Why Do Good People Suffer - Literature review Example

Why Do Good People Suffer? When we see children abused, kidnapped and killed, and when we see that guy with a promising career get stabbed and murdered, what do we think? We tell ourselves that these people do not deserve to die. Nevertheless, we do not know what it is that really makes someone deserve his or her death. Do we then simply have to accept things and tell ourselves, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (Job 1:21)? Not exactly, for in every human being, there is a natural curiosity to know why things happen, and especially why bad things happen to good people. We may feel angry and bitter at the suffering that good people experience and at all the injustice around us, but the Book of Job and the Scriptures somehow shed light on the idea that these sufferings, especially those of good people, indeed have a spiritual basis. The reasons why good people suffer are mostly implied in the Book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. One of the essential points that the book is trying to emphasize is that God’s will transcends innocence. In simple terms, it means that God will not spare someone from suffering simply because one claims to be innocent. This further means that despite one’s goodness and obedience to God and to His laws, bad things may still happen to him. Job himself actually claims innocence when he states that he has not committed sins like lust, lies, idolatry and adultery. Job also reiterates that he has not failed to help the needy and the poor and his slaves, and that he has not even treated his enemies in an unfair way (Job 31:1-40, New International Version Holy Bible). Nevertheless, Job experiences extreme suffering. All these imply one thing – that God’s will is above man’s innocence. In fact, because of this, Job assumes that God is cruel, where such assumption is evident in the lines “I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer” (Job 30:20), and, “You turn on me ruthlessly; with the might of your hand you attack me” (Job 30:21). Indeed, anyone who does not show compassion to the weak and innocent is viewed as cruel. Nevertheless, God remains above man’s innocence and man’s concept of sparing the innocent from suffering. The concept of innocence is actually one which is mostly misunderstood by the layman. Perhaps one reason for this is that man usually equates moral innocence with legal innocence. It is in this respect that man is mistaken. Good people suffer because “technically speaking there are no good [or innocent] people” (Slick). The apostle Paul echoes this in his Epistle to the Romans, where he says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). This means that no one is spared from sin. Paul even calls himself “chief of sinners” (1 Tim. 1:15). Moreover, even Jesus Himself says, “Why do you call Me good?...No one is good except God alone” (Lk. 18:18). Furthermore, Job’s defense of himself by claiming that he has been a good man all along is actually not even plausible for everyone simply is a sinner, regardless of the good or the bad he has done. It is true that in terms of the law of the country or in terms of rules, it is clear who obeys it and who violates it. However, when it comes to the Scriptures, there are really no good people and that bad things just simply happen to them. What then is the effect of this sin? The apostle Paul describes the effects of sin on the Ephesians: “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed” (Eph. 4:19). Thus, sin, according to Paul, leads to more sin. Moreover, sin can lead to various physiological problems such as “liver problems, diabetes, heart disease” as well as emotional problems like “guilt, low self-esteem [and] loss of self-respect” (Vandermark). Thus, sin leads to both emotional and physical suffering. Lastly, perhaps the worst effect of sin is stated by the apostle Paul in the line “For the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Truly, sin can destroy one not only physically but especially spiritually. It is also not only suffering that it brings but also death. Now, if sin makes Job and other “good” people suffer, then the moral idea of suffering somehow seems like a nonsequitur or something that simply defies logic. Actually, good people suffer because God transcends human logic. In the Book of Job, the three friends of Job – Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar – all insist that THERE MUST BE A REASON why Job is suffering. Eliphaz lists “a catalogue of Job’s missteps,” Bildad “reinforced the theology of retribution,” and Zophar speaks of a wisdom that Job himself failed to understand (Job 11:6). Nevertheless, how did God react to all of their speculations? God Himself tells Job’s friends, “Who are you to question my wisdom with your ignorant empty words?” (Job 38:2). This otherwise “shocking amorality” of God overwhelms Job and his friends as the Lord spends the next three chapters giving them an account of His power (Long). Finally, Job admits that God is “all-powerful and that [He] can do everything [He wants]” (Job 42:2). This means that people suffer simply because God can will their suffering at any moment that He appoints even if this suffering may defy human logic – for the truth is that God is simply above human logic. Human logic also extends to the idea of just punishment. Nevertheless, good people suffer because God is above the concept of just punishment. One of Job’s friends, Bildad, maintains that “surely God does not reject one who is blameless or strengthen the hands of evildoers” (Job 8:20). The picture of God that Bildad is trying to embed in Job’s mind is a just God who rewards good and punishes evil. Therefore, since Job is suffering, then it must be a punishment for his evil deeds, of which, according to Bildad, Job does not have full knowledge. Nevertheless, since it was previously mentioned that God is indeed above human logic, then it follows that Bildad’s idea of Job suffering because of God’s punishment for the latter’s sins is simply mere assumption at its best. Eliphaz