Luke 14:27
Whoever does not carry his own execution-stake and come after me cannot be my talmid.

Maybe its because the only images I have of crucifixions are those dramatizations of Yeshua's but I always took it for granted that someone sentenced to die by this form would carry the instrument of their death without protest. But I just realized that many if not most would kick, scream and stall. In that context this verse convicts me to be more like Yeshua when I face persecution for being His talmid. I want more than anything to be His talmid and to hear "well-done, good and faithful servant" at the end of the race.

Suffering as a Revealing Fire

Suffering also is a purifying fire that reveals character. When things don't go our way not when all lights are green our character is revealed. What would you think about a crime scene investigator that found chemical evidence that could possibly implicate someone he loved in a crime; so, he decided not to bring that chemical to the laboratory where it would be put to the test by fire. That investigator would not be honest and he would be guilty of obstructing justice. God is just. He will not sweep the truth of our sinful nature under the rug; however, God is also Love. In God "mercy and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed." (Psalm 85:10) How can we plead for mercy and be pardoned if our sin isn't revealed by testing? So God loves us by revealing our inequity to us in suffering before the judgement day. God is giving us the opportunity to repent. He is a fireman that screams at a man that fell asleep smoking waking him up from a beautiful dream to save him from the raging fire burning around his bed.

photo by gasi from flickr (creative commons)

Why Suffering?

If God is all-powerful and he is good then why does he allow suffering? I know there are many other reasons but over the next couple of postings I intend to propose a few I have pondered. Let's look first at the relationship between a father and son. A good father knows that over protecting his child is dangerous because he knows that his child has develop the ability to make correct choices on his own. It is a loving Father that gave human beings the trait that no other creation of his has - free will. With free will comes the responsibility for our choices, suffering being one of them. A world without the consequence of suffering as the result of bad decisions would be an a very unpleasant place to live. Imagine a world where anyone who murdered, cheated, stole, lied...etc. suffered no consequence. Ah...but you say we do live in a world like that. Do we? Maybe there is no physical consequence immediately seen, but what about the emotional pain suffered because of immoral decisions? And if you could see the spiritual as God does you would hear what Daniel did in the twelfth chapter and second verse bearing his name, "And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt."

One other thing about free will. It is a requirement of love. If we had no free will we would not be able to love others let alone God because love requires the option to not love. Well I hope to post more on suffering soon so check back.

Photo by foreversouls on Flickr. Este entrada en espanol.