Does God Care That People Suffer?

Suffering happens and dealing with it is difficult. Why does it happen? How can a good God let bad things happen? Does God even care that people suffer? God must not be as good as we thought, or is He? Taking into consideration the historicity and reliability of the Bible, the following areas can be observed.

OBSERVATIONS ABOUT PEOPLE IN GENERAL
The first area to establish is an understanding of people in general. We can observe various characteristics.

1. People are a part of creation. They are formed from the dust of the earth (Gen. 2:7). The living person is composed of non-living parts, such as atoms, chemicals, and minerals, and these things can be found in the “non-living” category of creation (i.e., water, land, rocks, etc.). “Proteins make up body structures like organs and tissue, as well as control chemical reactions and carry signals between cells” (Genomics). In relation with the rest of the world, they particularly belong to the “living” category (i.e., plants and animals), more specifically animals.

2. People are unique to creation. Out of all of the non-living parts and living creatures, it is observed that people stand out above them. Humans have a spiritual aspect to them, which encompasses mind, will, and emotion. Donovan Hall, author of “Natural Philosophy in the Context of a Science of Humanity,” confesses that man is not just a physical system but has material aspects. No other thing, living or not, possess such an aspect. Even the way they were created is different. While it is recorded that creation came into existence through the spoken word, humans were given more attention, being formed from the ground (Gen. 2).

3. People are formed, or created, by God. The Bible records, “Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7). In contrast to the rest of creation, God gave special attention to the creation of humans being personally involved by carefully forming them himself. He then breathed His own breath into the man.

4. People are bearers of God’s image. No other part or creature in creation can claim such a statement. Evidences of man bearing God’s image can be found in scripture (Gen. 1:26-28). Like God (who is a spirit), men have a spirit. They also possess will and emotion, like God, and can think. Like God rules over everything, humans are rulers over this world. This is exerted in different ways. Some may be leaders of companies, governments, or countries, exercising power over both nature and people. Others may be pet owners or gardeners, exercising power over nature.

In summary, people are unique beings of creation that are formed by God and bear His image. This signifies the value they have compared to everything else. They are given more special attention and care in their creation and function above everything else in the world. It can be concluded, then, that because of these things, God cares about people (at least to some degree).

GOD’S OBSERVABLE INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE IN THE PAST
Now that the issue of people has been established, there are various observations that can be made in regard to God’s interaction with these people.

1. God instructed people. People sometimes accuse God of not telling them what He wants. However, God does make His desires clear, and He gives steps to “suffering prevention.” This can be seen in some of the following examples from the past.

(a) He instructed them about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God knew and understood the consequences that would result if Adam and Eve were to eat the fruit. In response to this, he took steps to instruct them accordingly, having their best interest in mind. He told them not to eat the fruit, indicating the consequences that would follow (Gen. 2:16-17).

(b) He instructed them through the Law of Moses. Various laws were given on how to live, addressing issues of cleanliness (i.e., how to handle dead things, disease, and circumcision), worship, and relationships (i.e., how to deal with neighbors, family, other nations) (Leviticus). While some people groups at the time were very dirty and adhered to questionable practices (i.e., child sacrifice), God took the time to show people (in particular, the Israelites) a better way to live so that they would not have to deal with the effects of uncleanliness, unnecessarily losing a loved one to sacrifice, etc.

2. God protected people. When people were in trouble or suffering, God did not simply sit by the wayside.

(a) He warned them of danger. The Joseph of the Old Testament was used as an instrument of God to interpret Pharaoh’s dream about a coming time of famine. Because of this, the people in the land of Egypt were able to make preparations and survive the seven years of famine (Gen. 41:14-36). God also warned Joseph, Jesus’ father, of the danger of King Herod’s baby killing, and so Joseph fled with his family to Egypt for safety (Matt. 2:13-15). The whole latter part of the Old Testament is God’s plea through the prophets for people to return to following Him, warning them that if they did not, enemies would plunder and enslave them.