may have simply seen good people being rewarded and bad people being punished, and so he makes such an assumption. Nevertheless, he commits two errors here – the mistake of using empirical evidence as evidence for his claims on what God is, and the mistake of limiting God to the idea of human justice. God must be superior to both. If Bildad emphasizes just retribution, Zophar speaks of a wisdom that he implies he knows but Job does not. God, however, is above any form of wisdom. Zophar somehow hypothesizes that it is Job’s ignorance of this hidden wisdom that has caused the latter’s suffering. Zophar is therefore trying to say that good people suffer because they do not know God’s ways. This is obviously an assumption. Just because one is suffering does not necessarily mean that he is missing on a secret formula. Despite the use of the most sophisticated methods of induction and investigation, God simply cannot be reduced to the mere idea of secret wisdom. God is infinite and cannot be known by any mortal, and so He must be greater than anything – including this wisdom that Zophar relentlessly proclaims, even if this wisdom truly exists. Moreover, from Zophar’s assumptions, one can conclude that he also believes that those who live good lives know of this wisdom. The fact, however, remains that whatever wisdom and knowledge one has of things in this world, he can never say that he is spared from suffering. There is a point, however, where Zophar’s argument seems tenable. When he asks Job, “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” he is actually implying that it is either extremely hard or utterly impossible for one to realize the wisdom of God (Job 11:7). These words of Zophar somehow echo the Book of the prophet Isaiah, where God says, “My thoughts…are not like yours, and my ways are different from yours” (Isaiah 55:8). This means that suffering may not actually be as bad as it seems, and it may even have a purpose which is far beyond human understanding. It is therefore possible that that the bad things that happen to good people are simply trials, which are actually spiritually beneficial things. The concept of trials is somehow implied in the Epistle of Paul to the Romans: “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Rom. 5:3-4). Trials therefore have the hidden purpose of making people better. This line simply says that good people suffer because God wants them to become stronger, to grow in character and to blossom with hope and faith. Job, therefore, for all we know, may simply have been experiencing a difficult period of trial at the time that he was suffering, perhaps because it was only through such suffering that he was able to recognize his own strength, and more importantly – God’s dominion. Based on the concept of trials, it also seems that good people suffer because God has simply already ordained the events that will happen in their lives, and that it is ONLY THROUGH a certain amount of suffering that God’s true purpose can be revealed. In the Book of Genesis, Joseph tells his brothers: “And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you…But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance” (Gn. 45:5, 7). The passage above somehow implies that even though suffering exists and that even though bad things happen to good people, these “bad” things – or trials – possess a preordained spiritual purpose in them, which makes does not make them intrinsically bad. Furthermore, the particular passage above shows only one thing – that God has already known in advance the good purpose of a good person’s suffering. The good person is therefore merely instrumental to God’s purpose, and so through his suffering, God can fulfill the good that He has planned. Job, therefore, may have only been one whose suffering has been preordained by God for a purpose that was beyond his comprehension at the moment of his suffering. This purpose, as what has been previously said, may be the wisdom that not only he but also his three friends have gained. However, if some good people suffer because of trials, others may suffer because of temptations. Job after all may have simply been tempted by the devil, to whom God has given permission. After Satan challenges God’s opinion on Job, God Himself gives Satan permission to harm the man: “Very well, then, everything he has is in your power, but on the man himself do not lay a finger” (Job 1:12). This passage clearly shows that God allows the devil to tempt people, yet God Himself does not tempt anyone (Jas. 1:13). What then is the result of this temptation? The apostle Paul implies that it is suffering when he says, “…he himself suffered when he was tempted” (Heb. 2:18). Paul also implies that it is failure of plans when he says, “I was afraid that in some way the tempter had tempted you and that our labors might have been in vain” (1 Thess. 3:5). Temptation, therefore, although it leads to sin or not, is definitely one of the causes of suffering. Nevertheless, Paul himself reveals the true purpose of temptation: “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 2:18). Thus, temptation and the suffering that comes with it ultimately has the purpose of transforming the tempted and suffering individual into one who can help others. Temptation, therefore, despite the suffering it brings, has a good spiritual purpose. In fact, even Jesus Christ Himself was tempted by the devil but He was able to defeat Him with His faith (Mt. 4:1-11). It was also only after the temptation that Jesus called forth His first disciples (Mt. 4:18-22). Indeed, despite the extreme suffering, one’s success over temptation teaches one to become a stronger person and one who is more able than before one was tempted. It is interesting to note though that although temptations and suffering will not spare “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:12), God assures us that “[God] will not let [anyone] be tempted beyond what [he] can bear” (1 Cor. 10:13). This means that although good people will be subjected to temptations, they are assured not only a good outcome but