After Pentecost (Proper 11/12 ) | Year A | Romans 8:18-39 | TJ Torgerson
The topic of suffering comes up frequently in the Bible. One such example is Romans 8:18-39. When addressing the topic of suffering, something significant is that the Bible does not directly address the "why" behind the "why." This is what I mean. In one regard, we know why there is suffering. The Bible teaches that suffering is the result of persecution, wars, famines, and oppression. We also learn from the Bible that all of this is linked to sin. Or to put it more concisely, our present suffering is a result of a sinful and broken world.
But the "why" beyond this "why" remains unanswered. The first "why" is sin, but then there is the second "why." Why would God allow it? The Biblical writers do not spend time answering that "why." Paul does not spend time breaking down the Problem of Evil. There are no sermons from Jesus on this topic. It simply doesn't seem to be something that concerned the Biblical writers.
Now you may be thinking, "What about Job!?" If you read Job's story, you will see that Job doesn't answer the "why" behind the "why." Ultimately, the message of Job is that in the midst of suffering, we need to remain faithful and trust God. We are never told why God allowed it.
The question of "Why would God allow it!?" has become an important question in our world. There have been people who left the faith over it. Many who are reading this may have at one time or another struggled with this question. And I would imagine many of you agree with me that it would be very helpful if the Bible gave us a solid chapter or 2 answering the second "why."
It would be great if Paul took some time to unpack that question for us.
"My dear brothers, I considered our present suffering and was downtrodden as I pondered how God could allow such evils in this world. I hear that you too are struggling with the same thing, so please let me explain so that your faith may be preserved...."
Wouldn't that be great? Because it is not like this was not something that people "back then" were concerned with. Job's friends were concerned with that question and were convinced they had an answer. But what we learn from their story is that they did not have the answer.
Why is that? Why don't we get a juicy chunk of Bible with a clear answer?
Here is a possibility. Maybe we are not told more about the nuts and bolts of why God allows suffering because, at the end of the day, it is not what we need. Because at the end of the day, the logistical, philosophical, mechanical answer to the reason for suffering would, in the midst of suffering, be unhelpful.
Imagine this. You are teaching your child how to ride a bike. While doing so, the inevitable happens. They crash and get hurt. Now as they are lying there on the ground fighting off the tears, you run to them and say, "The reason you fell is that you are uncoordinated. You have not yet trained the proper muscles to stay balanced, and so when you got to the uneven portion of the pavement, it caused you to fall. Because your center of gravity, blah blah blah, and the reason it hurts is because the pavement is harder than your skin, so as you slid across the road, your skin broke and the nerve endings sent a pain signal to your brain to let you know your body was being harmed…."
That would be an unhelpful and perhaps even an unloving response to your child. Right? Often times the answer to "why" is not what we need. While we still may ask it and sometimes even demand it, if we received the answer, it would be completely unhelpful and possibly unloving. How could a loving God provide us with an unloving answer?
What we need in the midst of pain is not an explanation; what we need is the same thing your kid needs when they fall off their bike. We need acknowledgment of our pain, we need comfort, and we need hope. We pick up little Johnny, give them a hug, clean up their scrapes, encourage them to try again, and assure them of the future glory of being able to ride without training wheels.
That is what little Johnny needs and in the midst of our suffering, that is also precisely what the Holy Spirit through Scripture and through the church — provides for us. Acknowledgment, Comfort, and Hope.
Acknowledgment
Verse 18 reads, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."
Paul says, "I consider our present suffering," he doesn't try to minimize or deny his or the other believer's suffering — he acknowledges it and says, "We are presently going through some stuff — and it is hard." Later in verse 22, he adds that all creation is suffering.
There is great healing power in someone simply acknowledging your pain. Once upon a time, I sat with a pastor and recounted some painful events that transpired at a church. As I was speaking with him, I kept saying about the situation, "It doesn't really matter, It doesn't matter." About the 12th time, I said that, he stopped me and said, "Tj, it does matter, and I bet that it was hurtful to you."
Him taking 4 seconds to say that to me was extremely helpful and has stuck with me after all of these years.
Comfort
In Romans 8:26 it says, "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings."
All of creation (including me and you) is groaning for ultimate redemption(v. 22). Often in the midst of this suffering and groaning, we are not always sure how to pray. The good news is that when we groan, the Holy Spirit takes our groans and adds to them his groans! And somehow in this process, our inner longings for redemption — these groanings — are transformed into perfect prayers.
Essentially, God is coming alongside us, comforting us. What is more comforting than knowing that God is right there with us in our suffering?
Hope
Acknowledgment and comfort are empty without hope. Hope that one day all will be made right. Hope that one day there will be justice. Hope that one day we will no longer be bound to decay and live in an existence of suffering. Praise be to God we have this hope.
"For I consider that our present suffering cannot even be compared to the glory that will be revealed to us."
When our suffering is acknowledged, there is healing in knowing that our pain matters and we matter.
When we are offered comfort, there is healing in the alleviation of the pain.
When we are offered hope, we are given the strength to keep fighting, to keep pressing on, knowing that God wins.
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