Third Sunday in Lent - Suffering in the Word

Introduction

As we lead up towards Easter, we have bee taking time these past few weeks to look closer at scripture, gleaming insights into what the Word tells us about love, about finding comfort. Today let us take a look at perhaps a difficult subject, what can we learn about suffering. We’ve all experienced it. The pain of lossing a loved one. The agony of watching our children learn a life lesson. The struggle with losing a job. Perhaps the impact of a marital breakdown. Dealing with addiction. Dealing with health crises. At some time during our lives, we will all face moments of suffering. As we watch events unfold in Ukraine, we see the pain and suffering of those affected directly by this conflict

In today’s readings we hear about the Israelites suffering under the Egyptian’s control. We read Jesus’ words about how the Galileans, His neighbours were suffering at the hands of Pilate. In a few short week’s we will visit Jesus’ suffering on the cross.

Suffering is common, it is a part of our human experience. Knowing this, it certainly doesn’t make suffering any easier for us.

Readings

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. The LORD said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey —the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain. ” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers —the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob —has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation. Exodus 3:1-15

Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’” Luke 13:1-9

Why Me Lord?

If you are anything like me, during these moments of suffering we often ask ourselves: Why? Why me? Why is this impacting my life? Why has this happened? These are questions without many answers, but it is still an important question to ask ourselves. It tells us the importance of searching ourselved and world around us to find meaning and comfort. It tells us that we we can get through it despite the pain we are experiences. It reveals to us that perhaps we aren’t as signficant, aren’t as immune to suffering as we once believed. It grounds us in admitting our own moments of anger and fear as we work our way through moments of suffering in our lives.

Why? Why me? Why is this impacting my life? Why has this happened? It is an everlasting question. It is a question that leads us directly towards Good Friday. It is a question that reminds us of Jesus question on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Though it can feel like we are alone, in fact, we are far from it. Jesus has always been and always will be with us in our moments of suffering. Jesus is with us.

Scripture examples

There are so many scripture verses we can read related to suffering. Here are just a few examples.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. 1 Peter 5:10

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Paul’s Words

It’s tempting during moments of suffering to reach out towards material things to ease the pain. Turning towards sinful behaviours which seem to provide temporary relief. Keep in mind that such measures are temporary and will only lead to eternal suffering. Paul tells it this way:

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test Christ, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did —and were killed by the destroying angel. These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Conclusion

Suffering is common, it is a part of our human experience. Knowing this, it certainly doesn’t make suffering any easier for us. Though it can feel like we are alone, in fact, we are far from it. Jesus has always been and always will be with us in our moments of suffering. Jesus is with us.

Prayer

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; Psalms 103:1-11