when good suffering is an oxymoron

Week Of: April 27, 2020
Speaker: Pastor Will Hagenbuch
Scripture: 1 Peter :19-25

Good and suffering. Those two words? Yep, they do NOT go together. Yet in Peter's first epistle, they do. He writes, "For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering (2:21a)."

As we begin a new week with new lectionary text, there is more to this verse. Literally. Peter adds, "...just as Christ suffered for all of you (2:21b)."

So much good is happening these days. So many are reaching through the challenges around us to care and love not just family they cannot meet in person, but neighbors. Even the stranger. Suffering may never be made good; and we are not God so we cannot make suffering good (only God can — and does — do this); but suffering can certainly can be made better when we pattern ourselves after a Savior who lived and died for us. 

We cannot eradicate suffering. We can, however, change it.