We discussed several approaches that try to solve the Problem of Evils. So far there does not seem to be a widely accepted solution yet.
What did the Bible say about the Problem of Evils? Did Jesus say anything about it?
Chapter 9 in the Gospel of John describes a story about a man who was born blind. When the disciples saw him, they asked Jesus, “Teacher, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Isn’t it a tragedy that a man was born blind? He suffered ever since he was born. Jesus’ disciples expressed a common idea about suffering – it is a punishment from heaven on evil doers. Perhaps it is also a common belief for many people today. However, this man was blind before he could do anything evil, as he was born blind. Perhaps his parents did evil, and so the punishment came to their son.
In reply, Jesus said, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him”. At the end, Jesus healed him, and he could then see.
Jesus seems to be affirming the Greater-Good theodicy that we mentioned before. The suffering we experience could mean some greater good in the end even though we may not see it in the time of suffering. In the case of the man born blind mentioned above, the glory of God is displayed through his healing.
What if there is no healing? Can God be glorified in a person who is born handicapped and is never healed?
I was very impressed by Nick Vujicic when I heard his story on television. Nick was born in
1982 with tetra-amelia syndrome which caused him to have no arms or legs. His mother refused to hold him immediately after his birth. He attempted to commit suicide by drowning himself in a bathtub, but he was saved. He started to give talks at school and church-sponsored events at 17 years old.
Can Nick marry given his difficult physical situation? In an interview before 2007, Nick said “Even if I did marry, I can’t even hold my wife’s hands. I am not going to be able to dance with my bride on our wedding night. When we have children, how am I going to put my arms around my kids when they are crying?” Yet, Nick did get married in 2012. He had two sons and two daughters from his marriage.
Is Nick a depressed individual who barely hold on his Christian faith? Not at all! During an gathering with more than 700 audiences in 2007, he said that “I feel the joy, strength and victory in my life”. He repeatedly told his audience that “God is your friend worthy of being praised through the hardest time”. He asked his audience “Aren’t you jealous of my life yet? You see that I am living a purpose. God has a purpose for you”.
The blind man described in the Gospel of John received his sight when he met Jesus. Nick keeps lacking arms and legs even after believing in Jesus, but he leads a purposeful life which many of us with arms and legs do not have.
Jesus in his encounter with the blind man tells us that there is a spiritual dimension one needs to consider in suffering. Actually, there is even more we can learn about suffering from Jesus’ words and life …
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