The Problem of Pain - C.S. Lewis
If you have been reading the Bible continually, you would have noticed that Jesus promised suffering to His followers, on this side of eternity. In chapter 8 of Mark’s Gospel, not long after Jesus had revealed His purpose to His disciples, He says the following:
"And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it." (34-35 KJV)
What you may not have given much thought to, is that God may reserve special types of suffering (or crosses) for different types of people, as part of the bigger body of His church. At first this might sound extremely sadistic or even macabre to you. What kind of God would purposefully make people suffer? you might think.
I’ll tell you what kind of God. The same God who made the vast loneliness of the universe.The same God who sheds a tree naked in a sea of red, yellow and brown leaves. The same God who turns a flowering rose bed into seemingly dead stumps, but after some pruning, makes it bloom even more beautifully than the previous year. The same God who buries a dead seed deep into the dark soil and makes it grow roots and produce a seedling. The same God who would break the bones of his sheep, so that it doesn't keep wandering into the wolf’s den, and then carrying it on His shoulders. The same God who takes away a dead and sinful heart and replaces it with the Holy Spirit. The same God who gave His only Son, Jesus, to die the most brutal, horrifying and humiliating death on a cross, so that our pain will only be limited to our earthly lives.
Are you seeing it? There is a peculiar melancholy, beauty and even holiness in sadness and pain, be it in nature or in humans. Jesus affirms the beauty and holiness of suffering in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter five:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted."
"Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." (3-4; 10-12 KJV)
James, Jesus’ brother, similarly wrote the following in the first chapter of his epistle:
"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."(verse 12 KJV)
The word blessed can also be translated as experiencing the fullness of God. Both of these authors agree that those who go through trials, are blessed, or will experience the fullness of God. Wow! Nothing can be better than experiencing the fullness of God.
Both of these authors also agreed that there will be a great reward in heaven for those who have persevered in following Jesus through trials and persecution.
I previously pointed out that God may reserve special types of suffering for different types of people. Do you think that God also perhaps reserves special types of glory for different types of people when they arrive in Heaven, as part of the Kingdom of God?
Is your personality, character, strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes simply coincidental? Do you sometimes feel that you belong nowhere? That might be because God created a special and perfect mould or role for you as part of God’s family, that will only be fulfilled once we leave our earthly bodies behind.
What if God is moulding and pruning us, ridding us of our selfish selves throughout our earthly journey, so that we will perfectly fit the mould He has created for us in heaven?
P.s. C.S. Lewis wrote THE PROBLEM OF PAIN after the death of his wife. This book will help you to see pain, whether it be physical or emotional, in a transformative way as part of the Christian life.
The following hymn was softly sung by a 17-year old girl in hospital as she was being treated for a snapped neck that resulted in her becoming a quadriplegic. Years later she was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer.
The Bible is clear that sharing the gospel and encouraging Christians is not only the job of the pastor, paid ministers or missionaries. Jesus commissioned his followers to make more followers of Jesus and the book by Francis Chan takes its cue from that. The title Multiply communicates Jesus’ teaching on this matter, but also very practically and simply lays out the basics of Christian living.
When I finished reading this book, I was in awe.
If you have been reading the Bible continually, you would have noticed that Jesus promised suffering to His followers, on this side of eternity. In chapter 8 of Mark’s Gospel, not long after Jesus had revealed His purpose to His disciples, He says the following: