Causes of Pain & Tragedy

Luke 13:1-5: "Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, 'Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them-do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.'"


Tragedy and pain are realities for all of us who live on this earth . . . to be sure, these difficult experiences are packaged differently for each of us, but they are nonetheless very real and very painful.


One of the difficulties in ascribing causation to our pain is the uncertainty as to what brings it to pass, and one can worsen the situation by inappropriately attributing certain explanations that in fact are not the causes. Many of us have heard of horror stories in which a person struggling with a sickness is told by "concerned" friends that their sickness is the result of the person's sinful behavior or a lack of faith. We also have heard stories of those who advocate a "prosperity gospel" tell those who struggle financially that their penury is the result of their lack of faith. Tragically, many of those who struggle with pain in their lives are weighed down even more with the burden of the flawed causation conclusions by their friends. We saw this with Job, when his friend Zophar told him that his sins were bringing the bombardment of destruction in his life. Zophar told Job, "Will no one rebuke you when you mock? . . . Oh, how I wish that God would speak, that he would open his lips against you . . . . Know this: God has even forgotten some of your sin" (Job 11:2-6). In the end, Job was vindicated for his faithfulness to the Lord, and God commanded that Job must pray for his friend, otherwise God would judge Zophar for his erred counsel (Job 42:7-9).

In the Luke 13 passage, Jesus is told of the horrific episodes of the death of the Galileans at the hand of the Procurator Pilot as well as the death of eighteen people from the fallen tower at Siloam. Whereas Jesus' audience seemed to be looking for Jesus to attribute sin as the determining cause for this misfortune, Jesus taught the people that these events were not the result of any guilt of the people. This response by the Lord would have been a surprise to his hearers, for in this culture, tragedy was invariably linked with personal sin. We find this response in the story of the blind man in John 9. When Jesus and His disciples passed by where this man sat, the disciples asked Jesus who had sinned to bring this blindness into this man's life. The disciples thought that such a physical loss must have been the result of either his sin or the sin of his parents. Jesus corrected their flawed thinking by saying that no sin had occurred, but "this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (John 9:3). God had permitted this event to occur so that He might display His power to heal . . . a miracle that was attributed to God alone (see Exodus 4:11; Psalm 146:8). This powerful healing of Jesus caused people to wonder about Jesus' claims to be the Messiah, for they said, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs? . . . . Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" (John 9:16b,21b). We know that the blind man believed in Jesus and worshiped Him after he was healed; so God used the man's physical handicap to bring the man both physical and spiritual sight. He also used the event to display His authority and position as Lord, and many began to ponder His claims as God (John 8:58; 10:30).

We also know that believers in Christ SHOULD expect painful trials at the hands of disgruntled pagans, who hate the exclusivity of the gospel. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:12-13 not to be surprised at the "painful trials (we) are experiencing, as though something strange were happening to (us). But rejoice that (we) participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that (we) may be overjoyed when His (Christ's) glory is revealed." This misfortune is not the result of personal sin in the Christian's life; rather, it is suffering for the Christian's stand for the truth of Christ as Lord!

Now, we would be incorrect to assume that ALL tragedies are not the result of sinful behavior in our lives, for the Scriptures tell us that certain fates will befall those who perpetuate sin. Proverbs 6:10-11 is a perfect example, when it says, "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-and poverty will come on you like a bandit." If a person is lax in his diligence to be resourceful with his life, he can expect that his life will be filled with financial struggles.

Still, we must be cautious in determining the cause of pain in a person's life. Whereas some pain may in fact be caused by our sin, some tragedies are not the result of our sin. We live in a fallen world that is filled with unfortunate experiences, and we all can be subjected to the personal losses that come through those experiences. This gives us even more reason to look forward to the blessedness of eternity, where we will not have to worry about pain or tragedy (see Revelation 21:3-4 for a great word of encouragement).

One certainty that we DO find in the Luke 13 passage above is the importance of our repentance and submission to Jesus as Lord. Whereas Jesus teaches us of the uncertainty of the cause of physical tragedy in our lives, He reinforces the ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY of spiritual destruction for those who do not repent and surrender to the Lord. If a person chooses to defy the Lord of Hosts through spiritual rebellion, then the eternal judgment that befalls that man can be attributed to none other than his own sinfulness. Jesus is emphatic in His repetition of this truth . . . and we must pay attention to it.