The Pain – A Gift or a Trap?

Introduction

Almost all of humankind cries out, from the infant to the old man. Each expresses — one way or another — the burden of pain that he suffers. The infant expresses it by crying, which sometimes seems to be without reason, while his tongue is unable to utter words to explain what lies behind his tears. The old man, on the other hand, is embarrassed to express his pain in any way, but his facial expression usually reflects what he suffers from within. Some believers even stand in amazement and censure God for allowing them to suffer more distress than the evil and the non-believers.

Here some might wonder:

1- Has God created man to suffer a world full of pain?

2- Is pain a sign of God’s wrath unto man?

3- If the “Word of God” has incarnated and suffered for our sakes, why didn’t He remove the pain from us?

1 – A Gift or a Trap?

Although pain causes grief and distress, we find the Psalmist singing: “In the multitude of my thoughts within me your comforts delight my soul” (Psalms 94:19). As the believers in Jerusalem suffered many troubles — their possessions confiscated, forced to leave Jerusalem and scattered across the world — St. Peter, the apostle of circumcision, wrote to them to lift up their hearts and minds with the Holy Spirit of God.

Thus, they would recognize the Father Whose love opens His embrace unto them as children who will inherit the glories, the Holy Spirit that sanctifies them and the incarnated Word of God that does not offer animal sacrifices but redeems them with the sacrifice of Himself so they would enjoy the partnership of eternal glory (1 Peter 1:1-5).

Some believe that many have perished as they suffered pain and thus wonder: Is pain a divine gift or a trap into which men fall?

2 – Pain is a Love Sacrifice, Not a Sign of God’s Wrath:

Mankind once looked upon pain, temptation and distress as a sign of God’s wrath unto them. When the “Word of God” came, incarnated as a heavenly Archpriest, offering a unique sacrifice as He gave up Himself to death –- the death of the cross — He redeemed the whole world. Pain became a sign of love, a love sacrifice, that carries a sweet taste before the Father through which the believer  takes pride in pain and considers himself branded with the marks of the Lord Jesus on him (Galatians 6:17). Thus, we would not wonder that St. John Golden Mouth praised and said: “Beautiful are the chains of St. Paul!” Pain is the ornament of the soul as a bride who carries the mark of her crucified Groom!

3 – Our Pain persists the Course of the Crucified:

St. Paul, who was captivated by these wounds, said: “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17). He willingly subdued to his weaknesses in all these troubles, whereas the strength of Christ is made perfect in virtue  (2 Corinthians 4:10; 12:9).

                                                             St. Gregory of Nyssa

“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ” (2 Corinthians 1:5). He lifts up our souls and considers our pain as His own. Thus how much joy can surround us as we become partners of Christ when we suffer for His sake! With faith we can realize the new birth and the resurrection. Hence those who participate in His suffering would also rise with Him. “That I may know Him, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings by becoming like Him in His death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).

                                                             St. John Chrysostom

If, as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ. Let us then welcome the encouraging suffering of Christ. Let it flow in us if we truly seek the outpouring of consolation with which all grief is consoled, although it is not the same for everyone. If consolation was the same for everyone, he wouldn’t have wrote that, as the sufferings of Christ abound, so consolation also abounds by Christ all the more. Those who participate in suffering will also participate in the consolation according to their fellowship in the suffering of Christ.

                                                             Origin, the Scholar

He who loves Christ –- the Word — would impersonate Him as much as he can. Thus Christ did not cease to do right unto the people. Though He was treated with disgrace and was blasphemed upon, He was tolerant and suffered to die by their hands. He endured without wishing evil on anyone. These three things are the acts of loving one’s neighbor; in the absence of these things, he who says that he loves Christ or bares His kingdom is deceiving himself.

                                                             Father Maximus the Confessed

4 – Pain reveals God’s Kindness, Wisdom and Might:

Without pain, man would give God his back, not his face; but through pain he would cry unto Him and thus would realize His kindness and might. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with testing He will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13). He allows sufferings so that the believer would enter into a deep and serious conversation with God who is able to deliver him!

