There are times in life when we experience pain and suffering. It is during these moment that can we struggle to comprehend just exactly where God is in the midst of all this evil that seems to be around us. The "problem of evil" has been a dagger thrown at Christianity for centuries: "If God is as good and as great as you say He is, then why is there all this evil? Either He's not great enough to stop it or not good enough to do away with it."
While the world wrestles with this conundrum, believers understand evil and suffering in a different light, although we can't claim to fully explain it. We believe that God is all good and all powerful and therefore suffering serves some kind of purpose - God's purpose - in this world. It doesn't make the pain go away, the losses suddenly stop, or our understanding perfect, but it does give us a foundation for beginning to comprehend it all.
There is no way that I could possibly begin to break down the problem of evil and suffering in a brief blog post, but what I do want to do is narrow the scope just a little bit: Why do believers in Christ suffer for their faith? Luke 21:5-19 give us some insight into why this happens.
As Jesus and His followers were walking around the temple, He told them that there would come a day in the future when the temple would be destroyed. His disciples asked Jesus about the time frame for His prediction and what signs they should look for. He gave them some general events to look for, but that's not the most important part of what Jesus had to say. Starting in verse 10 Jesus begins to describe all sorts of horrible and disastrous events that will take place in the future, but not before His followers would begin to undergo intense persecution. They will be thrown into prison, turned against by family members, and even killed. Why would God's children have to endure such evil? Jesus gives us two reasons.
First, believers will suffer because "it will lead to an opportunity for you to witness" (verse 21:13). Jesus told His followers that they would be brought before kings and governors and all sorts of leaders to give an account for their faith. What an incredible opportunity to witness about the glory and grace of the gospel!
Second, Jesus told believers they will suffer "because of My name" (verses 13 & 17). Simply put, it's all about Jesus, not you or me. I can honestly admit that I don't believe I've ever truly suffered for my faith. I gather with other believers every Sunday in air conditioned buildings and sit in comfortable chairs sipping hot coffee while worshiping with praise bands that use electricity to play before I listen to a preacher who boldly and without fear of intimidation or arrest preaches God's word. I do so realizing that across the globe there are followers of Christ meeting at the same time in secret places where, if discovered, they face arrest, imprisonment, and quite possibly death. We all meet together as the body of Christ because of the name of Christ. We also do so with the understanding that we might suffer and die for that very same name.
These things don't sound too inviting, do they? But that's just the point; if our preference is that we don't want to endure evil and suffering because of how it makes us feel then we've already missed the boat. Our life with Christ is about Him and Him alone. He invites us by an unexplainable act of grace to know Him in an intimate relationship. Jesus Himself suffered the ultimate act of evil against Himself and suffered in ways that you and I can only imagine. Long before Jesus walked the earth, the prophets of God were killed for testifying to His truth. 2,000 years ago Jesus came as the living truth and suffered and died as a result of the world's rejection of truth. As His followers, you bear His name. It is branded on your heart. Because of that name there is a good chance that you will suffer evil against you and if you do, do so with the intention of bearing a faithful witness to that glorious name.
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