Introduction: Understanding Suffering Through a Christian Lens
Suffering is a profound and universal experience, often raising the question: “Why would a good God allow it?” By exploring Psalm 22 and Matthew 27, we see that Scripture offers a transformed view of suffering—one that points to God’s presence, purpose, and ultimate victory through Christ.
The following is part of a modified version of a sermon I preached a few weeks ago looking at how Christ transforms our view on suffering in the context of Psalm 22 and Matthew 27. This is the first (the introduction of a four part series)
One of the most frequently asked questions in the Christian life is the question of suffering. We have heard so many times questions like, “How could a good God allow so much suffering?”.
Or perhaps we could take this little bit deeper. "Why does a mother lose her child while a tyrant lives in comfort?". It’s questions like these that push even the most faithful Christians to the edge.
It’s the age-old question. Many people have asked themselves this throughout history: “Why does suffering exist?” So much of how we view the world can be distorted through the lens of suffering.
Looking at the world around us, it doesn’t take very long to see the things which upset us: people dying in endless wars, the cost of living crisis, families falling apart. And so, all of this raises an important question: How exactly are we, as Christians, meant to view suffering?
Suffering is not something that is just unique to our lives only, but instead, is an important topic with profound and historical meanings in both the past and present.
Psalm 22 offers us a unique picture into the first-hand sufferings and experiences of King David. It is a deeply emotional lament and reflects a moment of intense suffering, abandonment, and ultimately, vindication. There is also a lot of overlapping language that is echoed in Matthew’s Gospel when Jesus was on the cross.
In Christian interpretation, Psalm 22 holds significant messianic meaning, often seen as prophetic of Jesus’ crucifixion due to its vivid imagery of suffering and ultimate triumph. Focusing on Matthew 27, this passage covers the humiliation and crucifixion of Jesus on the cross, going into great detail as he endured being mocked, beaten, killed, and later buried in the tomb.
And so, these two passages set the scene for what to expect and give us a transformed view of suffering in light of these texts. By looking at these two passages together (and in context), it is clear that even in the hardest of situations, God is at work in our lives and His plans never fail.
Over the next few blog posts, we're going to dive into this in greater detail by considering three things: Firstly, why God is not distant in our suffering. Secondly, why suffering does not cancel God's purpose. And finally, why suffering will not have the final word.
Next Post: Why God is not distant in our suffering. (coming soon)