also some form of protection from God Himself. As Satan is the one who is responsible for all temptations and sufferings, including those of Job and Jesus Christ, it is also possible that one reason why good people suffer is because of Satan himself. The Epistle of Paul to the Ephesians somehow reveals this in the passage: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but…against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). This clearly implies that it is a given for everyone to struggle and suffer simply because Satan and his evil forces exist. In fact, the “suffering is the result of living in a world that is under the dominion of Satan” (Ellis). Nevertheless, the reason why God may not interfere with such actions of Satan is that these acts of Satan will anyway be used against Satan himself during his trial (Ellis). It is, however, interesting to note that, although Satan appears in the first part of the Book of Job, he is not anymore mentioned in the last part. The last part is simply dedicated to God and His resolution of the problem of evil, for all is said and done, God is the point of everything. Good people, therefore, may suffer simply because of God’s enduring quality: His dominion over both good and evil. In the last part of the Book of Job, God sarcastically asks Job and his friends, “Whoever has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me” (Job 41:11). Based on this passage, God clearly emphasizes to everyone that He is not answerable to anyone – even good people – in all His acts since He is simply the king of the world. When I asked six people the same question, “Why do you think good people suffer?” the answers were not surprising to me at all. Three among the six – the oldest and the most religious of the group – gave this answer: “Suffering is simply all about God’s trials.” Truly, simplistic as their answer may seem, it does not go against what the Bible says. I would simply agree with these people. In fact, their answer is positively empowering not only to themselves but especially to a suffering friend who is seeking advice. Two of the six people answered, “It is because good people are weak and that they simply let others abuse them.” The two middle-aged people who gave me this answer were actually pragmatic white collar workers who do not seem to have time to think about religion. Theirs is only the practical aspects of life without the emphasis of the spiritual. As I believe people like these two would be anything from overly defensive to outright argumentative to simply indifferent, I would rather say, “Well, I guess that’s what most people think.” If I were brave enough, perhaps I would say, “Well, as long as they get something out of it in the end,” thus giving justice to the idea that trials are indeed for good ends, without mentioning the word “trials” to these somehow religiously indifferent people. Lastly, one of the six, a man who anybody would call a pessimist, said, “Well, that’s life. Life is hard and unfair. Both the good and the bad get beat up.” I was rather impressed for there was wisdom in his words, which he did not obviously realize – or he did. God’s power truly transcends the human concept of good and evil. I would agree with this pessimist, but he is still a pessimist, so perhaps it would be my own duty as a good Christian to somehow give him a little encouragement and optimism. The Book of Job, as well as the other Scriptures, reveals to us why good people suffer. First of all, based on the Book of Job, God’s will transcends the human idea of innocence. It does not therefore follow that if one claims to be innocent, one must necessarily not suffer. Second, this innocence that people claim is actually not true since, based on the Scriptures, everyone is a sinner and that sin naturally brings with it suffering. Third, good people suffer because God is above logic and the idea of human justice. The spiritual concept of suffering therefore does not subscribe to human conventions on which one deserves to suffer and which one does not. Fourth, good people suffer because these sufferings are simply trials through which God achieves a good purpose in the end. Fifth, the suffering of good people may be caused by temptations of the devil, which, however, may teach one to realize his own inner strength. Sixth, good people suffer simply because Satan and his minions exist, against whom God will use their evil acts as evidence in their trial someday. Lastly, the reason why good people may suffer is because God Himself rules the world and everything in it, and He commands things as He has willed them to happen. The things that happen – including human suffering – are actually neither good nor bad but only proofs of God’s dominion and power over His entire creation. Works Cited 1 Corinthians. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. 1 Thessalonians. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. 1 Timothy. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. 2 Timothy. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Ellis, Steve. “Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?” n.d. The Church of the Servant King. Web. 9 Sept 2010. Ephesians. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Genesis. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Hebrews. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Isaiah. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. James. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Job. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Long, Bill. “Introduction to the Book of Job.” 2008. Basic. Cullendale Church of Christ. Web. 8 Sept 2010. Luke. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Matthew. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Romans. NIV Holy Bible. Textbook Ed., Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 1980. Slick, Matt. “Why do bad things happen to good people?” 2010. Ethics. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. Web. 8 Sept 2010. Vandermark, Traci. “Side Effects of Sin.” 2003. LookOutMag.com. Web. 9 Sept 2010. Read More