(b) He provided them ways of escape. In the case of the Israelites’ exile, God orchestrated events as such so that the king of Persia had a dream, which made him send Ezra and others to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4). Also, the man, Nehemiah, who was the cup-bearer to the king, received a message from God to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and was granted leave by the king to do so (Nehemiah 1-2). The apostle Peter was miraculously delivered from prison by the aid of an angel (Acts 12:6-17).

3. God became a person. As evidenced by scripture, the claims of Jesus, and the basis of His resurrection, it is observed that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ. What does this mean for Him, then, in regards to people and suffering?

(a) He witnessed all kinds of suffering. Jesus spent time with those who suffered from being social outcasts. The Pharisees were appalled by this and Jesus replied to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt. 9:12-13). He came in contact with people who suffered physically from hunger (John 6), crippled (John 5), great sickness (John 4:46-54), and other ailments.

(b) He responded to suffering. In Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” he teaches about the necessity to take care of the poor (Matt. 6). He healed people suffering from various ailments such as blindness (Matt. 20:34, Mark 10:46-52), demonization (Mark 51-20), a blood disease (Mark 5:29-34), and leprosy (Luke 17:11-19). In the case of the adulterous woman who was being threatened to be stoned, the scriptures say, “…and (Jesus) said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her’” (John 8:7). In response to this, people left one by one and the woman was left unharmed. He also comforted his disciples when they were emotionally troubled (John 14).

(c) He experienced himself different kinds of suffering. He was unjustly mocked by others (Mark 15:16-20). He was betrayed by a close friend (John 18). Jesus is recorded to have wept when going to visit the grave of his friend, Lazarus (John 11:33- 35). In addition to all of these examples, all four of the Gospels record the suffering that Jesus endured as he was dying on the cross. Luke includes reference to this in the book of Acts 1:3, “…He presented Himself alive after his suffering…” Dying on a cross was a punishment reserved for criminals, but Jesus was an innocent man.

In summary, there are various things that can be observed about God’s interaction with people in the past. He instructs them, which seems to be for their own good, to spare them from suffering. He protected them on the verge of trouble and in the midst of suffering. Finally, he became a man himself, which gave him a first-hand experience of suffering in the lives of people witnessed in others and himself. This demonstrates that God not only cares about people, but that he also cares about their suffering since he acted in the prevention of and easing of it (at least in the past).

GOD’S OBSERVABLE INTERACTION WITH PEOPLE IN THE PRESENT
In addition to the past, there are various observations that can be made from the present in regard to God’s interaction with people.

1. He instructs people through the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that he would be leaving the earth, but he assured his disciples that God would send the Holy Spirit to teach them and remind them of the things Jesus had taught (John 14:26). This is the ministry of the Holy Spirit (the third person in the Trinity) today. The Holy Spirit also convicts people of sin and what is right (John 16:7-9). People testify to the work of the Holy Spirit in their life, how he leads, guides, and directs them towards right living. God will continue to work through the Holy Spirit to instruct people and remind them of what they should do, which is for their benefit.

2. He protects people. It is true that bad things do happen, but it is miraculous to see how people have been protected from harmful circumstances that could, and sometimes should, have happened.

(a) He holds the universe in His hands. God is constantly keeping a watchful eye over all of us. He does not sleep (Psalm 121:4)! It is amazing to think of how He has placed the heavens (Psalm 8:3). The psalmist himself wonders in awe, “What is man that you are mindful of him?” (in other words, “You are mindful of man, and I don’t know why since we seem so insignificant in comparison to the universe!”) (Psalm 8:4). There is a mathematical precision to every planet, sun, moon, and star. Were one of those out of whack, there would be great repercussions to the life on planet Earth, including people.

(b) He offers avenues for save haven in the midst of trouble. Many times this is seen through the help of other people. The Holocaust was a horrible time, and many people were killed in the genocide. However, in the midst of the horror, God used people to protect others. Andre Trocome, a French pastor, encouraged his congregation to hide Jews, and as a result, 3,000-5,000 Jews were kept safe from the Nazis (Wikipedia). Sometimes God uses miracles. In the case of the World Trade Center 9/11 bombings, there was a group of people that miraculously survived the collapse of the building. Sixteen people, who were in Stairwell B of the North Tower when it collapsed, were the only individuals that survived the collapse from inside the building (Fishman). There is no reason why these people should not have been killed based on their situation and the odds against them, but they were miraculously spared from death.

