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Easter 6 – Suffering
Dr. Christopher Graham
Sieger Köder, “The Meal,” 1996
Easter 6 – Suffering
Dr. Christopher Graham
1 Peter 4
Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
As we have read Peter’s letter, we have focused on the household of God as one of Wisdom, a household in which we are composed and tuned by the Word. A household which, because of this Wisdom and Word, is set in contrast to the culture that seeks to distort that Word. In all of this, we have managed to skirt the issue that stands clearly in Peter’s mind in writing the letter: suffering. In his opening salutation, he says: “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” And he speaks of suffering throughout the letter before turning fully to it in chapter 4, which he ends with the words I read for us just a moment ago: “Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
Because of its ubiquity in our world, there are many, many treatments of suffering that offer insight. There are, of course, many Scriptural passages that we could draw from this morning to consider suffering. This morning, though, we are not concerned with giving a comprehensive or definitive statement on suffering. This morning, we want to hear what Peter has to say about how the Gospel intersects with suffering. To do this, I am going to offer three paths that are tempting to take on this issue and then consider how Peter’s teaching provides insight into the truth about it.
So, first, there is a temptation to believe that those who are in the house of Wisdom and the Word are immune from suffering. There have been large swaths of those throughout the history of the Church who have made the claim that the Christian life is incompatible with suffering. In the earliest days, there was the pernicious belief that feeling of any sort, but especially suffering, was antithetical to the nature of the divine. Therefore, not only was suffering impossible for those who followed Christ, but Christ himself couldn’t have suffered as the divine Son of God. In our day, there are, of course, those who claim that suffering is somehow antithetical to the new life that Christ and the Spirit have ushered in and that health, wealth, and prosperity are the signs of the Christian life. For as easy as it is to target these groups, it is equally easy to forget that there are some close to us, even perhaps some of us in this room, who put a chasm between the Christian life and suffering.
I was reminded of this just a few weeks ago as a debate played out on the news. It began when one Church leader in a denomination very similar to ours sounded a warning that we may be facing days in the United States when Christians will face persecution and even martyrdom. While his statement is sobering and worth critiquing, it was not what caught my attention. What caught my attention was the reaction of another Church leader, a pastor, in that same denomination who said “I didn’t sign up to be a martyr. . . .”I have a family a congregation who rely on me. If I was gone tomorrow what would happen to them?”
As Peter makes clear, however, suffering remains a reality even for those who have been called by God as his people. In fact, he says in our passage today, “do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed. 14 If you are insulted [k]for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, and of God, rests upon you.” (4:12-14).
And in the previous chapter:
For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God. . . (3:17-18)
And this is where the Gospel meets suffering. That the Jesus we meet each week has suffered such that He has brought us to God. That the words of institution we hear each week remind us that we are invited each week to commune with the one who has suffered and that in doing so we meet one who, in the words of Hebrews can “sympathize with our weaknesses . . . One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. And Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” (Hebrews 4)
This fact leads to a second potential misstep, and that is to try to identify, categorize, and define the root of the suffering, thinking that knowing the “why” will bring relief. This is the error of Job’s friends. It is one thing to acknowledge that even Peter speaks to the multiple sources of suffering.
I have yet to find the proof text that shows that God promises to reveal the root cause of any case of suffering. Either now or in the future, even in the new heavens and new earth.
But the good news is this, that God calls us into a House of the Word and Wisdom. Where our goal is not to seek knowledge of the root cause of suffering but to place ourselves in the protection of the Word, the Good Shepherd. The Lord spoken of in our Old Testament reading this morning:
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. (Isaiah 41:17)
To seek the wisdom given by the Spirit about God’s will. As Paul prays for the Colossians that they may know God’s will by the wisdom given by the Spirit. It is a wisdom gained by God’s people. The people at St. Brendan’s know a thing or two about suffering.
The final temptation is to relent and to believe that suffering has the final word. But the words that I read at the beginning disabuse us of that. Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
The way God will work in the future is tied to what God has done in the past through His Word and by His Spirit. In this verse, he encouraged those who suffer to entrust their souls to God as the “Creator.” This is the God we will confess in just a few moments, who is the creator of all things, visible and invisible. The God who created all things through his Word and by his Spirit, the giver of life.
