I wasn’t initially going to
pick these verses, because they speak of suffering and prophesy the
death of Jesus on the cross. Not that appropriate for advent, the time leading
up to the birth of our Messiah. However, they reminded me of our own suffering
here on earth and how in times of pain and trouble, we easily lose sight of the
Lord’s presence. It also reminded me of the difficulty we face as Christians
when challenged by questions about how a good God can allow suffering in the
world and why He does not always seem to come to our aid when we need it most.
Is He unconcerned by our struggles? Is He so divine that He cannot
grasp that many of us have to deal with sickness and pain and darkness on a
daily basis?
No. He is not unconcerned or too holy. Our Lord knows better than
anyone the obstacles we face while on this earth, through the trials and
sacrifice of His son. The life of Jesus, while filled with miracles and wisdom,
also serves as reminder that our Creator knows all too well the hurt and pain
that we may experience. Pastor and author Tim Keller puts it like this: ‘God
takes our misery and suffering so serious that he was willing to take it on
himself.’
He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and
familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
He was
oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth.
yet he did not open his mouth.
When you go through dark periods in your life,
whatever they may be, remind yourself that Jesus is walking with you and that
he has felt your pain and experienced your suffering for himself. And if we
believe that Jesus is God and that he went to the Cross for our salvation, that
offers us a deep consolation to face the sometimes painful realities of this
life.
But he
was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
Peter Paul Rubens [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen
Rudolf Douqué
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