Series: #1 “ Winning Over….Suffering”

Matthew 2:13-18

What is it that brightens the dark, cold, gray days of January? Is it a warm fireplace? A bowl of hot homemade soup? Is it the Currier and Ives scene of large, lazy snowflakes “making the season bright” and white?

Oh no! What brightens the January landscape are the sunny rays of football playoffs culminating with the grand champions of the Super Bowl! And so in this vein of winning over our opponents we take up the offensive banner against those foes of life that beset us and often defeat us. While those foes are many, we will focus on 4 during the Sundays of January: Suffering, stress, prejudice, and discouragement.

Our Scripture is found in Matthew 2:13-18.

Christmas with its merrymaking is over. The last decorations are coming down. Our focus has been on the joy of celebrating the birth of Jesus, of gift giving and receiving, of spending time with family, of watching the glee of our kids and grandkids as their faces light up with the latest toy, of watching our dads and husbands lose all sense of macho-male decorum as the large screen television is delivered.

And yet into this joy-filled celebration comes a very harsh reminder of the reality of sin and the brutality of this world. The Prince of Peace is born. Angels announced it. Shepherds gloried in it. The Wise men were ‘filled with exceeding great joy’ over it. How does this first Christmas story end? The silent and holy night of Christmas is shattered by what we now call ‘the slaughter of the innocents.’ Every male child 2 years and younger was put to death by King Herod’s henchmen on his own personal orders. That first Christmas doesn’t end “happily ever after.” It ends with the brute and stark reality of the brokenness, cruelty, and the sin of this world. But how can this be? How could God have allowed this to happen? What kind of God is there that would allow innocent children and their parents to suffer?

This question of suffering in our world, it seems to me, is the number one question and dilemma of all time. If God is great and if God is good how can He, at worst, do such stuff or, at best, even allow it to happen! This issue of suffering in our world has been and continues to be a great stumbling block to many people. This morning we are going to briefly attempt to make some sense out of suffering in order to help us to win over suffering.

Every one of us has our horror stories on suffering and tragedy in people’s lives. As we look at Scripture we discover 5 types of suffering:

1. Suffering because we are human and subject to pain

2. Suffering through the consequences of our own sin-direct consequences, not indirect!

3. Suffering because of the sin of others

4. Suffering because God is allowing us to be tested, and

5. Suffering because we belong to Jesus and share in His sufferings.

Unfortunately this whole topic is way too large to deal with adequately in one sermon and each type of suffering is a sermon in itself. One thing we do know is St. Paul’s declaration in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Notice here that Paul says that all things work for good to those who meet 2 conditions: those who love God and those who are called. This is a conditional promise that is not applicable to everyone, but only those who love God and have answered His call upon their lives to follow Him and know Him as Savior and Lord. With this in mind how then do we win over suffering? One of the best ways to win over something is to know and understand it. When you can name it then you have great power over it.

First, the Bible tells us that God uses suffering to discipline us. In Hebrews 12:7 we read, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?” The rest of this passage goes on to explain that God loves discipline and that discipline works of the fruit of holiness in our lives. The suffering is short term; the reward is long term. We understand by way of dental hygiene. We suffer the pain, the hardship, and the discomfort of that masked and goggled dental hygienist who causes us to bleed. We endure this in order that we have gingivitis free gums and strong, healthy teeth. Short term suffering; long term health. On more than one occasion my father disciplined my backside in order to teach me right and wrong, good and bad, appropriate and inappropriate behavior. Short-term pain, lifelong character.

Second, God uses suffering to test us. James makes an outlandish and ludicrous statement in 1:2, “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” It is only the power of God that can so transform us that we can look at suffering with joy! There are times in suffering that we need to ask, “God, are you testing me in this? If so, how am I doing?” It may be that the sooner we learn God’s lesson, the sooner that suffering will cease.

Third, God uses suffering to glorify Christ. In John 9 the blind man was born blind, and was not related to anything he did or didn’t do. When asked why this man was born blind, Jesus responded, “But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” If God wants to use your life to display His power to others, are you willing to let Him? Examples of this kind of suffering are numerous like Joni Eareckson Tada who at age 18 suffered a neck injury that left her a quadriplegic. After deep battles in her soul, heart, and mind she stated, “I would rather be in this wheel chair knowing Jesus, than on my feet not knowing Him.” And God has used her suffering to bring glory and honor to His Name. Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Congo, writes in her book, He Gave Us a Valley, “On that dreadful night beaten and bruised, terrified and tormented, unutterably alone, I had felt at last that God had failed me. Surely he could have stepped in earlier…. Yet even as my heart had cried out against God for His failure…another reasoning had made itself felt. ‘You asked me, when you were first converted, for the privilege of being a missionary. …These are not your sufferings: they are mine. All I ask of you is the loan of your body.’ I said I wanted to be identified with Him…yet this was the privilege He offered, the privilege of being a missionary, His ambassador, identified with Him among those whom He wanted to serve.” Reminds us of Paul’s admonition in Romans 12:1, “I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” God uses suffering to bring glory to Himself.

Fourth, God uses suffering to equip us for ministry. In 2 Corinthians 1:4 we read concerning our God, “Who comforts us in our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we have received from God.” Henri Nouwen calls these people ‘wounded healers.’ Who can better relate to the homeless than one who was homeless? Who can better relate to one who has had an abortion than one who has been through an abortion and discovered God’s healing? Who can better relate to homosexuals than one who has been delivered from homosexuality? Who can better deal with one enslaved to alcohol or drugs or pornography than one whose addictions have been broken? God uses our pain not only to build character in us, but also to use us to be Jesus to someone who is going though what we have gone through. Often times our suffering has a greater impact on people for Jesus than any of our successes and blessings.

Fifth, God uses suffering sometimes to prevent worse things from happening to us. Did you know that St. Paul had a ‘thorn in the flesh’ as he called it? Paul came to understand that this ‘thorn in the flesh’ was given to him “To keep me from becoming conceited…there was given to me a thorn in the flesh.” Sometimes God allows suffering in our lives to keep us humble which in turn keeps us trusting Jesus and dependent upon Him. Notice God’s response to Paul in vs 9 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Otherwise our pride and self-sufficiency could cause us to forfeit even our salvation, and we be lost for all eternity.

Coming to grips with suffering, our own and others, is one of the most difficult issues that we face in our world. As I try to make sense out of suffering, I have come to understand that the bottom line is one of trusting. Am I able to trust Jesus as Lord and Controller of my life? Am I able to trust that God is good and wants only what is in my best interests? Then and only then can we ultimately win over suffering.

When people are in deep personal pain and ask me why God is doing this, I have no rational answer. All we can do is to point them to Jesus. He alone has the power to enable us to overcome our suffering. Only He can heal the deepest of hurts and wounds and pain. Jesus is our ultimate wounded healer. The Bible tells us in Isaiah (53) that “He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities, and by His stripes we are healed.” The key to our winning over suffering is found in the Cross of Calvary.

An elderly woman spent 8 years in a German concentration camp befriending Corrie ten Boom. In speaking of the atrocities she endured in her imprisonment, she remarked, “I find that when everything is taken away from you, God is enough.”

As we partake of the Lord’s Supper we are reminded again and again that in the brokenness, pain, and suffering of our lives, our God is enough!