Romans 8:14-28
Introduction
Who likes pain? Most people would say they don’t, and for the few who say they do, well, there’s a clinical term for them. Most of us would much prefer the opposite of pain, which most people would say is “pleasure.” Psychologists, however, would argue the opposite of pain is comfort because some things can be both a pain and a pleasure—and I have a good example of such…
When I was a kid someone asked my mother, “What is your greatest pleasure?” She looked down at me, then back to the questioner and lovingly said, “This little guy right here.” The person then asked, “And what is your greatest pain?” And mom lovingly said, “This little guy right here.”
This just goes to show some pain might be good pain and therefore, even if uncomfortable, we embrace it as a blessing because good pain can be loving and faithful and can actually lead to a deeper level of faith—which is what the Apostle Paul wants us understand.
Move 1
If we are going to delve into this topic of pain, we are going to need to break down Loving and faithful pains into three perspectives, and the first of three perspectives to the concept of “loving and faithful pain,” is the logical response. Pain serves as an alarm that something is wrong, and compels us to stop doing the what is hurting us, or to investigate the cause of a pain, and if necessary, get treatment. We know this kind of pain is actually good because it can help us from more pain and/or injury.
The late Paul Brand, a physician who specialized in treating victims of Hansen’s disease— commonly called leprosy—figured out those suffering from Hansen’s lost fingers and feet not because of the disease, as was widely believed, but because they had lost the ability to feel pain. Since those with the disease could not feel pain in their extremities, they frequently injured themselves without knowing it, and therefore didn’t seek treatment. Dr. Brand demonstrated that patients with Hansen’s disease could, with treatment, live without such deformities.
When Dr. Brand wrote a book about his work, he titled it “The Gift Nobody Wants”, stating in it that far from being something that worked against life, “pain is a requisite for life.” He further wrote saying, “God designed the human body so that it is able to survive because of pain” Dr. Brand later rebranded the title of his book to “The Gift of Pain.”
*******
The second perspective to “good pain” can be dubbed the hopeful one, and it’s often shorthanded as “no pain, no gain.” You’ll hear it wherever people are engaging in athletic endeavors or working out at fitness centers.
The pain of such usually passes within a few hours or days, and is viewed as evidence that you’ve done the activity necessary to improve your fitness and performance. And any pain that doesn’t go away is still good because it indicates you’ve pushed your body a bit too far. This good pain is hopeful because we hope it will result in less pain via better health.
*******
The third perspective is called the consequence pain. If pain cannot be banished and becomes a permanent condition, then it’s hard to think of it as good, especially if you are the one bearing it.
Imagine a young woman injured in a car accident when she was 18. Several surgeries follows, which enable her to live her life, but she has pain every day. She grows into her sixties where even on her best days her pain level is never less than a 4 on the 1-to-10 pain scale, and it’s sometimes a 6 or more. And while this is far from good, as a consequence, she is quick to recognize when someone else is in pain and strives to offer comfort and empathy to them. That empathy has developed because of her own journey with pain, and we might just say good has come out of it.
Move 2
All of this brings us to what Paul says in the Romans reading for today. Addressing fellow Christians, he describes himself and them as “joint heirs with Christ” and adds, “If, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” Notice Paul doesn’t say here what particular suffering he and the others are enduring. But further on in this same chapter, he writes, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
These words clearly refer to agony wrought upon people because of their Christian witness—“persecution” and “sword,” for example. So, in those cases, they can be thought of as “suffering with Christ”—which can be easily justified and even acceptable. But other words Paul uses, such as “hardship,” “distress,” “famine” and “peril” can apply more broadly to problems of humankind in general, and can certainly include physical, intractable pain—which we may have more difficulty seeing those as suffering with Christ. But what is striking in this text is when Paul says, almost as an aside, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” Paul compares and contrasts our suffering to what is coming—our future joy.
This comment about the suffering of the present time is that the kingdom of God is so worthwhile, so incredible, so life-giving that whatever we go through is outweighed by the joy that will ultimately be ours. Paul is telling us that our pain, our suffering, our struggle, while difficult, can actually compel us deeper in our faith, and pain can be endured because of what our faith assures—a glorious future where there won’t be any pain.
