Two men stand out as examples in the way they reacted to suffering. The first example is Cain, who considered the sufferings too great to bear. The second example is Job, who considered himself too good to suffer so much. These two extreme attitudes stand in contrast to our blessed Lord.
Cain said, “My punishment is greater than I can bear” (Gen. 4:13), when he was faced with the judgment of God for his sin of murder. The firstborn and heir of Adam measured the punishment according to his own ability. He rejected God’s righteous judgment even though God in mercy was reaching out to him seeking his restoration. Cain chose to go “out from the presence of the Lord.” He then built a city. But there was no remedy for the situation by living apart from God, nor did it exclude sorrow from his life. “Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation,” but “the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Cor. 7:10). The remedy was to go to God in the problem because it was too great for him.
When the Lord Jesus, the true Firstborn, was faced with the contemplation of the judgment of God for sin in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed, “O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done” (Matt. 26:42). Like Cain, He felt the greatness of the judgment, but in perfect submission to the will of His Father He accepted it from Him. He did not flee from the consequences, but submitted to God’s judgment for sin, which was death.
“There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and this man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and abstained from evil” (Job 1:1 JND). This man was tested with excruciating suffering that provoked him to say, “I am righteous: and God hath taken away my judgment. Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable without transgression” (Job 34:56). This complaint came out after a long time. Even though he proved Satan’s assessment as to his behavior wrong, he developed a wrong attitude. He blamed God and justified himself. He was too good for everyone. If Cain’s punishment was too great for him, Job was too good for the punishment. Both these attitudes obstruct God’s way of blessing for those who are suffering.
“Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:2023). In contrast to Job, the Lord Jesus did not regard His own righteousness as reason to avoid suffering. Though He had not sinned to deserve any suffering, yet He patiently endured it. In regards to His righteousness, He committed it to Him that judges righteously. This is the example He left us to follow.
D. C. Buchanan