Suffering Pt 2

Not too long ago I wrote an entry on suffering - or rather what our response to suffering should be.  I will admit, lately I've been wallowing in self-pity.  Why does that keep happening to me?  Why haven't I learned from my previous experiences that this will keep happening if I don't change?  Circumstances seem to keep repeating over and over again like this cycle that never ends and it is destroying me.  I want to end the cycle, but I can't figure out how.  Sometimes I wonder if God is really listening to my cries and sees my tears.  I get so tired of the same issue occurring over and over again.  Even though I know there are those who suffer more than me, I still think to myself, "It can't get any worse than this!"  Of course, when I hear about other people suffering, it ends up humbling me.  I realize then, even more so, that there is suffering greater than what I go through.

Last night I went to a Ratio Christi event at Kennesaw State University on the Problem of Evil.  The speaker used a video example of my friend, Nabeel Qureshi, one of his final sermons.  In case you didn't know.  He was diagnosed last year with stage four stomach cancer.  He went through a lot of suffering with this and died this past Saturday (09/16/2017).  One of his final sermons he said that he could not find any worse suffering than to be crucified by the people he came to save.  This hit me like a ton of bricks!  I mean really consider what he's saying here.

The whole reason Jesus was born, was to die.  He came to save people from their wickedness.  He came to save those in prisons of darkness.



The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is upon me, for the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed.

Isaiah 61:1



In order to do that though, Jesus had to suffer.




He was despised and rejected -- a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief."

Isaiah 53:3



Then he took our punishment.  He was beaten to a pulp.  Flogged to the point his organs were probably exposed.  He was nailed to a cross in his wrists and feet.  He basically drowned to death from fluid filling up in his lungs (that's why blood AND water came out after the guard stabbed him in the side to check if he was really dead).  We get the word "excruciating" from the word crucifixion.  It was a very shameful way of dying.

I remember earlier this year, I was extremely sick and we weren't sure what was wrong with me (we still don't know completely what was wrong with me then).  They always have a difficult time finding my veins in my arms (they were trying to put an IV in my arm).  I asked them why they didn't just put the IV in my arm where the veins are most prominent (like in the wrist area), and they said it would be WAY too painful, and they used the word excruciating.  It made me think about how painful it must've been for Jesus to be nailed in his wrists.  If a needle would be too painful (which btw, I absolutely HATE needles), can you even imagine a nail?  We're not talking little tacks for nails, we're talking 4-5 inches going through your wrists and feet!  Jesus went through all of this - to save the very people crucifying him - ALL of US!  That's right, WE crucified him.

No matter what kind of suffering we may be going through (and by no means am I diminishing your suffering), it cannot compare to the excruciating, painful, shameful, humiliating, death of Jesus.  Everyone has their own wars they go through, but we cannot fight them on our own or we will lose the war in the end.  Jesus understands our suffering because he's been there!




We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame.  Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God's throne.

Hebrews 12:2