"And now ladies and gentlemen, we present to you the second installment of... *in echoing voice* Pointless Suffering... With a Purpose." *suspenseful music plays...*
So it's 7:30 AM, I was up early for work and wound up not being needed. I'm a bit tired, but ready to tackle this post. I meant to put it in three parts, but I suppose two would do nicely. We shall see.
The other day, I ended my post about 'pointless' suffering as an object lesson for others by saying that God always has a purpose, even though you may never see it in your lifetime. Well the next passage of Scripture I'd like to share is about a family that thought their brother's lifetime was over. God's plan for His life had been completed and they were mourning his loss... they supposed.
I'm talking about Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus. They saw their brother pass away and agonized that Jesus could have done something, but didn't come in time. Now in hindsight, knowing how this story ends, it's easy to blame them and think "Silly girls, don't they know that Jesus can do anything? They were so foolish to blame His delayed timing for their brother's death." But if you were Mary or Martha, don't you suppose you would be doing the same thing? My guess is that we both blame the Lord and become angry with Him when things don't pan out the way we want them to.
These verses here really caught my eye, I love the surprising twist-
John 11:3-7 :: Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."
Did you catch that? Read it again... He loved them, so He stayed where He was! God allows suffering because He loves us. God's love is so wrapped up with His infinite wisdom that He does things that we think make no sense. Jesus allowed Lazarus to die, because He loved him! He let Mary and Martha grieve the loss of their dear brother because He loved them. He did something painful, to show us something greater. Perhaps if He had healed Lazarus from sickness, that would be just another miracle everyone would check off the list. After all, Jesus and many of His disciples healed the sick. But there were very few people raised from the dead. Jesus gave Lazarus something greater.
In fact, the earlier part of the verse tells us precisely why Jesus chose to stay behind, and it is also my ultimate argument for the suffering God 'allows'. (I'm still not sure if 'allows' is the word I want. 'Directs' might be more along the lines of Biblical context.)
God's purpose for suffering is ultimately... His glory. He creates object lessons from suffering, to bring glory to Himself. He loves us and directs suffering, to bring glory to Himself. He used the wicked prophet Jonah for His glory, He used the obedient prophet Hosea for His glory. He dashed the dreams of Ezekiel for His glory, He led Joseph's brothers to sell him as a slave, for His glory. He let Lazarus die from illness for His glory... You name it, God gets the glory from it.
Does that seem like a sick sense of pleasure to you? Perhaps, I'm not surprised... But God is sovereign and does what He wants. He is the only Potentate, the King of Kings, the Master Designer, Creator... He perfectly owns every right to do what He wants and get all the glory.
Here are my last two examples of suffering, that weren't specifically labeled for any sort of punishment or edification, but truly to demonstrate what God can do.
Job 2:3 :: Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause."
Isaiah 48:9-11 :: For My name’s sake I will defer My anger, And for My praise I will restrain it from you, So that I do not cut you off. Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; For how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another.
Of course you can't write anything about suffering without bringing up the story of Job. He is the textbook example of someone who suffered much without cause, and the perfect example of someone who suffered for God's glory. Thus I don't feel compelled to expound much more on Job, but I would compel you to read the last few chapters of his story; Job 38-42. The glory and sovereignty of God is unfathomable. These verses really couldn't be plainer.
But perhaps you haven't read (or maybe read, but not pondered) this passage from Isaiah. Tricky little piece of Scripture, I didn't know what to make of it when my mom first showed it to me a few years ago. It clearly speaks of chastisement and refinement, not for the subject's sake, but God's! Imagine that... God here, doesn't seem like the bestest chum and doting daddy that a lot of Christians make Him out to be. For sure, those are facets of his character, and this one is likewise. I'm not saying He is solely cruel and loves to see His children in pain. After all, the simplest verse in the Bible - and perhaps the most touching - says "Jesus wept" (for Mary, Martha and Lazarus). But we mustn't go too far to either end of the spectrum. If we focus so much on God's lovingkindness that we forget His wrath, we have a warped view of a God that is truly balanced with love and justice.
I'm afraid I'm beginning to ramble, so I'll wind up and ask you to study all these passages of Scripture for yourself. Don't condemn me, nor take my word for it. Pray for truth and seek the Lord's will. He will not disappoint you.
To God be the glory! For EVERYTHING.
Romans 8:28 :: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
