Why do we suffer?
John Chapter 9:1-11
Bill Wilson, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous
Jonathan Winters, comedian
Boris Yeltsin, former President, Russia
Judy Garland, singer, actress
Charles Dickens, writer
Noel Coward, composer
Rosemary Clooney, singer
Robert Burns, poet
John Bunyan, writer
All suffered from depression or manic depression - source - Mood Disorders Association of Manitoba, What Do All These Famous People Have in Common?
Alexander Graham Bell
Muhammad Ali
Erin Brockovich
All suffer from Dyslexia
Socrates
St. Paul
Napoleon Bonaparte
Alfred Nobel, Swedish Chemist (1833 - 1896) The Nobel Prize
Vincent van Gogh
Theodore Roosevelt - 26th President of the U.S
All these people suffered from epilepsy.
Pick any human illness or disease and you will be able to associate it to a person who was outstanding in some area of human achievement. I looked and looked hard at medicine, music, science, politics and religion. With out a doubt we have been surrounded by people of every walk of life who have known some kind of great suffering. In fact we are surrounded by them in our everyday lives and some of them are seated here.
Why do we suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do are bodies give out on us only after we learn to appreciate what they are capable of? Why do we contract illness in our old age isn’t growing old enough to have to live through without adding sickness on top of it all?
Why me?
This week I spent a good deal of my time visiting members of our church family who are all suffering in one way or another. I will have you know not one person complained about what they were suffering from. But their suffering got me to wondering why?
In todays scripture we read about a blind man who meets Jesus. The man is known to have been blind from birth. It is because of this fact that the religious leaders say he or his parents must have committed a great sin somewhere along the line. They viewed disease as a consequence of sin. John 9:34
This is not the case and Jesus sets them straight. Jesus tells us neither the man nor his parents sin is responsible for this mans lack of sight.
Jesus tells us - this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. You might think that an odd way for God to display His work. Maybe you suffer from a disease or illness and wish that God had given it to someone else other than you.
I guess it is only natural to feel that way when you look around and see all kinds of healthy people who are not Christians enjoying the good things of life. But you are a child of the King and still you suffer.
God is not a respecter of persons. Romans 2:11
You see all of us are sinners until we come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. All of us share that condition equally. As for disease and illness and calamity well those things too are shared among us all but not necessarily equally.
God is our creator He has designed you to be exactly the way He wants you. You are His workmanship. God does not make junk. Your life is proceeding according to Gods plan and not your own plan.
In looking for answers to these questions we must come back to God and the purposes He desires to accomplish in our lives. God may want to reach a neighbor of yours or a nurse or a doctor or maybe a caseworker or a son or a daughter or a grandchild. It may be that the only way to draw that person into your life is to give you a disease or illness.
Not a great answer is it. It is kind of disappointing and hard to swallow, to think that God would afflict one human being with a disease, in order to reach another human being. It seems irrational or maybe even cruel. But my bible reads that - Philippines 4:13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
You see God has a people he wants just for Himself. The Jews are Gods chosen people and they see themselves as set apart for God among all the nations of the earth. But Jesus has called out a people who are not from the nation of Israel. Jesus calls out a people who are to be citizens of heaven.
In calling us out God has determined to use us to bring glory honor and praise to His name and sometimes that means we have to suffer. Why should we think that our God would treat us any different than His son Jesus?
1Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
Well friends there are many of you who are faithful and are in fact following the example of Christ as you too suffer and are acquainted with suffering. In this you are becoming more familiar with Jesus.
He suffered the weight of not just your sins but mine and every human being that had ever been born. That weight was carried on a cross at Calvary where it was finally lifted by Jesus sacrifice for you and me.
Friend God may be afflicting you so that in your suffering something can be learned by the doctors to alleviate the suffering of future generations. Like Jesus your gift of suffering may free many, many souls one day.
I am familiar with suffering. In my former occupation as a police officer I saw much suffering. I saw broken homes and broken hearts, I saw the suffering of disease and drugs and death. I have experienced my share but still not so much as Jesus.
You see Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe. All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give. Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee. Jesus keep me near the cross.
There let me ponder my souls great cost.
Heaven was won for us by a Saviour suffering upon a cross to set us free. The suffering we endure here will end and be no more until that day my prayer for you is to bare your suffering knowing you share an experience with Jesus. You may know Him in a way others can not.
