As It Wasn't Painful Enough

“When is the meeting going to finish…” grumbled Tan Bee Ling, as she flipped through the newspaper. It was Monday. We were having a meeting for co-curriculum teachers. It’s already bad enough that school ends at 2:40 p.m. from Mondays to Thursdays. To make things worse, there is a “cabinet” meeting every Wednesday that goes on until 3:30 p.m. Obviously, the teachers are not happy about it. The Monday meeting was an extra pain.

“Only in Free School mah! We’re the best!” I said gleefully.

“Why did you come back here?” Another teacher said. “You come here to suffer.”

“No mah… Once you get used to an iron rod, when you get hit by a wooden stick… It is nothing,” I replied with a grin.

“You positive thinking ah,” Tan Bee Ling said. “Good lah. You’re still young…”

Today, I read John chapter 19. It was about a man who absorbed pain and punishment. It was as though he came and asked for it.

The Jews pressured Pilate into crucifying Jesus. But in Pilate’s heart, he wanted to release Jesus. If only Jesus would give good answers Pilate’s questions, Pilate could justify his intention to release Him.

Instead, Jesus said, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.” And, as though He knew Pilate’s worries for possibly killing the Son of God, He tried to give Pilate some sort of “consolation”. He said, “Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” (John 19:10-11). Isn’t that asking for death, or what?

It can be further deliberated that Jesus' trial was unjust and illegal. But Jesus went on with it without objecting. It was as if He wanted to embrace death in the most terrible way. The way of the cross.

When Jesus was hung on the cross, He was offered wine mingled with myrrh to drink. But He didn’t take it, because that mixture would have drugged Him and made Him less conscious to the pain. (Mark 15:23)

Later, Jesus was offered sour wine to drink. This time, He took it. He did it because sour wine would make Him terribly thirsty, and increase the agony of the crucifixion. (John 19:29)

Why the extra pain?

The price of atonement would still paid if Jesus died less conscious to the pain. His sacrifice would still be counted if He didn’t die in thirst. But He chose to experience the fullest suffering of the crucifixion. He wanted to feel the complete pain for bearing our sin.

That is why Christianity is the “fullest religion”. It does not revel only in all the good things in life. It also embraces the reality pain and suffering, instead of turning a blind eye to it. Or pretending it doesn’t exist.

What was Jesus’ secret? No, it wasn’t positive thinking. It was submission to His Father’s will. In the face of all the bad things that happen in the world, God didn’t just watch comfortably from heaven. He came to absorb it.

Where is God when there is suffering?

He came.