Move 3
Now it’s fair to challenge Paul on his conclusion. We can affirm the goodness of pain that signals something is wrong so we can either stop doing what’s causing it or seek medical help. And we can affirm the goodness of pain we go through to gain fitness. We can even affirm the goodness of emotional or spiritual pain that causes us to grow in Christ. But what about the pain that afflicts us and won’t go away no matter what we do? I’m talking about chronic pain—both physical and psychological. What good is that kind of pain?
Just talk to people who live with daily pain from which there is no escape and little hope of ever getting better, and they will tell you at best, such pain is “managed,” but never “relieved.” Not many can see their ongoing pain as good. But maybe there is a way.
*******
Pastor Stan Purdum tells of a time early in his ministry how he entered a hospital room where a parishioner lay in bed, suffering greatly. Purdum says, “From the tense expression on her face, the way she clenched her teeth and the periodic catch in her breathing, I could tell she was in significant pain.”
He talked with her about her prognosis, which was grim; about her family; and finally of her faith. Then he said to her, “I’m sorry you are having such pain.” She replied, “Well, if Jesus suffered for me, I guess I can suffer for him.”
Purdum would process that statement, for a longtime, saying, “I was glad she found comfort in that view, and I certainly didn’t challenge it, but I left her room thinking her statement didn’t make a lot of sense. Theologically speaking, Jesus had suffered for the sins of the world, and so she was correct in including herself among those for whom Jesus had come. But what possible value did her suffering there in that hospital bed have for Jesus?”
Purdum admits the encounter stuck with him, often nagging him, until he had eventually through his career been present with enough people in pain to realize that an individual’s personal connection with Christ does give meaning to the afflictions he or she undergoes. It’s a meaning that defies firm theological definition but which is real and helpful and stabilizing nonetheless.
Purdum says, “In other words, the questions we voice about our sufferings may not find answers, but we can still find in our sufferings a fellowship with a Savior who came to Earth to suffer— and somehow, that makes our pain good.”
*******
Few of us are probably ready to say that all pain is good, but we can say that our Savior is good, and with Christ’s help, our pain can in fact be good because it can lead us, and maybe others, to deeper faith.
Conclusion
It’s worth noting that Paul writes this as a person who has experienced more than his share of physical suffering. To the Corinthians he wrote, “Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked…I was adrift at sea …” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25). And then, of course, there was his “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7), a physical ailment of some kind, which he was not healed of and had to endure. But all of this, according to Paul, can be counted as good pain.
Romans 8 is part of a larger discussion Paul began in Romans 5, where he talks about the benefits of being justified before God by faith, saying, “… we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character and character produces hope …” (5:3-4).
Paul is saying, pain is good because good can come from pain. In other words, for us in this life, suffering and joy are both realities. When we put our faith in Christ, joy surely comes. Yet it does not mean when we put our faith in Christ pain will never come.
Pain will come, for all, even the faithful follower of Jesus. But when we stay the course, when we are faithful, when we put our trust in Christ Jesus, then suffering be damned because God’s grace and mercy will always lead us to good—even when we’re in pain. Amen.
Pastoral Prayer, July 23, 2023
Our gracious and eternal God, if we would pause long enough to think and consider all we have, and all that surrounds us, we would come before you with gratitude.
We are grateful we are part of a long and struggling, yet victorious community.
We are grateful the upward path of your realm, always afflicted with pain and difficulties, nonetheless remains our vision.
We are grateful that life, while stained with imperfections, can yet be ennobled by those who persist and persevere.
We are grateful, just like the Apostle Paul, that we did not receive a “spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but we have received a spirit of adoption.”
And we are grateful that we have received a spirit of freedom and grace to know that we are indeed your children.
If we pause long enough, even in the midst of pain, we would lift to you a wave of gratitude, for your blessings are abundant.
Yes, our world is bent by wars, conflict, famine, corruption, domination by the powerful, suffering of the weak. It is beset with pain of all manners, and there hardly seems reason to be grateful.
But we know, if we took the time to look, we would see your blessings are being poured out.
So where there is tragedy, bring peace. Where there is pain and suffering, bring healing and compassion. Where there is uncertainty and anxiousness, bring inner calm. Where there is hatred and enmity bring understanding and unity and love.
And when necessary, pour them out through us and through this church. May you continue to bless us as individuals and as a church, and in turn may we be a blessing to others.
We are your grateful children O God. And for all you do for us, especially in the midst of our pain, we offer you our thanks and our praise; because we know you are always at work for good.
Hear now the prayers of our hearts as we offer them to you in this time of Holy Silence.
All this we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, who taught us to pray saying, “Our…”