That also jumped out at me too. Jesus didn’t come to solve my parking tickets or my neighbor’s cracked pavement. Nor did he come to wave his hand and heal everyone of disease or malcontent (although he could do this of course and does on occasion with miracles even today)
The problem really with religion in general today, as always really, we all want things “fixed”, there’s a perfectly natural desire for that, but we tend to project that desire onto God, expecting that out of him. And when it doesn’t happen, and eventually the miracles do run out (for what reason God knows) the “faith” we had built on such miracles crumbles like the house built on sand.
This is the danger of the “prosperity gospel” types, by the way.
So we are left with a choice when confronted with this reality: do we surrender a portion of our infinite desire for happiness, or perhaps explore the possibility that we are mistaken in our typical, secular view of God. A view that describes him as some kind of spiritual ATM, who, if we pray to enough, believe the “right” things about, and do enough things for, will then reward us with some blessing, either cure us of disease, give us some money, or make my parking tickets just disappear.
This is sadly prevalent in many Christian churches today of every denomination, and also even the Catholic Church (not to mention Judaism, Islam, and every other faith).
God is not an ATM. He didn’t come in the flesh to wave his hand and solve all problems. He came to lift us up, to make the lowly, mighty, but not by his power or our own power, but by accompanying us on a journey towards him, where ultimately we will be made whole.
Nothing happens to us that isn’t towards this goal. We are so misdirected though, that some things that happen to us appear to not be for our benefit. So we reject them, and attempt to “fix” them without our destiny toward him in mind.
Lost anymore, in our fast-paced instant culture is the concept of “redemptive suffering”, that suffering itself can (and does) serve a greater good, our own good. After all, Jesus suffered for our redemption-how arrogant it is to believe we not only shouldn’t have to go through our own suffering (carry our own cross), but also that suffering itself has no intrinsic value. To say suffering has no value is exactly saying the Cross has no value.
Until this fact is realized and accepted by everyone, anyone, people continue to attempt to “fix” things without him, fighting against the very reality God creates to actually help us.
There is no joy in suffering without Christ. It is truly the man on the road to redemption who can recognize this as truth.
There is no joy in suffering without Christ. It is truly the man on the road to redemption who can recognize this as truth.Your whole commentary, good stuff! And in regard to suffering, as you know, most saints not only suffered well in Christ, but requested it when they just didn't have enough!! -lol-
Not everything that's good is good for us.
God doesn't give us what we want but what we need to become conformed to the image of Christ.
There is widespread resistance in Pentecostal circles to the idea that God can and does use illness and economic hardship as tools to shape our character. It can be a very destructive theology especially to a new believer who is struggling and being blamed for his problems.