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Innocent Sufferers

Wayne Galloway
11/27/22 - Sunday Morning Worship

Innocent Sufferers

Lk. 13:1-5

 

Introduction:

 

1.  Have you ever experienced some traumatic event in your life and wondered if it was a punishment from God?

2.  Have you ever gotten sick and questioned whether that sickness came upon you because of something you did wrong?

3.  Or maybe you have looked at the Covid virus as punishment from God upon a wicked society generally.   Perhaps you have entertained the idea that AIDS or HIV is God’s punishment upon the sexually immoral.  Do you see floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis as acts of God punishing people for their sin?  Or do you see them as signs that the end of the earth is near?

4.  Is suffering a punishment from God?  Eliphaz asked Job, “Who ever perished being innocent?”

5.  It is common for people to think this way.  Indeed, we see cases in Scripture in which God did use sickness, disease and natural calamities, but to draw a wholesale conclusion that all such circumstances are punishments sent from God contradicts the evidence.

6.  For Pilate to mix the blood of Galileans with their sacrifices was tragic.  For the tower of Siloam to fall and kill 18 people was another tragedy.  But Jesus indicates that this does not indicate that they were worse sinners than others.  And while Eliphaz seemed to think that Job was not innocent, the fact is that he was and yet he was suffering.

7.  There are innocent sufferers.  It seems only right to us that the guilty should suffer and that the innocent should not.  But the reality is that sometimes the innocent suffer.

 

Discussion:

 

I.  Psalm 44 acknowledges that the innocent suffer.

 

    A.  The first part of the Psalm praises God for what He had done for His people (1-8).

          1.  The present generation had heard of what God had done for His people (1-3).

          2.  The present generation was trusting in God for their victories.  They were not trusting

                in their own bow and sword.  Instead, they were boasting in God as their deliverer (4-

                8).

    B.  But the second part of the Psalm speaks of their suffering (9-26).

         1.  He speaks of God having rejected them.

         2.  Of their adversaries taking spoil from them.

         3.  Of their being like sheep to be eaten.

         4.  Verses 9-16 is the Psalmist describing their suffering.

         5.  Verses 17-19 indicate that they are innocent and yet crushed.  Innocent but covered

              with the shadow of death.

         6.  Verses 20-26 reiterate their loyalty.  They are loyal to death for the Lord and yet they

              suffer even as they appeal to Him for help.

 

II.  If Psa. 44 raises the issue of the innocent suffering, Rom. 8:18-39 interprets it as the known reality, but it goes a step further to identify God’s role in responding to the innocent suffering.

 

      A.  Paul speaks of the “sufferings of this present time” (18-25).

            1.  This is the known reality.

                  a.  From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He preached that the innocent suffer. 

                  b.  As a matter of fact, He preached that it was to be expected (Matt. 5:10-12).

                  c.  Before sending out the 12 under the limited commission He advised them about

                       what they were going to experience (Matt. 10:16-23).

                  d.  This had always been the way (Matt. 23:29-35).

            2.  It is part of the creation being “subject to futility,” in “slavery to corruption.”

            3.  Since the introduction of sin the whole creation has been marred with the onslaught

                 of death.  Ultimately everything is deteriorating.  There is groaning and suffering.

            4.  But there is the promise of “the redemption of our body.”

      B.  God is not oblivious to the situation.  He is not unconcerned.

            1.  Indeed the Spirit helps us (26-27).

            2.  Even though we may not know how or what to ask the Spirit intercedes when words

                 fail.

            3.  God is at work to accomplish His purpose of our being conformed to the resurrected

                 image of His Son (28-30).

            4.  And if God who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will

                 He not with Him freely give us all things?  He will not abandon us.

            5.  And then there is the quotation from Psa. 44 in verse 36.

            6.  And so, since God loves us we will be victorious over the suffering of this life.

 

III.  It is not easy for the people of God.  The way of the Lord demands endurance.

 

       A.  This is the message of Heb. 10:32-12:3.

       B.  This is the message of 1 Pet. 4:12-19.

 

IV.  What are we to do?

 

       A.  Entrust our souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right (1 Pet. 4:19).  Yes, God is in

            the business of correcting such wrongs as the innocent suffering.  And so, we should

            entrust ourselves to Him.

       B.  We should NOT rise up in anger and hostility and hatred.

             1.  When the innocent suffer our tendency is to take matters into our own hands.

             2.  We want to take power and control and dominate over those who are treating us

                   unfairly.  We want to do it militarily, politically, personally.  We want control so we

                   can straighten things out.   We riot in the streets.  We arm ourselves.  We are angry

                   because of innocent suffering.

        C.  But this is not the way God responded to innocents suffering.  He sacrificed His Son.  His

             Son responded, “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”

        D.  What are we to do???

 

              1.  When we see the innocent suffering.  Ask, “Who is at risk here?” 

                    a.  In Acts 6 it was the Hellenistic widows.

                    b.  In Acts 11 it was the needy Christians in Judea.

              2.  What can we do to work the work of God in responding to innocent suffering?

                    a.  Sharing with those who are suffering (Heb. 10:33). 

                    b.  Showing sympathy (Heb. 10:34).

                    c.  Strengthen the hands that are weak.  Bring healing to the lame (Heb. 12:12-13).

              3.  Put up the sword and get out the grace for this is the way the God of heaven has

                   responded to innocent suffering.

 

Conclusion:

 

     1.   Ernest W. Shurtleff wrote “Lead On, O King Eternal” (494) about the warfare of the

            kingdom of God.  Verse 2 says, “Lead on, O King Eternal, Till sin’s fierce war shall

            cease, and holiness shall whisper the sweet Amen of peace; for not with swords loud

            clashing, nor roll of stirring drums:  With deeds of love and mercy, the heavenly

             kingdom comes.

      2.  God delivers innocent sufferers.  He does it with deeds of love and mercy.

      3.  May we devote ourselves to His work, and do it in His way, for it is the only way to

           achieve the victory.