Meditations 4

Seeing the Light

When I helped at summer camps in Romania, a popular camp activity (for some!) was always the mountain hike. Usually, it lasted all day and sometimes there was a brave group who went for a particularly long, almost death defying version of the hike. On a few occasions, I boldly, or maybe you could say foolishly, joined the long hike group. Participating in this group, I can recall some dicey moments.
One time, we had spent a long, hard day clambering to the top of ‘Piatra Craiului.’ Eventually, we had begun our descent, but on the way down, we had stopped on numerous occasions to take photos. Romanians like their photos taken! It’s hard to imagine what it was like in days gone by, when people didn’t have access to digital technology. Presumably, Romanians walked around with their pockets full of camera film, just in case the photographic urge came on! Or, maybe, in those days they were just more discerning with their picture taking. In any case, time was going by due to people indulging their pictorial urges.
After a while, it started to dawn on us that it was getting dark and we had the tricky task of negotiating a forest in order to get down off the mountain. The forest wasn’t hard to get through during the day because the trees had markings on them that showed you the way. Night time was a different kettle of fish though as the tree markings were no longer easily visible. Those of us who had twigged (!) this problem began motivating the others in the group to get a move on, and we started working our way through the forest. Some rushed on ahead, showing great dexterity as they wove their way through the trees.
Gradually, the whole group made progress, but towards the end we were all hurtling our way along to try to make sure we made it out of the trees before it was completely dark and so impossible to see. That would have been a difficult and potentially dangerous situation because once it was dark, and the signs on the trees were no longer visible, it would have been easy to get lost in the forest and aside from the unpleasantness of spending a cold night lost on a mountainside, there were also other pitfalls such as bears and other wildlife to contend with.
Fortunately, although the light was dwindling, we had realised the danger and so rushed to make it out of the forest while there was still some daylight, something that we managed with the Lord’s help!   
In John 9, we read a passage which is also about light and the importance of being able to see. The chapter begins with a question. Jesus and His disciples see a man born blind. In ancient Jewish thought (and as is still the case among many people day) was the idea that suffering is a punishment for the bad things we do. Thus, they see a man born blind and so it raises a dilemma. If suffering is the punishment for the bad things we do, what is the situation for people who are born with suffering? Surely, this can’t be the punishment for the bad things they have done, as they were born with the suffering before they had the chance to live and do bad things!
A possible solution to this problem is that the suffering was a result of the bad things that his parents had done, and so the disciples raise the question, ‘Who sinned? This man or his parents?’
Jesus however dispels the idea that suffering is a direct punishment for sin. He says that neither the man or his parents sinned to cause this suffering. This suffering had a different origin. It had been given to the man so that God’s work could be shown in his life. This might seem like an odd concept, God intentionally inflicting suffering on someone so that He can then work in and through the person’s life, but actually, if we think about it, this idea pervades the whole Bible.
Noah had the experience of having to build the ark and go through the flood. Abraham and Sarah remained childless until a very old age. Joseph was sold by his brothers into slavery and spent time unjustly in prison. The Israelites spent many years suffering as slaves in Egypt. Job lost everything he had. These are just a few examples that come to mind and the list could easily go on. If we started to think about church history the list would grow even more.
Indeed, this incident is just one step along the way in Jesus’ own struggle with the Pharisees, who eventually contrive to kill Him. Jesus makes a subtle reference to this in verse 4, mentioning that night is coming.
So, when suffering comes into our lives, we needn’t ask questions like, ‘Why me?’ or ‘What have I done wrong?’ but rather we can try to seek what God’s purpose in the suffering is and, even if it’s hard to see at the time, we can trust that His purpose is ultimately good. As Psalm 119:67 says, ‘Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.’ Our sufferings often help us focus on what’s important in life and, as a result, find the right way in life.
A lady in Romania once remarked that in the hospital in Romania everybody prays. Of course, they should have all been praying anyway, as God tells us to pray to Him, but it often takes the suffering of being in hospital to help us find the time and desire to pray in our otherwise busy lives.
John Newton is an example that comes to mind of someone who went astray. In his youth, he had been forced to become a sailor. He rose to a good position and eventually was a captain on slave trader ships. Initially, he didn’t think about God, but one time, due to the danger of the ship he was on potentially sinking in a storm, he started to read the Bible. However, he continued in his work as a slave trader for many years and it was only when he got sick and could no longer go sailing that he truly converted to Christianity, gave up his slave trading ways and became a church minster with a successful ministry, which included writing ‘Amazing Grace’, a hymn which is still sung today, 200 and something years later. 
The supreme example of suffering bringing about good is Jesus’ death on the cross. When He died there, it at first seemed like the powers of darkness had won, but actually, this was just the serpent striking His heal and three days later He rose to life, crushing the serpent’s head. While He was on the cross some sneered about Him not being able to come down off the cross (Mark 15:31,32) but actually He voluntarily stayed on the cross because it was always the plan for Him to die there as His death was necessary to take the punishment of God for sin. He then rose to life, showing that if we accept His death in our place, we can also have the hope of raising to a new life with Him.
This gives us hope that no matter what we go through in this life, a new, better life awaits those who trust in Jesus. Thus, He is the light of the world, as He says in John 9:5, who shows those who trust in Him the right way through the dark forest of this life.

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