Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J. Lesson Four Part 1

Transcription

1 Fr. Robert J. Spitzer, S.J. Lesson Four Part 1

2 Happiness, Suffering and the Love of God Why Would an All-powerful, All-loving God Allow Suffering? Jesus View of Suffering By Claude LeBlanc, M.A., Magis Center, 2017

3 Opening Prayer Lord Jesus, there is so much suffering in our world. Help us understand why you allow it, and what good comes from it, so that we may grow to have the same attitude toward it that you do. Amen.

4 Supplemental Video 1: Arthur Miller on Suffering Watch at:

5 Happiness, Suffering and the Love of God My argument with so much psychoanalysis is the preconception that suffering is a mistake or a sign of weakness or illness, when in fact, possibly the greatest truths we know have come out of people s suffering. (From: Arthur Miller on Suffering )

6 Take It Home Review: Large Class Sharing What is your answer to the Question: What Good is Suffering?

7 Watch Video Episode Four: Why Would an All-powerful, All-good God Allow Suffering?, Part 1: Jesus View of Suffering, taking notes on the handout: Video Comprehension Questions.

8 1. What mistaken notion do many people have about God?

9 1. What mistaken notion do many people have about God? That if God were all-powerful he could prevent suffering, and if he were all-loving, he would prevent suffering, but he doesn t. (This is known as the Problem of Evil, and the response in justification of God is known as Theodicy. We will explain these later in the lesson.)

10 2. What was the dominant Old Testament view of suffering?

11 2. What was the dominant Old Testament view of suffering? Retributive; God punished people for their, or their ancestors, sins. Sin had to be paid back, and God does it directly.

12 2. What was the dominant Old Testament view of suffering? Retributive; God punished people for their, or their ancestors, sins. Sin had to be paid back, and God does it directly. It was believed that nature had no power on its own to cause suffering; God caused all things to happen.

13 2. What was the dominant Old Testament view of suffering? Retributive; God punished people for their, or their ancestors, sins. Sin had to be paid back, and God does it directly. It was believed that nature had no power on its own to cause suffering; God caused all things to happen. Sometimes suffering was viewed as a test (e.g., Job), for purification, or for growing closer to wisdom and God (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs, Sirach, & Wisdom).

14 3. How does Jesus view of suffering differ from the Old Testament view?

15 3. How does Jesus view of suffering differ from the Old Testament view? Jesus said, Blessed are the sorrowing for they shall be consoled. (Matthew 5:4) This is an unconditional promise, a guarantee that God wants to bring good out of suffering. It has nothing to do with punishing, but redeeming a condition.

16 4. How does Jesus further describe this in the Sermon on the Mount?

17 4. How does Jesus further describe this in the Sermon on the Mount? Jesus said, God causes his rain to fall on the just and the unjust; he causes the sun to shine on the good and the evil alike. (Matthew 5:45) There is no retributive suffering in God. Like a loving parent, God suffers with us.

18 5. How did Jesus respond to the assumption by his disciples that the cause of a man being born blind was his sin or that he was paying the price for his parent s sin?

19 5. How did Jesus respond to the assumption by his disciples that the cause of a man being born blind was his sin or that he was paying the price for his parent s sin? Jesus said, It was neither one s fault. Rather, it was so that the glory of God could be revealed. (John 9:3)

20 6. For Jesus, what is suffering an opportunity for?

21 6. For Jesus, what is suffering an opportunity for? The love of God to be experienced (grace), and the love within us, for God and for others, to be purified. It gives us the choice whether or not to give ourselves completely to God in service to one another.

22 7. What did German theologian and Nazi resistance leader Dietrich Bonhoeffer mean when he said, There is no grace without cost.

23 7. What did German theologian and Nazi resistance leader Dietrich Bonhoeffer mean when he said, There is no grace without cost. Without suffering, there isn t the possibility of virtue at all. For example, would there be courage without fear?

24 8. What did St. Paul mean by saying, I was given a thorn in the flesh to keep me from getting proud? (2 Corinthians 12:7)

25 8. What did St. Paul mean by saying, I was given a thorn in the flesh to keep me from getting proud? (2 Corinthians 12:7) For him, suffering is a protection from God from pride and narcissism; protecting him from himself, and from every form of evil. He learned that his weakness is his strength, and his vulnerability is his reliance upon God.

