Today's blog is a bit different. For brevity's sake I will mention that this was a homework assignment for one of my classes. To the best of my knowledge this is a pretty unique concept, and I've certainly never heard it before. I am not so prideful though to think that I am the first one to come up with this idea, and in all actuality it's just a short beginings to a concept that I'm not even entirely sure I agree with, but sometimes it's good just to write things out anyway. I would love to hear your comments on this.Many people ask why Satan has been allowed to remain on earth after his judgment. John 16:11 uses the Greek word kekritai when referring to Satan’s judgment, this word seems to mean “has been judged and continues in the state resulting from that judgment.” The existence of Satan contributes to conflict in current life. This conflict brings suffering. There are many arguments given by Christians to explain the existence of suffering in a world governed by an all-powerful and loving God, but I am going to provide what I believe is a unique angle to this topic. Though I do not think that any one answer fully covers the scope of the necessity of suffering, I do think it is important to recognize that suffering gives mankind, particularly Christians, the opportunity to reflect God’s compassion to the world.
In the third chapter of his letter to the church in Collosae, Paul takes the time to share ways that we can mature as Christians. These words are as relevant today as they were to the Colossian church around 62 A.D. One thing of particular note is found in verse twelve, where Paul says that we as Christians are to “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Compassion is something that we see often in scripture, but what is compassion? When many think of the word compassion, it brings up thoughts of feeling sorry for someone, or to perhaps lend a bit of time to one to show that you care. The Online Etymology Dictionary by Douglas Harper, a noted historian shows us that the word compassion is comprised of the Greek words com- which means “together” and “-pati” to suffer. With this it becomes clear that we as a church are called to take upon a heart that suffers with others.
This line of thought makes a lot of sense when we realize that as Genesis 1:27 tells us, we were made in God’s image. The Bible has much to say of how we serve a richly compassionate God. James 5:11 says “Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” This verse clearly states that God strengthens us in our suffering by suffering alongside us! This doesn’t stop here though. God, in his divine plan tied a beautiful ribbon around this example of compassion. He punched a hole from heaven to earth and sent his son to set the example of pure compassion in a way that only Jesus as fully human yet fully God could. Christ took all of our suffering upon him and paid the price as the propitiation for our sins on the cross. As image-bearers of God, we are as humans and as Christians to reflect this example in our daily interactions with the rest of the world.
In his book, “Created for Community,” Stanley J. Grenz states that “Sin refers to any attitude or action that fails to radiate God’s own character.” If this is true, and the Bible provides multiple instances that show light on God’s compassionate nature, we see a cycle, perhaps even a plan begin to appear.
God is all loving and cares for his creation to the extent that he suffers for them. God is almighty and has complete sovereignty over existence. When God created man and woman together in his own image it only logically concludes that he would give us the facilities and opportunities necessary to fulfill our created role. Therefore suffering enters into the world, not as a punishment but as opportunity! Suffering can be used as a tool that not only shows God’s love to the world but as an instrument of Satan’s punishment as well. Satan already lives in the midst of his punishment as we already discussed and as his sentence is carried out he is revealed to be a puppet, aiding God’s creation so that even in the harm that suffering causes, our opportunity to reflect God’s compassion mocks Satan himself.
It’s funny how all of my life I’ve seen suffering as a tool Satan could use to drive us away from God, or to punish us for Adam and Eve’s fall in the Garden of Eden. But through this perspective, it is Satan that is being punished through the suffering he provides, not us! As Satan causes suffering to God’s most beloved creation, I would imagine that it must truly sting, perhaps even suffocate when a Christian responds to another’s suffering by being compassionate towards them. In that act of mercy and shared suffering, Satan sees the divinely inspired potential born within humans whom were created in God’s image. I would think that this could cause Satan himself a good deal of suffering. Satan is spared no compassion, so by having no one to share in his suffering it must be a very heavy burden to actively and continually see his role as a mere instrument of God’s grace and mercy, mercy that he himself shall never receive. This constant realization must tear incessantly at him. One could even say this could be… a punishment?
If you view our interactions with others through this filter, then you begin to realize, as well as strengthen an already excellent view that suffering is not always brought on by sin. Many times people are drawn to asking questions like “What did I do to deserve this?” when something goes wrong in their life. Examples of this range from losing your job, to having medical related problems either personally or vicariously through someone you love. These events are traumatic and raise a lot of questions. What is important is that we ask the right questions. Instead of trying to take an irrational responsibility for a discovered suffering, instead you should ask what opportunity this raises. If you are suffering you must realize that it is not good to suffer alone! This is not how God intended humans to work! We are created for community! At the same time, if you see someone else suffering it is our obligation to offer support.
This is not always the easiest thing to do. In the book “Radical Reformission,” while explaining Jonah’s reluctance to minister compassionately to the people of Nineveh after being directly commanded to by God, Mark Driscoll says this.
“And the book brings us all, like Jonah, under the conviction that we love the things God has given us – homes, cars, hobbies, healthy, friends – more than our great cities and the spiritually blind people who annoy us. We pass these people every day and ignore them because our minds are consumed with ourselves rather than with our God and our neighbor.”
To do this is to, in some sense; deny an active role in God’s punishment of Satan. This also becomes a willful denial of our role as beings made in and reflecting God’s image. When we do this, when we rebel against the purpose of our creation and neglect our relational obligation to God we step out of righteousness. Clearly stated, to harden your heart to someone who needs to be shown compassion is to sin.
In conclusion I want to reiterate how amazing it is in God’s perfect plan to have such an active role. We are created in God’s image and in showing compassion to others, especially those who do not know Christ; we reflect God and shine his light and mercy into their lives, providing them with a glimpse of revelation so that they too might come to know Jesus. All the while reminding Satan that he holds no authority but that which is given to him, reflecting God and shining his judgment upon him, reminding him of not only his failed past, but his present role of a puppet, as well as his current and future eternity of suffering. Compassion is a luxury to be enjoyed by humans as God’s creation, and to deny its power is dangerous not only for those suffering, but for you as well.
