Sunday: Surprises
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12, NIV).
Surprises, painful surprises, can come in many ways. A car veering across the road into your path. A sudden notification that you’re losing your job. A medical test that gives you unexpected bad news. Betrayal by someone you loved and who you thought loved you. As bad as the pain can be, it’s always made worse by the element of surprise.
Image © David Sorensen from GoodSalt.com
This week we will look at a few specific types of painful situations or crucibles that should not take us by surprise.
To begin, let’s go back to 1 Peter 4:12. The Greek word for “surprised” in 1 Peter 4:12 (NIV) means to be “alien” or “foreign.” Peter is urging his readers not to fall into the trap of believing that fiery ordeals and trials are alien to Christian experience. Rather, they are to be considered normal — they can and should be expected.
The word used for “fiery ordeal” (NIV, NRSV) or “fiery trial” (NKJV) comes from another Greek word, and it means “a burning.” In other places it is translated “furnace.” This experience of suffering for our faith could therefore be considered a “smelting process,” the process of the crucible.
Read 1 Peter 4:12-19. What is Peter’s message?
Many of us are surprised about suffering because we often have an oversimplified view of the Christian life. We know there are two sides — God, who is good; and Satan, who is bad. But often we then automatically put everything that feels good in the box with God, and everything that feels bad in the box with Satan. But life is not so simple. We cannot use our feelings to decide what is in God’s box or Satan’s box. Sometimes walking with God can be challenging and hard. And following Satan can appear to bring great rewards. Job, who is righteous yet suffering, illustrates this when he asked God, “Why do the wicked live on, growing old and increasing in power?” (Job 21:7, NIV).
| Peter was referring to trials that are the consequence of standing up for Christ. But there are also other reasons that trials come. How could 1 Peter 4:12-19 help you to explain tactfully to a friend why not to be surprised at the painful trials he or she might face? |
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In the historic context to his audience, Peter, as one of the Apostles to the converted Jews to Christ, in and around Jerusalem, encouraged the flock as they were all being persecuted by the majority of the population of Jews in their communities.
On top of all that, Jesus's forwarning to the apostles, gave them insight on the soon disaster on the temple itself (not one stone left upon a stone) would be left desolate and the city of Jerusalem and the surrounding area would be destroyed in their generation.
Matthew 24:1-22 (CSB)
1 As Jesus left and was going out of the temple, his disciples came up and called his attention to its buildings.
2 He replied to them, “Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down.”
3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples approached him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age? ”
4 Jesus replied to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.
5 “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and they will deceive many.
6 “You are going to hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must take place, but the end is not yet.
7 “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 “All these events are the beginning of labor pains.
9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name.
10 “Then many will fall away, betray one another, and hate one another. 11 “Many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.
12 “Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.
13 “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
14 “This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place” (let the reader understand), 16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
17 “A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house,
18 “and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat.
19 “Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!
20 “Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
21 “For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again.
22 “Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.
Flavius Josephus (born 37AD) a first century Roman-Jewish historian attested to this terrible event !
What will it be like for the whole world in the final judgement ?
Romans 2:3-12 (CSB)
3 Do you really think -- anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same -- that you will escape God’s judgment?
4 Or do you despise the riches of his kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
5 Because of your hardened and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed.
6 He will repay each one according to his works:
7 eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but wrath and anger to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth while obeying unrighteousness.
9 There will be affliction and distress for every human being who does evil,##### first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; ######
10 but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.
We were not created to live in a sin-infected world environment. In fact, such is exactly the opposite of what we were created to experience. Consequently, we are essentially in a worst possible case scenario - 180 degrees opposite to what we were created for. A head-on crash in essence.
However, because we are under a sin-infected reality for now, it is necessary that we know and expect that reality (eg John 16:33) - even though it is essentially 'unnatural' to need to do so. We are best equipped to deal with such a reality as best as possible when we know what to actually expect and also know we have the support and resourcing to deal with such. Thus Jesus provides the assurance that He is with us (eg Matthew 28:20) and that He will provide what is needed (eg I Corinthians 10:13; Matthew 6:33). We are promised that we can be overcomers (eg Romans 8:35-37), even though we are likely to experience bruises, scars and possibly even death in the process (just as Jesus did: Hebrews 5:8-9)- though one day these too will be healed. Unfortunately though understandably, we need regular reminding of these things to keep them uppermost in our awareness (as per Romans 12:2).
Because of the above reality and therefore hope, as believer's we also have an important role to play in coming along-side those who are likewise suffering so that we can be used of God to help - being God's hands and feet bringing salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16) to a world that is rapidly passing away to self-destruction (eg 1 John 2:16-17).
Very encouraging brother !
A blessing !
Shalom
🙏
Being a healthcare provider to mostly neonatal and pediatric patients, whenever a child dies or is gravely ill, I often hear the question "why is God allowing this to happen to such good people?" The short answer is, that it is sin that has caused this not God. I'm never sure how to answer this question without first asking questions to see where the individual's belief in or about God resides. The stated comment, to me, is that bad thing should only happen to bad people. Someone rephrased the initial question once to ask, why do good things happen to bad people? The reference is Mark 10:18, and Matthew 19:17.
For me, anytime I am in dialog with someone going through a crucible moment, I have to do 2 things first. Pray for the right words to say, secondly ask questions to see where their foundation is. Then God can guide them to hold on to their strand of faith a little tighter.
But life is not so simple or easy. We cannot use our feelings to decide what’s from God or what’s from Satan. Sometimes our walk with God can be difficult. We may see that people who follow Satan look happy and enjoy big rewards in life. Job sees this problem. That’s why Job asks God, “ ‘Why do evil people live long lives? Why do they grow old and successful? A birthday surprise can make us happy. But when life gives us painful surprises such as a bad medical report, betrayal by a loved one, car accident, or a loss of job, we become drowned in sorrow. The “fiery” trial we face in life is a “smelting process. We often have two boxes where all that’s good is in God’s box and all the bad is in Satan’s box. But walking with God can be hard.
I am wondering if it is really appropriate to use this passage to relate to general human suffering as the context really refers to persecution for being a Christian. Sickness, relationship loss, other calamities, are not caused by being a Christian, though it's possible they are a result of targeted attacks by the devil. (But since we can't really know for sure if he is behind them, it's probably best not to speculate about that.)
I do agree that all suffering allows us to share in the sufferings of Christ, which definitely can be very positive. However, I'm not sure that I would bring this up to a suffering friend, even "tactfully" as the lesson says, unless they brought it up. Trying to explain suffering is usually quite hurtful. People need compassion and a listening ear at those times, not theological explanations (which often they are familiar with).
Job's three friends had an abundantly positive effect when they came to him, wept and showed how sad they were for him, and kept silent for "seven days and seven nights" (a perfect silence). It was when they opened their mouths to give advice that they got into severe trouble. (Job 2:11-13)
I think Job's friends are a good object lesson for those who would console.