In summary, God continues to have observable interaction with people in the present. He makes a conscious effort to be involved in people’s lives, making known His desires through the Holy Spirit. He also protects people by controlling the universe and working miracles in the lives of those who are at the mercy of their surroundings. This shows that God cares about people and their suffering, even today.

CONCLUSIONS FROM THESE OBSERVATIONS
As a result of these observations, the following conclusions can be made:

1. God cares that people suffer because He understands suffering personally. He is not a God far off who cannot relate to us. He became a man and is personally acquainted with grief. Jesus is seen to be a very compassionate person, and so this experience of suffering did not leave him unaffected. He did things to counter-act the suffering of the people he encountered. He continues to do this and sympathizes with us in our weakness (Heb. 4:15).

2. God cares that people suffer because He comforts us. Paul the apostle writes in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” This is witnessed through two evidences.

(a) He comforts us Himself. This is often through the Holy Spirit. Another name for the Holy Spirit is “Comforter.” Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 28:20, “..and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” God’s presence is always with us, no matter what the circumstance. We are not alone.

(b) He comforts us through those who have suffered. Those who suffer do not do it in vain. While the over all reason for the suffering is usually unknown, a purpose does surface: comforting others. My sister, for example, lost her fiancé unexpectedly, and this was extremely painful for her. She, on the other hand, has had various opportunities to comfort others who have had the same thing happen to them, in particular a girl her age who lost her fiancé a month prior.

3. God cares that people suffer because He makes effort to use it for good. He could just let suffering continue along a downward spiral into the land of despair. Instead, He works with the pieces, using them to accomplish some kind of good.

(a) He uses suffering in general to point people back to Him. The first question people ask in the tragedy is, “Why, God?” Sometimes we wander away from Him, thinking that we in and of ourselves contain the power to handle our own lives. In times of suffering we are hit hard with the blatant reality that we all need God. God wants to be involved with our lives and comfort us. Suffering gives us a chance to re-evaluate our priorities and put them in the hands of Him who made us and has our best interest at heart.

(b) He uses suffering to accomplish things in people’s lives. There is a degree of sovereignty that God exerts in the midst of suffering. The apostle Paul used to persecute Christians to kill them. However, he encountered blindness as a result of seeing Jesus. This encounter and suffering changed his life forever, opening his eyes to his actions. He became a changed man, impacting the lives of millions of Christians through his writings throughout the centuries as a result. He also uses it to make us better people in the meantime (Rom. 5:3-5). My family of nine has never had much money. God has used this in my life to be more sensitive to others with this need, to be thankful for what I do have, and to look for opportunities to bless others.

(c) He uses His suffering to redeem mankind from sin, and ultimately, one day, suffering itself. God cares so much that people suffer that he was willing to suffer to the ultimate degree: death. Jesus then came back to life, conquering the power of death and sin. What this actual, physical death and resurrection does is make possible for mankind deliverance from an everlasting spiritual suffering because of the sinfulness of our lives. In turn, this opens the way for eternal life apart from suffering (Rev. 4:21). What hope this is in the midst of hard times (Romans 8:18)!

SUMMARY
Does God care that people suffer? Yes, He does. He cares about people as evidenced through their uniqueness among creation and in God’s sight. He cares about people that suffer because He instructs them for their good, to prevent certain suffering. He also protects and provides for people in the midst of suffering, even to the extent of giving ways of escape. When escape is not possible, He uses the suffering to be used for good both circumstantially and personally in developing character. The most exemplary way God’s concern for suffering humanity is seen is through His very own life and death through the person of Jesus Christ so that people would not have to suffer forever, and this gives people hope! If he did not care, would he act in such ways?