If all creation will dissolve and the shape of this world will change, then why do we, who are a part of this creation, wonder that we encounter deep general pain? We are admitted to grievances which our LORD has allowed such as is common to us, for He will not suffer us to be tempted above that which we may tolerate, but will also make a way to escape temptation so that we can abide it!

God has ordered all things in measure and number and weight (Wisdom 11:21), and does not allow us to be tempted above that we are able to bear. He tempts all who fight and struggle in the path of the true religion with grief, but does not allow them to be tempted above that they are able to bear. He gives tears to drink in great measure (Psalms 80:5) to all those who should appear that, in the midst of their grief, they kept their thanks unto Him.

I’m convinced that if there was a voice, it would move the Righteous God, for His mercies are not distant, but with temptation He will also make a way to escape  so you may bear it.

                                                             St. Bassilli the Great

5 – Pain and our Persistence in the Childhood unto God:

The Son of God suffered to make us children of God, while the son of man (we humans) refused to suffer so that his childhood unto God would persist.

                                                             St. Cyprian

6 – Through Faith we awaken our Faith in Christ:

St. Kirelos the Great believed that awakening Christ means counting on and crying out unto Him in the midst of pain and distress. He said: “Christ dwells in the midst of His chosen people, and as He –- in His sacred wisdom — allows them to suffer some persecution, He seems asleep. However, when the storm is strongest and when those in the ship cannot bear no more, they should cry out: ‘Awake, why do you sleep, O Lord?’ (Psalms 44:23) For He will arise and perish all fear without delay. He reprimands those who grieve us (i.e., the storms of distress — whether from within or from outside us and whether they were of the devil or physical weariness or turmoil), turns our grief into joy and reveals before us a bright sky without troubles. For He does not turn His back on those who count on Him.”

7 – Our Pain proclaims our Love unto God and the People:

If love makes us bear pain, then accepting pain will flourish us before the LORD as His loving children!

Love does not find anything too hard and the jealous does not find any work too difficult. Behold how much Jacob tolerated for the sake of Rachel, the woman to whom he was promised. As the Holy Book says: “And Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had for her” (Genesis 29:20). Afterward he told us himself about what he had to bear: “Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me and the frost by night” (Genesis 31:40). Thus, it is becomes us to love Christ and to seek Him all the way, and then every difficult matter would seem easy for us and what is long would seem short.

Let us be hit with the arrows of His love that we might say in every moment: Woe is me that I sojourn in Meshech (Psalms 120:5).

                                                             St. Jerome

I believe that what I suffer is for His sake. Thus I do not just bear pain; I also rejoice in pain awaiting the coming hope. I do not suffer for my own sake, but for your sakes.

                                                             St. John Golden Mouth

He who suffers in the LORD will inherit the features of kindness, for spiritual love can be experienced in distress.

                                                             St. Mark, the Monk

8 – Our Pain in Christ pulls us out of the Sin and beautifies us:

If pain has entered our life through sin, then as we thankfully accept the pain we destroy sin, and our suffering would become an accepted thanksgiving sacrifice before the LORD.

David did not fall in sin when he was suffering from Saul, his persecutor. When he was weak in distress, he was much closer to God even though he seemed  miserable. Sometimes distress can be useful to us, for it is the most useful lancet during the temptation of Satan.

The soul does not return to God unless it is ripped off of the world and nothing can truly rip it off like pain and suffering.

                                                             St. Augustine

He suffered for the sake of His enemies. This is the sweet scent offering, the accepted sacrifice. Thus, if you suffered for the sake of your enemies as a sweet offering, you will become an accepted sacrifice even if you died. This is what he meant by saying, “Be followers of God” (Ephesians 5:1).

St. Paul rejoiced in his suffering as he beheld the wondrous fruit that pain brings in people, like the Christians of Carinthia.

We do not fear poverty, sickness or any other distress, for we know that we are on our way to a better life that is invincible against death and destruction and that is free from every injustice.

The school of grief teaches kindness and wisdom.

Grief and death were born from sin and they both consume sin.

Grief is purposely given to us to heal us from sin.

                                                             St. John Golden Mouth