The Bible tells us that Jesus "was tempted in all things as we are yet without sin." What a comfort that is in itself. It brings even more comfort when it says that as a result of this, "He is able to come to the rescue of those who are being tempted." I was wondering last night if the same is true of His suffering. Has He suffered in all things as we are? Is He able to help us in all of our suffering since He has gone through the same?
I went to the Google but didn't find the answer I was looking for, so I decided to just answer the question by myself. I wanted to start with what is suffering, in general? For now, I am just going to say it is pain of any sort. I assume that since we as humans are made up of a Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual components that is where pain can occur. My own experience validates this assumption. In the chart above there is Social component shown and I am going to include that but I think that is something different. The other four are something within myself that I understand and so will focus on those for now.
Physical
What are some ways that we can suffer physically?
1. Any severe pressure or damage to our body externally or internally. Regardless how it is inflicted- willfully, accidental, sickness...
2. Depending on the location, intensity and duration of this damage there will be differing pain levels experienced. I have seen others experience pain levels so high that they actually lose consciousness. I am sure there are places in our physical body where the pain is much worse. I have been shot in the eye a couple times. I have had sciatica. I have been kicked in the Sam Goody. Let me tell you those are 3 areas that are in the top pain centers.
Mental
1. Any severe pressure or damage to our mental health or capability.
2. Similar to our Physical body, the intensity and duration of this pressure and/or damage to our brain will have different effects and levels of pain. I have had intense academic and financial pressures in college. I have had a childhood of abuse and neglect (Emotional?). Intense levels of family conflicts (Emotional?). Many tragedies that were hard to get back up from (My Dad burning the house down on my birthday at 10 years old.) I have been laid off at work. On a side note, I now have a permanently damaged frontal lobe which has brought on a whole new level of mental suffering to my life.
3. “Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also harder to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.” - CS Lewis
Emotional
1. Any severe pressure or damage to our emotions or emotional state.
2. Similar to the Mental suffering in our brain but more attached to our emotions. Again, the types of emotions affected together with the level of intensity and duration affect the level of pain experienced. I have had much deep sorrow in my life due to an alcoholic and abusive Father. My earliest memory of him was throwing my Mom out my bedroom window. I would love to say that was an isolated incident but I could fill this entire Blog with other examples, some even worse. I have many times of loneliness, abandonment, rejection, failure and panic.
Spiritual
1. This is a little more difficult to describe. I think of 2 Pet 2:8 that states, "Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day."
2. What I observed in my home growing up, what I have seen each night on the news, even what I currently see happening to our country socially and politically cause a great suffering in my soul. The pain is just as real as the other three.
3. As stated by CS Lewis about Mental suffering I would say the same thing about Spiritual Suffering.
Now, let's look at Christ and His suffering. Did He also experience suffering in these areas? If so, in what ways?
Physical
1. Beat with their fists
2. Spit upon
3. Slapped Him
4. Bound Him
5. Flogged Him with a lead-tipped whip
6. Made Him carry His own cross
7. Crown of thorn branches shoved on His head
8. Beat Him with a stick
9. Pulled out His beard
10. Stake hammered into both hands and feet
11. Cross with Him staked to it lifted and dropped forcefully into a hole
12. Hung on cross (willfully) for 6 hours, gasping for air, before dismissing His Spirit
Mental (I will come back and post Scripture references to all of these)
1. Knowing His entire life (eternity?) what Physical torture awaited Him
2. Outside of childhood He never knew where He would sleep or where His next meal would come from
3. In most of all of His discourses with people they would be only arguments to prove He wasn't the Messiah, He wasn't the Son of God, that He had a demon, that He was unclean by associating with drunkards, prostitutes, and tax gatherers.
4. He repeatedly was at the end of His patience by saying- why won't You believe Me? Why have you no faith?
5. He was often frustrated with His own disciples- why did you doubt? Who do you say that I am? Will you all leave me as well? Why could you not stay awake with me?
Emotional
1. "He came to His own and His own did not receive Him."
2. Even those of His own family did not believe in Him
3. Judas, one of His disciples who had been with Him from the beginning, went up to Him and betrayed Him with a kiss
4. After His all of His disciples ran away
5. Peter followed at a great distance but when confronted denied Him three times with an oath that he did not know Him
Spiritual
1. He made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the temple... Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's House into a marketplace?
