Small Thoughts on Suffering

Nearly every human will admit to some sort of suffering, whether in their body, mind or spirit, or, in relationships with other humans.  Most often, we as humans view suffering as bad, that is, the pain overshadows and at times interferes with our ability to creatively think how in the world could this hurtful body or painful situation result in good.

Herein lies the problem with our small human minds: small thoughts on suffering are the result. I will not defend in this post mankind's technological progress nor it's scientific understanding of our world and the universe.  The plain fact is that we just do not know everything.  Blaise Pascal, the brilliant French mathematician and physicist, was quoted as saying, "Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, let us know a little bit about everything."

Dilemma, isn't it?

Fortuitously, mankind was given, as a gift, the answer.  No, not as a scientific discovery or math equation, neither an excavation of an ancient civilization or newly created substance is the answer derived. The answer arrived apart from our doing, from the One who existed before time began.

For brevity's sake, the One is the Eternal, Triune God, three persons yet of one substance and not created. We owe our life to Him, whether we acknowledge or believe it to be true. "In him we live and move and have our being" reads Acts of the Apostles, chapter 17, verse 28, from the Sacred Scriptures, the Holy Bible.

"What is truth?" asked Pilate, ruler of Judea, responding to Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, not realizing that here in front of him stood the Truth .  Relativism rules today, at least in our culture, and in our small minds.  Yet, the Sovereign God rules over heaven and earth.  Illusion rules otherwise.

Back to suffering...our view of the world determines how we understand suffering.  Views vary, but the only one that makes sense, the one to which I return is God's revelation.  He alone makes sense of suffering:  a sin problem exists (God sets the boundaries - obey and flourish; disobey and die) and we, as mankind have rebelled against him. Suffering, as opposed to flourishing in life with God, is the end result.

It's our own doing, starting with Adam and Eve believing God was holding out on them, not giving them the best, rebelling, and continuing throughout history to today. The only way out of it, God says, is bloodshed, wrath and death.  Because we could never give what God needs for the atoning of our sins, He provides the answer to our sin problem:  He gives Himself.

The historical Jesus, the Christ, born to a virgin, living a sinless and righteous life (yes, he obeyed his earthly parents just as His Heavenly Father), suffering, being crucified and resurrected - God in the flesh.  Fully human, fully God.  How this can be is agreed upon through the centuries to be a mystery, yet God revealed this truth through His Word.

Even 500 to 600 years prior to Christ's crucifixion, the words of Isaiah (53:4-6) prophesied the brutal suffering of Christ and result for us.

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Again, for the sake of space, I'll cut to the end.  Our sin and hostility to God were borne by Christ.  He is the "he" and "him" in the quote from Isaiah above.  Do you believe Christ atoned for your sins and there's nothing you can do to stay the wrath and judgment of God?  If so, salvation, peace, eternal life and so much more are yours.

Suffering...unemployment, broken relationships with sisters and brothers, terminal disease, lifelong illness, unsaved family, homeless, abused...Christ suffered and He continues to suffer with us.  Baffling.  No other "god" makes this claim. In this context only is suffering and the ability to bear up under it made possible because the One who bore our sins continues to bear us, upholding us by His grace and mercy.

May you see with eyes of faith this Holy Week the One, the Christ, who alone takes away the sins of the world, and suffers today with His children.

-CFM

On the Threshing Floor

Imagine being childless in a culture that sees children as a blessing and then losing your husband with no immediate opportunity to add a child to your family. If a son was produced, then the family lineage would continue. Without a son and a husband, you now have no opportunity for security through inheritance, no one to look after you in your later years, no hope or future. In addition, your current provision disappears since your extended family, father-in-law and brother-in-law, both died.

In the same situation, your mother-in-law intends to return to her homeland. She's heard that her god was providing for his people there in the midst of a famine. The lack of food originally drove your father-in-law to your homeland where food was present. That is how you met your husband.

Now, your mother-in-law is leaving for her place of birth and encourages you and your sister-in-law to go to your home, to marry again, and then sends you off with a blessing from her god. Your sister-in-law decides she will go back. Possessing nothing, you decide to leave your homeland to follow your marital family's god. Out of your mouth, you declare to your mother-in-law, "Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God."

