Persecution and Suffering

• Introductions: Name
• Restatement of theme:
  • “If this issue was the reason a non-believer gave as their obstacle to Christianity, what would we say to them?”
  • Theme verse: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.” (Matthew 13:19)
• Today’s Topic: Persecution and Suffering
  • How does our culture approach the idea of having to suffer?
    • We “relieve” folks from their suffering through death.
    • I take pills almost as soon as I have a headache or a cold.
    • I want to be pain-free, mature, grown-up, perfect, and feeling great at all times.
    • Suffering may sometimes be worthwhile if there are immediate or obvious results (such as exercising).
  • What about the opinions of other religions?
    • One of Islam’s critiques of the idea of Christ’s deity is that they cannot understand that God could suffer as Christ did—so Christ could not be God.
    • Buddhism believes that:
      • Life means suffering. (This is the central problem.)
      • Suffering is caused by attachment.
      • Suffering can cease.
      • The way to end suffering is through the dharma of the Buddha.
    • Basically, we largely either 1) ignore what we see as suffering or 2) are defeated by the “evilness” of suffering.
  • How do you approach suffering?
    • As a Christian, I know that things ought to be better—and it is very easy for me to very discouraged and disappointed when they don’t seem to be from my perspective.
  • What is the Christian approach to suffering?
    • From the current Pope when he was cardinal:
      • “Today what people have in view is eliminating suffering from the world…Anyone who really wanted to get rid of suffering would have to get rid of love before anything else, because there can be no love without suffering, because it always demands an element of self-sacrifice, because, given temperamental differences and the drama of situations, it will always bring with it renunciation and pain.”
    • From Scripture:
      • Romans 12:14, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, Luke 9:23-27, Romans 5:1-5, Hebrews 2:9-10, 1 Peter 2:20-25, Isaiah 52:13-53:12, Hebrews 12:3-14.
      • Never recommends suffering for the heck of it (which some have tried), nor suffering for any old reason, but suffering for the name of Christ and doing what’s right.
      • Other thoughts?
      • Christ is our example of suffering, and we are to follow His lead.
      • Also, the book of Job. ;-)
    • So what about persecution?
      • I would argue that there is little difference between the idea of suffering and the idea of persecution—the value of both is the same.
      • Christians are obviously persecuted, tortured, and killed in many nations around the world to this day. I read 130 Christians were killed as a result of those cartoons.
      • Are we persecuted in any sense here in the states?
        • I would say that we have a lot more psychological & philosophical persecution. I don’t know how to compare that to physical persecution (is it easier? harder?) but I do know it is very real and also tends to be subtle and easy to not notice but still be affected by.
  • Any final thoughts?

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