Luke 13 begins famously with Jesus being asked about a tragic atrocity. Pilate had not only slaughtered some Galileans but had also had their blood mixed in with their sacrifices, thus contaminating the altar and making the sacrifices ineffective. The implied question that Jesus answers is as to whether the victims had been particularly guilty… Continue reading How does Jesus answer the problem of suffering?
Tag: Suffering
Why is suffering a problem for believers?
This Sunday we are looking at the opportunity of suffering. at church Specifically we will be thinking about how we share the Gospel in response to suffering. It seems strange to talk about suffering as an opportunity. We tend to talk more about the problem of suffering. This has been strikingly emphasised by an interview… Continue reading Why is suffering a problem for believers?
Why God is not an emotionless firefighter (or why we need to pick better illustrations)
One of the reasons why I think a lot of people struggle with the idea of “Divine Impassibility” is that sadly it is often badly represented. Take for example, an essay that Matthew Barrett wrote for The Gospel Coalition website. In the article, he talks about how whenever someone shares about a tragedy they have… Continue reading Why God is not an emotionless firefighter (or why we need to pick better illustrations)
Jesus, empathy and pastoral care
Here’s a follow on from what I wrote here the other day, a #FaithrootsPodcast picking up on an aspect of the Empathy debate.
Pity as the enemy of compassion
The UK Parliament has just voted for a second reading of the bill to introduced assisted dying. I want to step back and reflect on the debate that was held in the House of Commons. I tuned in to the early stages of the debate and heard several of the speeches. What struck me was… Continue reading Pity as the enemy of compassion
Assisted Dying: Fear or hope?
The Assisted Dying bill is due to be debated on the 29th November. I did eventually get a reply from our MP this week. She indicated that she is mindful to vote against and continue to push for better funding of palliative care. This reason is actually pretty crucial. There are a number of pragmatic… Continue reading Assisted Dying: Fear or hope?
Does the Good Father really allow his children to suffer?
At one extreme during the COVID coronavirus was the claim that the pandemic was a judgement from God or at least a wake up call from him. I have responded to this claim frequently and in detail in the past. However at the other extreme is the argument that God cannot have sent the pandemic… Continue reading Does the Good Father really allow his children to suffer?
Friendly fire
What is the cause of suffering amongst the Christians James writes to? Sometimes suffering is caused by external persecution because God’s enemies want to attack us as we seek to live godly lives. Sometimes our suffering is simply down to our circumstances, we live in a fallen world. Both of those factors may have been… Continue reading Friendly fire
Life in the valley of the shadow of death
Here’s a Faithroots Podcast on Psalm 23.
Faith, suffering and healing
One of the most common questions we tend to ask is to do with faith, suffering and healing. That’s probably because our health can be so often where we face suffering and where faith is tested. Even if we don’t face persecution, we are likely to face ill health at some point and will know people… Continue reading Faith, suffering and healing
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