You pause momentarily and ponder where those words of dedication originate. You decide that a continuing relationship with her is sweet for the soul. With nothing to lose, the two of you head out.

Arriving at Bethlehem, your mother-in-law, Naomi, is greeted by the townspeople, her relatives and friends. They are excited; Naomi exclaims that she is bitter and explains that her Lord has afflicted her.

Since it is harvest time when you arrive, Naomi instructs you to glean the fields of barley. Turns out that Naomi's God and the God of this people, has instructed those who plant to not harvest ever single grain or fruit of the crop of the field.

As you gather the grain, the wealthy, influential owner of the field greets all of the workers with blessings from his God. He tells you that he has instructed the men working to not interfere with you, and, when you are thirsty, you may drink from the jars of water filled by men.

You stand in wonder because this man has treated you with respect, showing kindness and protection. You were used to filling jars with water for the men, not the other way around.

"Why," you ask, "are you showing me this favor? I am a foreigner in your land." The wealthy owner responds and says he has been informed of the reason for your recent journey, the kindness you have shown your mother-in-law, and then blesses you once again in the name of his God. Later, he invites you to share in his meal.

When you arrive at your home, Naomi seems to no longer be depressed. She proclaims the wonder of her God, telling you He has not stopped showing His kindness. She proceeds to tell you that the owner who has shown you kindness is Boaz, a close relative, a kinsman-redeemer, who can buy your husband's land and even wed you.

Armed with this information, Naomi instructs you to bathe, perfume and prepare yourself to go to Boaz this evening. Specifically, notice where he lies down for the evening but do not let him see you. Uncover his feet, lie down and he will tell you what to do.

Motivated by love for your mother-in-law and the kindness of strangers, you obey Naomi. In the middle of the night, Boaz wakes to find you at his feet but he does not know it is you. He asks your name and you respond with, "I am your servant, Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me since you are a kinsman-redeemer."

Boaz responds by blessing you in the name of his God. He compliments your character and respect for elders - it's all over town; he noticed that you did not lie down at the feet of a younger man and is blessed by your kindness. He then tells you that another kinsman-redeemer exists who is first in line to your husband's land and will give him the opportunity to redeem. However, if he does not redeem, Boaz swears to you by his God, the LORD, that he will.
Wanting to return the kindness and preserve Boaz's reputation, you leave for home before morning carrying your shawl full of the grain Boaz poured into it, six measures! He continues to be generous to you.

Later in the day, word reaches you that Boaz has proclaimed his relationship of kinsman-redeemer with you in front of the town elders. He presented the facts to the relative first in line for redeeming your husband's land who was set to take the land until he found that a widow was also involved. At that discovery, he said he was unable to fulfill and proceeded to release his right to the land and to Ruth.

Having cleared the only hurdle to becoming a kinsman-redeemer, Boaz declares his intentions to the elders and those in attendance: To redeem the property of Naomi and to wed you.

The elders and those at the gate proceed to bless...YOU!

Time has passed but where you are now, time does not exist. You are endowed with looking at the past with a complete understanding not found while you lived on earth. You can now see the grand plan conceived prior to time.

• After the wedding to Boaz, the Creator opened your womb. You conceived and gave birth to a son, Obed.
• Your son, Obed, fathered Jesse who was the father to King David, whose lineage brought forth, the Son of God, Jesus the Christ.
• Christ became your kinsman-redeemer, you now see. He was the only One who could save you. You had nothing within you to save yourself - no right to inheritance, a stranger and alien to God's chosen people, His elect.
• In fact, you realize that your people and heritage were declared enemies of God. His Kinsman-Redeemer, Christ, received God's wrath that you were due as His enemy.
• You marvel how God chose you to be in His family. You see now His desire worked out in your life when you left your homeland with your mother-in-law despite her encouragement to you to stay.
• The story, you see and tell everyone you meet (and they back to you), is really all about the Holy One Whose plans and purposes to glorify Himself were decreed before time and continue to be carried out as He designed.
• As you tell those you meet, you hear:

"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." Revelation 15:3-4

--CM