Divine Pain
For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10 NASB
Sorrow – A few days ago we investigated a Greek word in Luke 18:23. That word was perílypos . It comes from the root lýpē. We noticed that Greek thinking posits hēdonḗ (pleasure) as the opposite of lýpē (pain). That Western idea is at the root of a lot of our thinking, but it’s not a biblical idea. The opposite of sorrow/pain in the Bible is joy. You can refresh your memory about this by reading the TW from March 5, 2021, just a few days ago.
Today we must notice that sorrow is “according to the will of God,” or rather, some kind of sorrow has divine purpose. This is important. All suffering is not punishment. All suffering is not the result of sin (cf. John chapter 9). Some suffering is teleological, that is, it is designed to bring about positive future conditions. When Paul thinks about lýpē, he sees that some suffering pushes us toward repentance. Remember Heschel’s remark: “Suffering does not redeem; it only makes one worthy of redemption.”[1] And it only make us worthy of redemption when it leads us to contrition, to the humbling of our egos.
We get that. Most of us acknowledge that this kind of suffering is, in the long run, a good thing. But it doesn’t seem so good at the moment, does it? Why is that? Why do we complain, contest, reject, or deflect when we know God is doing His best to make us worthy? Can I suggest that we resist because we aren’t ready? Acceptance of the purpose of divine sorrow is more than theological agreement. It’s the willingness to be washed. And sometimes we prefer life with a few dirty edges. If the truth be told, we’re comfortable with a bit of grime in the gears. We’re not sure we want a truly righteous life. The yetzer ha’ra likes to strut a bit of ego. So we tell ourselves, “No one should be a doormat,” and we go on pretending that religion will save us. We require God to turn up the heat. We’re Greek. We want hēdonḗ rather than chará, the Greek equivalent of śimḥâ (Hebrew). What a shame!
What is the real difference between pleasure and joy? Why does the Bible contend that joy is the proper, and superior, goal of divine suffering? How are we to embrace the idea of Hebrews 12:2 (that enduring suffering leads to joy)? With a history of the Greco-Roman worldview, these are questions we must ask—and search for biblical answers. Everything about our Western way of life pushes us away from the idea that God’s divinely initiated suffering is the route to joy. Everything about our cultural ideals seduces us into believing that hēdonḗ is the true objective. But the Bible says, “No.” Why?
Perhaps the best we can do now is to reflect on some thoughts from Abraham Heschel:
“The essence of life is intense care and concern.”[2]
“A man entirely unconcerned with his self is dead; a man exclusively concerned with his self is a beast.”[3]
“Human is he who is concerned with other selves.”[4]
“Always in need of other beings to give himself to, man cannot even be in accord with his own self unless he serves something beyond himself.”[5]
“Man reaches a new vertical dimension, the dimension of the holy, when he grows beyond his self-interests, when that which is of interest to others becomes vital to him.”[6]
“The self, the fellow-man and the dimension of the holy are the three dimensions of a mature human concern. True love of man is clandestine love of God.”[7]
Think about these things.
Topical Index: sorrow, pleasure, pain, joy, purpose, lýpē, hēdonḗ, chará, śimḥâ, 2 Corinthians 7:10
[1] Abraham Heschel, The Prophets (Hendrickson Publishers, 1962), Vol 1, p. 94.
[2] Abraham Heschel, Man Is Not Alone, p. 136.
[3] Abraham Heschel, Man Is Not Alone, p. 137.
[4] Ibid., p. 138.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid., p. 139.
[7] Ibid.
