Why Do Good People Suffer?

This is a reasonable question.

We naturally experience a strong emotional reaction when we see or experience suffering in our world. When we see good people suffer we wonder, why did this happen to them? Where is the fairness? Where was God?

If you think about it, you will begin to realize that today's question is based on several unreasonable assumptions. One assumption is that God's purpose is to protect us from pain. Another assumption is that there are people that exist who are so good that they deserve a pain-free life.

Some of the people who listened to Jesus made similar assumptions. They thought that human suffering was a consequence of sin. If a person was injured in an accident, they assumed that the person must have done something to deserve the pain.

In Luke 13:1-5, Jesus addresses the issue. He mentions two events as examples. The first was an atrocity. Pilate's soldiers had killed some people from Galilee as they were worshiping in the temple. Jesus asked whether these people were more sinful than other Galileans. The second event was an accident. A tower had fallen, killing eighteen men. Jesus asked whether these people were the worst sinners in Jerusalem. Jesus intended His hearers to answer "no" to both questions.

So what reason did Jesus give for these tragedies? He gave no reasons at all. Essentially Jesus is teaching the people that suffering is going to happen. Suffering comes to everyone regardless of whether they live a good life or not. In fact, Jesus promised in John 16:33, "in this world you will have trouble."

If God's purpose is to keep us from pain, then this is not a loving response. But what if that assumption is wrong? What if God has a different purpose for us? Luke 19:10 says that Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost. And Romans 3:23 says that all of us are imperfect, that we are sinners. Jesus didn't come to make people think they were good enough to make it on their own. He came to help them see their need for salvation so that they would come to Him and be saved from their sin.

Question to Consider: How does the suffering of Jesus affect the way we think about our own suffering? How has God ussed your hurt or pain to produce good?