The Problem of Human Suffering

In 1981 Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote a book entitled, When Bad Things Happen to Good People. The thesis, much like the self-explaining title, was to deal with the problem of pain and suffering in the world with respect to God. In his book Kushner reasons that people should not ask why bad things happen to them, rather the proper response should be to ask how, as in how should a person respond in the face of suffering? This might leave out a rather obvious part of the equation. Where does God fit into this picture of suffering that Kushner attempts to paint? For him, God isn’t the source of suffering, nor can He prevent suffering, in other words He’s not all powerful (omnipotent) nor sovereign. Instead, God is the Comforter who helps us and loves us during our suffering. In setting forth his thesis attempting to solve the problem of human suffering, Kushner actually neuters God, and elevates suffering to meaningless circumstances, i.e. pain, that inflicts at will and at random. Despite these serious shortcomings, Kushner’s book became a New York Times best seller.

Is it reasonable then for us to ask why it was so popular?

It’s likely because as humans we share the common malady of pain and suffering. It is unavoidable. C.S. Lewis in his book The Problem of Pain identifies two senses of pain, what he calls sense a and sense b. By the former he intends to include a particular kind of pain like when we have sore joints or muscles. In the latter sense of pain, he means, “any experience, whether physical or mental, which the patient dislikes.” (pg 80). He astutely points out that all pains in sense a if they be raised above a certain threshold will become sense b. He then classifies these as synonymous with suffering, anguish, tribulation, adversity, or trouble. Thus, these conditions are what we are considering under our heading the problem of suffering.  

When we do encounter these difficulties, we want answers, sometimes demanding them. Somewhere along the journey of our lives we will face suffering to one degree or another and when that happens, often depending on the degree as Lewis pointed out, we want to know the why’s or how’s. Perhaps built into our nature is the recognition that all is not at peace and that all is not right with us. We therefore want to know Why this is happening to me or How could this happen to me? Even reading the questions, we can see a very self-centered approach to the problem, highlighting the error with Rabbi Kushner’s thesis. Experience has shown that onlookers in the situation cannot help but to likewise ask the question of why or speculate as to the how. But are their questions out of concern for the afflicted or motivated by a self-preserving, pharisaical desire to elevate themselves above the sinner who has incurred the discipling hand of God?

In John 9, Jesus’ disciples encounter a blind man, and their immediate question of the Lord is, “Who sinned, this person or his parents that he was born blind.” They wanted to know the why’s and how’s, or causation, something like that could’ve happened. It’s human nature to raise these questions, especially during times of intense emotional, physical, or spiritual difficulties. Jesus’ disciples presented only two possible causes for the congenital affliction of blindness, it either had to be the man’s parents or something that he had done himself. The principle they were operating from was not unique and was not necessarily wrong. They were asserting the principle of lex taliones or retribution. This God-ordained principle was set forth in the law (REF) and was thought to be the modus operandi of how God used affliction in the lives of people, especially the Jews of the first century. It certainly isn’t difficult, considering the law, to see how they would’ve reached this conclusion, doubly so when they considered the loss of King David’s child as a divine discipline for his adulterous affair with Bathsheba and subsequent murder of her husband Uriah. This is primarily the premise and foundation from which Job’s friends operate from in their attempt to counsel their suffering friend. Affliction is divine discipline and must clearly be the result of unconfessed sin.

But Jesus doesn’t allow for the blind man’s affliction to be so easily categorized into the sin of either his parents or him. Instead, He offers a third, rather radical alternative. According to our Lord it was neither, instead it was so that the works of God might be displayed in the blind man. We might conclude that the man’s blindness was so that God’s glory might be made known through the affliction. Now, there are a number of ways we could take this. It could be that the affliction would never be healed, and God would get glory in working through the person in-spite of that, as in the case of a Helen Keller or more modern Joni Eareckson Tada. It could also be, as in the case of this blind man, that in healing him as Jesus does, it would also magnify the glory of God and put His work on display.

We may not always know the divine reasons behind suffering and because of that asking the why’s or how’s will hardly ever give us the answer we are looking for. Instead, the better question to ask is Who, as in Who is the God that has divinely orchestrated and sovereignly administered this affliction. Then, the attention is properly and rightly placed not on us, rather it is placed on God. This brings up a very important verse that highlights this truth and gives us an anchor for the soul in the midst of affliction all while including us in the equation for what God is doing. In other words, though God may bring suffering it is not meaningless, it’s doing something in the afflicted. Romans 8:28 informs us that God works all things together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. This passage simultaneously maintains the sovereignty of God in affliction while offering us hope that God will indeed work it for good.

Suffering always has a way of bringing God into the equation, even if He was otherwise absent in the mind of the afflicted. To the mind of a Christ follower, God can become simultaneously the source of mystery, as in why did God allow this to happen or how could God allow this to happen. While also being the source of comfort or towards Whom we look for relief during our time of suffering. For the non-believer, suffering can likewise draw God into the mind, either as a source of scorn and hatred, hardening further an already hard heart or breaking the heart of stone and turning it towards God in recognition of His supremacy and sovereignty over the suffering, in which God becomes the source of salvation. In a very real sense as with most of God’s revelatory ways, suffering can act as a double-edged sword. Softening the heart to embrace God more or hardening the heart to reject Him further. Cases like these are legion. Perhaps you the reader are such a case or know of such a case.

In the book of Job, the main character of suffering falls into the category of a believer who brings God into the picture as the Source of mystery only to discover Him as the Source of comfort. The journey between the two is documented for us in dramatic detail but make no mistake it’s not a straight-line journey to get there. At times it feels like the suffering could get the best of Job by hardening and callousing his heart towards life, thereby setting up God as the object of scorn. Other times it appears as those Job’s faith is unshakeable and his resolve unwavering in the face of unprecedented suffering and sorrow.

Job is not alone in his inquiry into the mystery of God’s sovereign providence. At the entrance into his suffering journey, we are introduced to his wife who offers the always helpful advice, “Curse God and die”. To teach us more about the roles of observer and counselor, as we saw with the disciples, Job is joined by three friends, who after sitting with him in silence for a week attempt to try their hand at solving the Divine mystery of suffering by offering words of counsel to Job. A fourth person is introduced towards the close of the book and serves as a bridge for arrival of Almighty God on the scene to answer the accusations that have been thrown at Him.

The problem of human suffering is a mystery as old as humanity itself. In the midst of our pain, as Lewis described, we’re confronted with the sovereignty of God who holds affliction up as a mirror to our souls, revealing all that is inside us and refining His people to be more conformed to the image of His Son Jesus. Though He was born in the likeness of sinful flesh did not sin and thereby did not deserve to suffer on the cross for our sins. Yet He did so willingly, as a substation for the punishment that we deserved, namely the wrath of God. Jesus’ suffering also worked together for good, not just for the salvation of sinners, but for His own exaltation to the right hand of the Father on high.

Suffering and glory was the pattern for our Lord and it will also be the pattern for all those who by faith alone have embraced Him as Savior. Now let’s consider Job.