The meaning of suffering and its causes in the world are to be differentiated from suffering as it relates to Christians. There is common suffering of the body in illness, in terrorism from our fellow man, in inevitable accidents, in physical decline, and in nature’s furies. There is suffering of mind imbalance and emotional turmoil. We suffer in the loss of a job, or a beloved family member, or by insults, disappointments, and other situations that can lead to suicide, or natural but premature death. We may suffer even in our religious orientations. According to the Apostle Peter there is the suffering of human ridicule and the influence of the diabolical. He was not exhaustive on the subject. He set the table for understanding suffering and managing it.
The Apostle did make connection of love and suffering in the context of the above text. Generations have wrestled with the assumption that love and suffering are not compatible. If there is suffering is there an all-powerful God, in that a loving God would not permit suffering? Here the two concepts are met without hesitation. The Apostle referred to insult that causes suffering because of a person’s faith. The hurt pride of timid Christians may need challenge in a dramatic way. What means suffering? Suffering is necessary for mankind. Jesus took it on.
Understanding emerges. Christian suffering is not for wrongdoing. Wrongdoing and consequences are part of an impaired system. It reoccurs in course of natural life. But suffering for the Lord is in a different context. This is suffering for doing good. It is generated out of the nature of redemption, and it will be righted by God at some future event. The Christian should feel special privilege from God for this suffering in that any suffering identified with God is related to the suffering of Christ. It belongs to the suffering of the cross of Christ. God’s children also have their crosses to bear. This is an important point for our understanding of life procession.
Another accent here is that persons of faith should not be surprised at suffering on the part of good people. Their salvation providing a special status with God was not given to relieve the natural world or the Christian community from suffering. In the context of the logic of the natural world, suffering is often taken as indication that the sufferer must have done something wrong, or he would not suffer. The idea of suffering as objectionable is widespread, but suffering for good is given little attention. It is not easily defended. For the Christian, suffering that is registered with God relates to the joining of suffering of Christ’s ordeals of the cross. There is identity in it. The connection will ultimately be understood. It becomes clear from the writings of several authors in Scripture that there is, and will continue to be, suffering. It must be managed within the faith structure of the Christian. The Christian concern is that any suffering Christians may have should not be for wrongdoing, but for the purpose of relating to God. In suffering there are mystery factors. It identifies. The person of strong faith not only accepts suffering but enters it with a fortified spirit when it can be used as witness. One does not seek to suffer, but accepts the identifying experience if it comes. One does not seek suffering, but accepts it as of some use. We should not misinterpret it. During the first century after Christ, many Christians counted suffering, especially martyrdom, as God’s gift to them of assurance. Suffering was seen as the factor that divided the genuine Christian from the claimant who could not accept suffering. We discover that suffering is one of God’s methods with us for good. God has not changed the meaning of suffering to fit modernity’s pattern. There is mystery in it. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020