Because as Peter will say in the next chapter, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 5:10
As our Psalm reminded us this morning, God will vindicate. And in the words of our hymn, one little word shall fell him. And as we confess, “He will come to judge the living and the dead. . .” we are reminded of his word of promise and we are moved to right living. Paul says to the Thessalonians “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”
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By Rev. Doug FloydDr. Christopher Graham
Sieger Köder, “The Meal,” 1996
Easter 6 – Suffering
Dr. Christopher Graham
1 Peter 4
Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
As we have read Peter’s letter, we have focused on the household of God as one of Wisdom, a household in which we are composed and tuned by the Word. A household which, because of this Wisdom and Word, is set in contrast to the culture that seeks to distort that Word. In all of this, we have managed to skirt the issue that stands clearly in Peter’s mind in writing the letter: suffering. In his opening salutation, he says: “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials.” And he speaks of suffering throughout the letter before turning fully to it in chapter 4, which he ends with the words I read for us just a moment ago: “Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”
Because of its ubiquity in our world, there are many, many treatments of suffering that offer insight. There are, of course, many Scriptural passages that we could draw from this morning to consider suffering. This morning, though, we are not concerned with giving a comprehensive or definitive statement on suffering. This morning, we want to hear what Peter has to say about how the Gospel intersects with suffering. To do this, I am going to offer three paths that are tempting to take on this issue and then consider how Peter’s teaching provides insight into the truth about it.
So, first, there is a temptation to believe that those who are in the house of Wisdom and the Word are immune from suffering. There have been large swaths of those throughout the history of the Church who have made the claim that the Christian life is incompatible with suffering. In the earliest days, there was the pernicious belief that feeling of any sort, but especially suffering, was antithetical to the nature of the divine. Therefore, not only was suffering impossible for those who followed Christ, but Christ himself couldn’t have suffered as the divine Son of God. In our day, there are, of course, those who claim that suffering is somehow antithetical to the new life that Christ and the Spirit have ushered in and that health, wealth, and prosperity are the signs of the Christian life. For as easy as it is to target these groups, it is equally easy to forget that there are some close to us, even perhaps some of us in this room, who put a chasm between the Christian life and suffering.
I was reminded of this just a few weeks ago as a debate played out on the news. It began when one Church leader in a denomination very similar to ours sounded a warning that we may be facing days in the United States when Christians will face persecution and even martyrdom. While his statement is sobering and worth critiquing, it was not what caught my attention. What caught my attention was the reaction of another Church leader, a pastor, in that same denomination who said “I didn’t sign up to be a martyr. . . .”I have a family a congregation who rely on me. If I was gone tomorrow what would happen to them?”
As Peter makes clear, however, suffering remains a reality even for those who have been called by God as his people. In fact, he says in our passage today, “do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed. 14 If you are insulted [k]for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory, and of God, rests upon you.” (4:12-14).
And in the previous chapter:
For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God. . . (3:17-18)
And this is where the Gospel meets suffering. That the Jesus we meet each week has suffered such that He has brought us to God. That the words of institution we hear each week remind us that we are invited each week to commune with the one who has suffered and that in doing so we meet one who, in the words of Hebrews can “sympathize with our weaknesses . . . One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. And Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.” (Hebrews 4)
This fact leads to a second potential misstep, and that is to try to identify, categorize, and define the root of the suffering, thinking that knowing the “why” will bring relief. This is the error of Job’s friends. It is one thing to acknowledge that even Peter speaks to the multiple sources of suffering.
I have yet to find the proof text that shows that God promises to reveal the root cause of any case of suffering. Either now or in the future, even in the new heavens and new earth.
But the good news is this, that God calls us into a House of the Word and Wisdom. Where our goal is not to seek knowledge of the root cause of suffering but to place ourselves in the protection of the Word, the Good Shepherd. The Lord spoken of in our Old Testament reading this morning:
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none and their tongue is parched with thirst, I the Lord will answer them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. (Isaiah 41:17)
To seek the wisdom given by the Spirit about God’s will. As Paul prays for the Colossians that they may know God’s will by the wisdom given by the Spirit. It is a wisdom gained by God’s people. The people at St. Brendan’s know a thing or two about suffering.
The final temptation is to relent and to believe that suffering has the final word. But the words that I read at the beginning disabuse us of that. Therefore, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
The way God will work in the future is tied to what God has done in the past through His Word and by His Spirit. In this verse, he encouraged those who suffer to entrust their souls to God as the “Creator.” This is the God we will confess in just a few moments, who is the creator of all things, visible and invisible. The God who created all things through his Word and by his Spirit, the giver of life.
Because as Peter will say in the next chapter, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 5:10
As our Psalm reminded us this morning, God will vindicate. And in the words of our hymn, one little word shall fell him. And as we confess, “He will come to judge the living and the dead. . .” we are reminded of his word of promise and we are moved to right living. Paul says to the Thessalonians “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”