26 9. Rather than revealing a sense of being abandoned by God on the cross, what were Jesus words, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me actually a statement of?

27 9. Rather than revealing a sense of being abandoned by God on the cross, what were Jesus words, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me actually a statement of? The purpose of his suffering; to offer his whole life to God.

28 9. Rather than revealing a sense of being abandoned by God on the cross, what were Jesus words, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me actually a statement of? The purpose of his suffering; to offer his whole life to God. 10. What does the fact that Jesus quoted it in a northern Galilean dialect of Aramaic mean?

29 9. Rather than revealing a sense of being abandoned by God on the cross, what were Jesus words, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me actually a statement of? The purpose of his suffering; to offer his whole life to God. 10. What does the fact that Jesus quoted it in a northern Galilean dialect of Aramaic mean? He learned it that way from his mother. Quoting the first line of a psalm was how the Jews of the time recounted the whole psalm; they were not numbered then. He was using Psalm 22 to describe the meaning of his suffering.

30 11. What are the three parts of Psalm 22, and how does it describe Jesus?

31 11. What are the three parts of Psalm 22, and how does it describe Jesus? a) The first part recounts the psalmist s feeling of abandonment. He knows that God is trustworthy, will be with him, and eventually bring some good out of it.

32 11. What are the three parts of Psalm 22, and how does it describe Jesus? a) The first part recounts the psalmist s feeling of abandonment. He knows that God is trustworthy, will be with him, and eventually bring some good out of it. b) The second uncannily recounts several things similar to what is happening to Jesus on the cross.

33 11. What are the three parts of Psalm 22, and how does it describe Jesus? a) The first part recounts the psalmist s feeling of abandonment. He knows that God is trustworthy, will be with him, and eventually bring some good out of it. b) The second uncannily recounts several things similar to what is happening to Jesus on the cross. c) The third is the psalm s real essence: offering suffering up to God as a gift. Jesus turns his suffering into a selfsacrifice of love for or the redemption of Israel and the Gentiles, and for all time: past, present, and future.

34 12. How can we do the very same thing with our suffering as Jesus did?

35 12. How can we do the very same thing with our suffering as Jesus did? Without knowing the reasons why we suffer, we can offer them to God as a self-sacrifice; a gift of love to God and for others. Like God did for Jesus; he can use these gifts of ours to make a difference.

36 13. Even though it is not necessary, why does God allow us to offer up our suffering as gifts that make a difference?

37 13. Even though it is not necessary, why does God allow us to offer up our suffering as gifts that make a difference? God has left us a part to play so that our lives could count in a world being redeemed by him.

38 14. What can we learn about Jesus attitude toward suffering from his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane; Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will? (Matthew 26:39)

39 14. What can we learn about Jesus attitude toward suffering from his prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane; Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will? (Matthew 26:39) Jesus prayed for the alleviation of suffering. He was not seeking it unless it was required by the Father; then he would willingly accept it.

40 15. How did Jesus teach us, in the Lord s Prayer, to reflect his attitude toward suffering?

41 15. How did Jesus teach us, in the Lord s Prayer, to reflect his attitude toward suffering? He taught us to ask the Father to keep us from trials and tests, and protect us from the evil one, but also to accept those things if it is his will, offering them up as a complete act of self-sacrifice, trusting that God will use them for good for us and for others.

42 Supplemental Video 3: Bishop Barron on the Isenheim Altarpiece by Grünewald, Watch at:

43 Happiness, Suffering and the Love of God Thomas Aquinas said, If you want to be happy, love what Jesus loved on the cross (doing the will of the Father), and despise what Jesus despised on the cross (the love of wealth pleasure power and honor. (From: Bishop Barron on the Isenheim Altarpiece by Grünewald )

44 Small Group Activity Discuss the Reflection and Discussion Questions chosen by your teacher, then share your thoughts with the class.

45 Take it Home Complete the handout, The Problem of Evil, for the next session.

46 Closing Prayer Lord, you have given us the perfect example of unconditional love, but it involved tremendous suffering. May we accept the suffering that comes into our lives as a way to perfect our love for you and all others. Amen.

47 Next time we ll cover Lesson Four, Part 2: Why Does God Allow Suffering? See You Then!