Before we dive into the rational thinking on the Problem of Evil, allow me to highlight an important biblical perspective of suffering:
Christianity does not avoid the issue of suffering. In fact, suffering is one of the major themes of the New Testament.
The earthly life of Jesus is a clear demonstration of the Problem of Evil. As described in the gospels, which are the first four books of the New Testament that record the last few years of Jesus’ life, we see that Jesus healed the sick and preached a message of forgiveness and love. Yet his earthly life ended with crucifixion on the cross, the most gruesome and insulting penalty that criminals of his time received.
Perhaps Jesus was so extraordinary that he could take the pain and even death on the cross lightly? Not at all! The night after Jesus had his last supper with his disciples, he went to pray in a place called Gethsemane. He said to his disciples that “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me”. In his prayer, he said “My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will”. Right before his painful death on the cross, Jesus cried out loudly, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus’ mother was near the cross of his dying son, and in agony she would remember that a prophet had told her that “a sword will pierce your own soul too”.
Jesus’ suffering is key to the Christian faith. Paul says that Jesus’ died for our sins, which provides the only way for a person to be “saved”.
Jesus is not the only one to be suffered. His disciples suffered, even to death, because of their preaching of Jesus. Peter tells Christians that they should “rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed”. Paul plainly says that “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”. According to Peter and Paul, Christians should expect sufferings.
Christian suffering does not stop with Jesus’ death and the passing of the Christians in the first century. The persecution of Christians in the Roman empire before 300 A.D. is well-known historically. Even today, it is estimated that 365 million Christians live in nations with high levels of persecution or discrimination.
Christianity was born with suffering when Jesus suffered and died for our sins. Christians suffered from the first century all the way up to today. Does Christianity have a reasonable answer to the Problem of Evil?
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