Preaching in a suffering world
Our context
As this is being written Brazilian authorities are still recovering the bodies and wreckage from the Air France crash in the Atlantic Ocean. The bodies are so badly decomposed that gender identification is near impossible. Such events with terrible loss of life are sickeningly frequent, be they accidents, natural disasters or terrorist attacks. These high profile, headline grabbing events momentarily distract us from the daily human suffering that marks many lives and families the world over; be it through war, systemic government corruption and exploitation, poverty, sickness, financial ruin, domestic violence, sexual, physical and emotional abuse, divorce, family breakdown, loneliness and grief.
This is the world that the Bible describes and that raw experience confirms: A beyond-Eden world, full of absurd contradictions and paradoxes, of pain and joy, of life and death; the same world that we preachers and our hearers live in.
Its effect
Pain and suffering impact and shape us all. Sadly, unbelievers use it to reinforce and justify their unbelief. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John depicts human suffering and the human response towards God, and writes: ‘They cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory’ (Rev 16:9). We’ve all known people who have grown even bitterer towards God because of their suffering. It’s possible that such people are in our churches, even concealing their hard and angry hearts. We need to recognise this possibility in our ministry.
While every believer in our church is affected by suffering in some form or another, some will be experiencing it in especially painful ways. While the suffering believer won’t curse God, they will nonetheless feel deeply the injustice and unfairness and even cruelty of this beyond-Eden world. This creates a tension on two levels: on one level, with the apostle Paul, we wish to be with Christ but know that we must remain until our work is done (Phil 1:21-26). On another level, with the prophet Jeremiah, we draw near to God and learn to trust and praise him in the dark, but cannot help but feel deeply troubled and perplexed by it (Jer 20:7-18). We must be ever mindful of such tensions within those we serve.
Our preaching
Our context and its effect mean that we should regularly acknowledge these things in our preaching, not only with sermons or series speaking to the issue of suffering, but in all our preaching. After all, a deeply wounded God and a God-forsaken cross lie at the heart of our universe and gospel. Our Great High Priest is able to help his suffering people because he himself suffered in order to make propitiation for our sins (Heb 2:18). He is likewise able to sympathise with our weaknesses because he himself entered into our human condition (Heb 4:14-16).
Its effect
Though not explaining every instance of suffering or answering all our questions, our God and his gospel speak directly and powerfully to our human condition; and we are sustained by the sure hope held out to us in the gospel: The New Creation with God’s presence and without sin and suffering (1 Pet 1:3-9).
Over time, preaching through books of the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments builds into congregations a biblical worldview. This helps people to think biblically about everything, including human suffering, and to live with the contradictions and deep disappointments; even to understand that God brings and allows suffering for his people, and that it is part of his good purpose to conform us to the likeness of his Son, to his glory (Rom 5:1-5; 8:28-30; Heb 12:3-11; 1 Pet 4:12-19; Jam 1:2-4, 12; Rev 6:9-11). Preaching and teaching that exegetes God’s character, God’s purposes in Christ and God’s people, that is ever-sensitive to the pain and suffering within and outside of our church family, will meaningfully connect with God’s people and foster faith, deep comfort, reassurance, courage and hope.
God’s call to Isaiah, ‘Comfort, comfort my people, says our God’ (Isa 40:1) remains a vital part of New Covenant ministry to God’s people. For it is with the gospel and God’s proclamation of his own greatness that his servant comforted and lifted up God’s perplexed people (Isa 40:2-31). New Covenant ministers of the Word likewise bring comfort/encouragement/exhortation with the gospel and what it teaches us about God’s character and purposes – see 2 Cor 1:3-7; 13:11.
In the face of overwhelming suffering
The 1996 Port Arthur massacre, the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, the 2009 Black Saturday Victorian bushfires, the suicide death of a fellow church member, all constitute occasions when it is right and necessary to interrupt your preaching schedule to speak to the occasion with the Bible and with great sensitivity.
It is possible that the scheduled text for that Sunday in your church will serve this purpose well; but it is more likely that you or your leadership team will decide to preach on a more suitable text. If you are in the middle of a sermon series this would mean either dropping the scheduled sermon for that week from the series or putting the rest of the series back by a week.
Ignoring the calamitous event is pastorally insensitive, misses an important opportunity to allow the Bible to speak to the broader issue of suffering, sends the damaging message to those gathered that week that Christianity and the Bible don’t really have very much to say to such things, and risks damaging people’s perception of your or your church’s leadership. How many church leaders have pressed on regardless with the scheduled sermon series or text, while many of their hearers are confused, distressed, angry, fearful or deeply saddened by some horrific world or national or state event? It really should not be. At such times we preachers and leaders must call on God for wisdom, compassion and courage to think and speak biblically and helpfully.
Texts for a one-off sermon
Here’s a sample of suitable ones:
Responding to a natural disaster
Genesis 3; Romans 8:18-25; Matthew 24:3-14
Responding to a tragic accident
Luke 12:54-56 together with 13:1-5
Responding to suffering generally
Genesis 3; Job; Psalm 90; Romans 1:18-32; 8:18-25; Matthew 24:3-14; Luke 12:54-56 together with 13:1-5; Revelation 6; 21; 22
Responding to suffering believers
Job; Psalms; Isaiah 40; Romans 5:1-5; 8:18-39; Matthew 24:3-14, 29-35; John 15:18-27; 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; 2 Timothy 3:10-17; Hebrews 2:5-18; 4:14-16; 5:1-10; 11:1-12:2; 12:1-17; James 1:2-18; 5:7-12; 1 Peter 1:1-9; 2:18-25; 3:8-17; 4:12-19; 5:1-11; Revelation 1:4-20; 6-7; 12-13; 20:1-6; 21; 22
Sample sermon series
Here’s a mini-series outline that tackles the important issue of God’s sovereignty over the world and his people, from an Old Testament book whose three chapters divide well into three messages:
Week 1 Does God care about the injustice and sin that afflict his people?
Habakkuk 1
Week 2 How can God use evil to achieve his purposes?
Habakkuk 2
Week 3 The place of faith in an insecure world
Habakkuk 3
Helpful books & articles
C. S. Lewis The Problem of Pain
Something of a classic that examines all aspects of the problem of pain and seeks to explain the existence of pain in the world.
D.A. Carson How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil
An important book by a Biblical scholar that helps Christians think Biblically about suffering and evil in order to help them face their own days of suffering and evil.
John Dickson If I Were God, I’d End all the Pain: Struggling with Evil, Suffering and Faith
This Australian Christian academic and author looks briefly at alternative
religious explanations of the existence of evil and suffering and shows why the
Bible’s answer makes so much sense and provides such comfort.
J.C. Ryle Sickness
A short booklet in which the 19th-century Bishop of Liverpool gives Biblical
wisdom on sickness.
Philip Yancey Where is God when it hurts?
This book enters the world of the sufferer to find out what difference it makes
to be a Christian there.
Philip Yancey Disappointment with God: Three questions no one asks aloud
Is God unfair? Is God silent? Is God hidden? This book seeks to answer these
and other questions from the Bible.
Simon Manchester At a time like this: Some answers for loss and grief
A booklet written by an Australian Anglican pastor for anyone mourning the
loss of a loved one and searching for answers.
Rob Smith ‘What Job and Jesus teach us about suffering’ in The Briefing (Dec 2007, issue 351), pp.11-14
An excellent article by an Australian Anglican pastor and song writer, that
explores the connection between sin and suffering in Job’s experience and in
the sayings of Jesus.