2. My God, why has Thou forsaken Me?!
I went to the Google but didn't find the answer I was looking for, so I decided to just answer the question by myself. I wanted to start with what is suffering, in general? For now, I am just going to say it is pain of any sort. I assume that since we as humans are made up of a Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual components that is where pain can occur. My own experience validates this assumption. In the chart above there is Social component shown and I am going to include that but I think that is something different. The other four are something within myself that I understand and so will focus on those for now.
Physical
What are some ways that we can suffer physically?
1. Any severe pressure or damage to our body externally or internally. Regardless how it is inflicted- willfully, accidental, sickness...
2. Depending on the location, intensity and duration of this damage there will be differing pain levels experienced. I have seen others experience pain levels so high that they actually lose consciousness. I am sure there are places in our physical body where the pain is much worse. I have been shot in the eye a couple times. I have had sciatica. I have been kicked in the Sam Goody. Let me tell you those are 3 areas that are in the top pain centers.
Mental
1. Any severe pressure or damage to our mental health or capability.
2. Similar to our Physical body, the intensity and duration of this pressure and/or damage to our brain will have different effects and levels of pain. I have had intense academic and financial pressures in college. I have had a childhood of abuse and neglect (Emotional?). Intense levels of family conflicts (Emotional?). Many tragedies that were hard to get back up from (My Dad burning the house down on my birthday at 10 years old.) I have been laid off at work. On a side note, I now have a permanently damaged frontal lobe which has brought on a whole new level of mental suffering to my life.
3. “Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also harder to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say “My tooth is aching” than to say “My heart is broken.” - CS Lewis
Emotional
1. Any severe pressure or damage to our emotions or emotional state.
2. Similar to the Mental suffering in our brain but more attached to our emotions. Again, the types of emotions affected together with the level of intensity and duration affect the level of pain experienced. I have had much deep sorrow in my life due to an alcoholic and abusive Father. My earliest memory of him was throwing my Mom out my bedroom window. I would love to say that was an isolated incident but I could fill this entire Blog with other examples, some even worse. I have many times of loneliness, abandonment, rejection, failure and panic.
Spiritual
1. This is a little more difficult to describe. I think of 2 Pet 2:8 that states, "Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day."
2. What I observed in my home growing up, what I have seen each night on the news, even what I currently see happening to our country socially and politically cause a great suffering in my soul. The pain is just as real as the other three.
3. As stated by CS Lewis about Mental suffering I would say the same thing about Spiritual Suffering.
Now, let's look at Christ and His suffering. Did He also experience suffering in these areas? If so, in what ways?
Physical
1. Beat with their fists
2. Spit upon
3. Slapped Him
4. Bound Him
5. Flogged Him with a lead-tipped whip
6. Made Him carry His own cross
7. Crown of thorn branches shoved on His head
8. Beat Him with a stick
9. Pulled out His beard
10. Stake hammered into both hands and feet
11. Cross with Him staked to it lifted and dropped forcefully into a hole
12. Hung on cross (willfully) for 6 hours, gasping for air, before dismissing His Spirit
Mental (I will come back and post Scripture references to all of these)
1. Knowing His entire life (eternity?) what Physical torture awaited Him
2. Outside of childhood He never knew where He would sleep or where His next meal would come from
3. In most of all of His discourses with people they would be only arguments to prove He wasn't the Messiah, He wasn't the Son of God, that He had a demon, that He was unclean by associating with drunkards, prostitutes, and tax gatherers.
4. He repeatedly was at the end of His patience by saying- why won't You believe Me? Why have you no faith?
5. He was often frustrated with His own disciples- why did you doubt? Who do you say that I am? Will you all leave me as well? Why could you not stay awake with me?
Emotional
1. "He came to His own and His own did not receive Him."
2. Even those of His own family did not believe in Him
3. Judas, one of His disciples who had been with Him from the beginning, went up to Him and betrayed Him with a kiss
4. After His all of His disciples ran away
5. Peter followed at a great distance but when confronted denied Him three times with an oath that he did not know Him
Spiritual
1. He made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the temple... Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's House into a marketplace?
2. My God, why has Thou forsaken Me?!