Josh Benner

Tag: suffering

  • The Problem of Pain: C.S. Lewis and human suffering

    painOriginally published November 14, 2012 as “The Problem of Pain and C.S. Lewis”

    Early in the book “The Problem of Pain,” in an analogy which is the epitome of the brilliance and humor of C.S. Lewis, he compares the relationship of God and man to that of a dog owner and his dog. It is for the dog owner’s joy that he owns the dog. It is not inherently for the dog’s joy. It is also so that the owner has another being that it can love. The master values the dog loving him too, but to mature the dog, there are things which must be done that might not always be pleasant for the canine. Being washed, trained not to steal, and the dreaded process of house training are all part of the process. But in the end, those unpleasant activities are for the good of the dog.

    With his rapier wit, Lewis writes, “To the puppy the whole proceeding would seem, if it were a theologian, to cast grave doubts on the ‘goodness’ of man: but the full-grown and full-trained dog, larger, healthier, and longer-loved than the wild dog…would have no such doubts.” (more…)

  • When we’re tempted to second guess God…

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    I was going through Lee Strobel’s latest book The Case for Miracles last week. The final chapter in the book was a poignant discussion entitled: “When miracles don’t happen.”

    In that chapter, Strobel interviews Douglas Groothuis who’s a professor at Denver Seminary. In the interview, they talk about the health of Groothuis’s wife Becky, a Mensa member and author who developed a rare form of dementia which impacts the brain’s ability to recall words.

    In the interview, they talk of day to day challenges of seeing his wife taken from him. The interview talked about faith, spirituality, lament, and hope.

    I was particularly struck by one of the answers Groothuis gave. Strobel asked “Do you feel like if you were God, you would definitely heal Becky?”

    “God is perfect and he acts accordingly. If I were God, I’d be perfect – and therefore I’d act in the very same way he does. We might not understand why he does what he does, but it’s folly to think we’d do things better.”

    I found that to be brilliant and insightful. It’s easy for us to look to things in God’s rule of creation and to think it could be done better or should be done differently. But God is righteous and eternal. At times, it can be very hard to see the good in the struggles of our lives. At times, it’s hard to see the goodness of God in the wrongs others afflict on us.

    Groothuis saw a brilliant woman lose her mental faculties and pass away at just 59 years of age. But the faith to trust that God is still good in that. To trust that God is so good that his plan cannot be improved upon in spite of all of the bad, all of the evil, all of the suffering in our world. God still works that for good. God still weaves that into his plans and uses it for his own glory.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

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  • The Problem of Pain: C.S. Lewis and human suffering

    painOriginally published November 14, 2012 as “The Problem of Pain and C.S. Lewis”

    Early in the book “The Problem of Pain,” in an analogy which is the epitome of the brilliance and humor of C.S. Lewis, he compares the relationship of God and man to that of a dog owner and his dog. It is for the dog owner’s joy that he owns the dog. It is not inherently for the dog’s joy. It is also so that the owner has another being that it can love. The master values the dog loving him too, but to mature the dog, there are things which must be done that might not always be pleasant for the canine. Being washed, trained not to steal, and the dreaded process of house training are all part of the process. But in the end, those unpleasant activities are for the good of the dog.

    With his rapier wit, Lewis writes, “To the puppy the whole proceeding would seem, if it were a theologian, to cast grave doubts on the ‘goodness’ of man: but the full-grown and full-trained dog, larger, healthier, and longer-loved than the wild dog…would have no such doubts.” (more…)

  • The power of the gospel

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    10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

    -Matthew 5:10-12 

    I think there are two things that totally separate the men from the boys Spiritually. The first is persecution, and another one is health problems, especially really severe health issues, where it’s life and death.
    In both of those situations, there are incredible testimonies form people of the work of God in their lives through the situations that seem like they should be the most bleak.
    And the reason for that, at least in part, is that those are the situations where the most is taken from you, at least in a worldly sense. And you look to God, and you can either be mad at him, to hate his plans, or you can see that God is all you need. That you were designed to live for God.
    We so often associate blessing with a thing that God gives to us. Perhaps it’s a certain lifestyle, a certain amount of happiness in life, success in our relationships.
    But in the Beatitudes, we hear of the blessedness for the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the peacemakers, and even, those who are persecuted.
    And the thing that undergirds each of these is a relationship with God.
    It’s counterintuitive to us that the person who is persecuted for rightouesnes sake is blessed.
    That seems like a curse.
    Part of the reason that those who are persecuted for the sake of Christ are blessed is that there are times in the face of persecution where a person who overcomes evil with good, overcoming darkness with light, is something that God can use as a witness to the world of the grace to which that person testifies.
    That which the world means for evil, God can use for good.
    Sometimes, it’s because a person is in a place where they can be persecuted that they are enabled to share the message of Christ with those who are persecuting them.
    One such story is Virginia Prodan.
    She was a Christian in Romania when communism reigned and having faith could bring persecution.
    Prodan was a lawyer who stood up for Christians in her country. One day, she came to her office and a man was waiting for her. He had come to kill this woman. In that life and death situation, she shared the message of the love of Christ with this man.
    Writing for Christianity Today in 2016, Prodan said to this man: “You are here because God put you here, and he has put you to a test. Will you abide in God or in the will of a man—your boss, President Ceausescu, who requires you to worship him? God has given you free will to choose.”
    She continued to talk to this man:
     the good news is that God has prepared a way out for every one of us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ ”
    As I continued to talk with him, he appeared smaller and more peaceful.
    Finally, he brought his hand to his forehead and said, “You are right. The people who sent me here are crazy. I do need Christ.” He promised, “I will come to your church as a secret brother in Christ. I will worship your powerful God.”
    -Christianity Today
    Today, that man is a pastor.
    What incredible examples those stories are of the power of the gospel.
    Stories when the power of the gospel takes root in the life of someone who had opposed that message. And the gospel is that powerful. Hardened hearts can be made soft. The gospel is a message that gives new life to the dead.
    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.