How Could a Loving God Allow Suffering, Evil, and Pain?

In the movie The Passion of the Christ you may have had to turn your eyes away from the screen during some of the most brutal scenes. Why would God allow Jesus to be mercilessly beaten, whipped and crucified? The reason Jesus' suffered is directly tied to the reason there is evil and suffering in the world today.

The Bible tells us that Jesus went to the Cross to pay for the "sins" of the world. Sin is sort of an old-fashioned word, that simply means "wrong choices." Every day, human beings make wrong choices that result in tremendous suffering, pain, and evil. It may be the intentional wrong choice of a man to abuse a child or the accidental wrong choice of a driver to turn in front of oncoming traffic. Whatever the case, these wrong choices, these sins, result in suffering and devastation.

When God created human beings he chose to endow humans with a free will. God did not create evil or suffering, but he did empower us to make choices.

Some might ask, "Why doesn't he just limit the consequences of the evil we choose?" Theoretically, He could change the laws of nature, by causing a bullet to go right through someone without hurting them. Or He could make that bullet always swerve out of the way of people or animals. But if He were to do that, what kind of fantasy world would we live in? So God has allowed us to experience reality—the truth. He must know this is the best way to handle wrong human choices. Sadly, wrong human choices (sin) have done irreparable damage to our planet, our eco-systems, our cities, our neighborhoods, and our families.

This is one reason Jesus was publicly crucified. The brutality of his suffering sends a clear message. It is not God who brings suffering and evil upon people, it is people who bring suffering and evil upon themselves and others. On the Cross he took our sins (our wrong choices) upon himself and in so doing received the punishment for our sins.

If the violence and victimization in the film caused you to be upset, it might help you to understand the message of the Cross. The Cross is a terrible place because the sins of humanity are terrible. Yet, the Cross is also a wonderful place because here God demonstrated His love for a suffering world by publicly suffering on a Cross. Ultimately, the Cross becomes God's invitation to face our own wrong choices. By placing our trust in Christ, we can be forgiven and enter into a new life of friendship with God.

One day, the Bible tells us that God will put an end to suffering and evil. He is waiting for all people who will choose a relationship with Him (given the freedom to choose), to do so. The life that Jesus can offer you now, is a life filled with the confidence that you will one day be in heaven, where there will be no more tears or pain or suffering.