Heb. 9:10]	The law and the “Jewish world”
Observe days, months, times years (v.10)	Holy day, new moon, Sabbath (v.16)	Feasts days are regulated by the lunar calendar this represents the law.

According to Peter it is these elements (R.V. mg. heavenly bodies that shall, “melt with a great heat, the earth also and the worksthat are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Peter 3:10) [works – those who seek justification by works – same word; Rom.9:23; Gal.3:10; Eph.2:9; described as the works of the law, eg., Gal.2:16 ; 3:2,5; dead works, Heb.6:1;9:14

Peter continues by informing us that the “heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat” (v.12) reminding us of the Old Testament prophecy; “all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll.” (Isa.34: 4 - 8) This can be nothing else but the passing away of the Mosaic order – the moon (Law) as administered by the stars (angels). This was predicted by Christ – “the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken” (Mtt.24:29). See also Joel 2:31; 3:15. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Mtt.24: 35).

[5] The message to the churches in Rev.2 and 3 makes this apparent (given prior to AD 70), see also 2 Timothy 3 – there was an orchestrated campaign to undermine and subvert the early church; “Such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ” (2 Cor.11:13).

[6] Rome also underwent a period of Judgment virtually simultaneous with the fall of Jerusalem (AD 69/70): See: Tacitus, The Histories [written AD 98-105 translation by Kenneth Wellesley, Guild Publishing, 1989] page 197 and Josephus (Kregel publications, 1981) page 546. “The storming and burning of the Capitol by the foreign mercenaries of Vitellius, and the subsequent capture and sacking of the city by the infuriated Flavian army under Mucianus and Antonius Primus on December 19 to 21, 69 AD. At no other time, certainly not in the end of Domitians reign, was it possible to speak of Rome as fallen, or for the Seer to have raised his triumphant cry ‘Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you of her (Rev.18:20)”

John Robinson [Redating The New Testament, Xpress reprints, 1993]. The eruption of Vesuvius and destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum in AD 79 was thought to be the harbinger to the end of the world: “We saw the sea sucked away and apparently forced back by the earthquake: at any rate it receded from the shore so that quantities of sea creatures were left stranded on dry sand. On the landward side a fearful black cloud was rent by forked and quivering bursts of flame, and parted to reveal tongues of fire…” [Pliny the Younger; an eyewitness account of the eruption].

[7] Eighteen men had been killed when a tower fell in Siloam. Siloam was the name of the reservoir associated with the water supply from Gihon to Jerusalem; it lay near the junction of the S and E walls, and the tower may have been part of the fortifications in this area (c.f. Jos. Bel.5:145; so SB II, 197; Finegan,114f.). Pilate built an aqueduct to improve the water supply, and it is also possible that the tower (and its collapse) had something to do with this building operation (Jos. Bel.2:175; Ant.18:60). Nothing is otherwise known of the disaster, an incident too trifling to figure in a history book. [The Gospel of Luke, A Commentary on the Greek Text, I. Howard Marshall :(Paternoster Press, 1978,)p.554]

Siloam is used in John’s gospel as a metaphor for the Messiah – it means “sent” (John 9:7 cf.5:24; 8:42) also the number eighteen is used by Luke in the same chapter (Lk.13:11, 16) to denote the time between Jesus’ Bar Mitzvah (cf. Temple visit at age twelve Lk.2:42) and the commencement of his public ministry at age 30. Men’s attitudes to the “tower of Siloam” would either make it a place of refuge or punishment. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous runs into it, and is safe” (Prov.18:10)

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GALATIONS 4

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