Suffering

Jamie Featherby 13th Nov

 

The topic of suffering goes to the root of who we are as people, to the root of our self-preservation. The New Testament talks a lot about suffering. Jesus talks of opening ourselves up and becoming vulnerable but all that we are reacts against that.

Imagine a world …

 

Imagine a world in which all the good guys bury their weapons of war and vow not to fight any more wars. What happens next?

Various answers: the bad buys would take over, we don't know what would happen, people would still fight.

When Jesus talks of peace and love, part of us thinks is this for real, it's too impractical. As humans we learn that we need to protect ourselves.

This talk today is not about sickness, natural disasters, 'normal' evil, nor is it about soldiers laying down their lives, although not to minimise their sacrifice in any way.

Jesus at the centre 

Jesus is our model, he was a normal man, and laid down the pattern we are to follow. We are to reflect him. His love and forgiveness is unqualified, limitless.

If we really loved our enemies what would that look like? What implications does it have for our suffering?

We need to start from a solid basepoint, not like a sportsman who launches a tackle from a position of being off-balance. We must have both feet firmly planted, our default position should be to love our enemies like Jesus does.

What if …

If we opened ourselves up to love and forgive, what would happen? What would be the consequences for our privacy, comfort, resources, families? Where do we draw the line? Not where we do now.

Governments have to balance the real need to maintain order in a society made up of our sinful human nature. They have to draw a line too.

A different type of love 

Matt 5 v 43-44. (Love your enemies) In this chapter is the beatitudes, followed by lots of paragraphs which go 'you have heard xxxx, but I tell you yyyy'. Jesus is saying that the Old Testament law is not a full reflection of God’s characteristics.

Matt 5 v 46-47 (if you only love those who love you) Jesus shows a non violent response to a world that only knows violence - the Romans were in power in his day. He shows love, forgiveness, freedom of choice, including the freedom to sin.

Matt 20 v 21-28 (whoever wants to be greatest among you).

Radical community 

This is a radical, reforming, different, dangerous community that we are called to be. Jesus did not come to establish rules on how to organise a sinful society. We are called to establish his Kingdom by modelling him in community and to outreach to the world.

This is more important than our natural desire to be effective safeguards of a stable society. Matt 10 v 34-39 (I have not come to bring peace).

Not because God commands us, which is Law. But because we want to model Jesus Christ.