Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-04
Council Bluffs
Talks on Mystery
Of Human Suffering

A large CONGREGATION attended the morn
ing services at the First Congregational
church yesterday morning when Rev. Mr..
Jones told the story of the cruoiflxion. He
sketched the agony on the cross, the
taunts and jeers OF the multitude who
cried. III thou be the son OF God come
down from the Cross" and said that II
was greater for the Master 20 die ON the
cross than to have used Hts divine power
that would have permitted Him TO escape
the sacrifice and agony.
Men and women today are perplexed
when righteous people are made to suf-
fer" said Rev. Mr. Jones. I'VE are
panied and puzzled when good people are
stricken down with misfortune and at
Fiction. Why loes not God hear prayer3
Why does He not deliver from pain9
Why does He not spare some precious
life7 These are the question we ask. We
have some sort OF theory that II pays
TO be righteous. We think the way of
obedience TO the will Of God makes a
pleasant path. When the contrary hap
pens. our faith wealrens and reels under
the strain. We are disposed to say either
there Is no God. or He would never allow
people TO suffer an they do. or that those
who suffer are not Eood--they only seem
to be. II Is surely q great mystery. But
the Bible nowhere teaches that righteous
ness shall not suffer. God does not bride
men into HIS service by promises OF
material prosperity and immunity from
suffering. II h certain that Jesus never
made such an offer 10 men, and that His
apostles had no such rewards.
Now this problem OF the suffering OF
goodness that vexeE so many minds Ia
concentrated In the case OF Christ. In
His deep agony In Gethsemans no cried
20 be delivered, and no deliverance was
forthcoming. His anguish was so
keen on thu cross that he passionately
exclaimed, My God, my God. why hast
thou forsaken me7' In such experiences
He suffered precisely those things which
make men doubt and deny God. II il
this spirit Of doubt that is Expressed In
the text. II thou be the son OF God, come
down from the cross' But II is because
He was the son OF God that He could
not come down. II was a greater thing
60 endure the cross than to come down
from It. Suppose He had yielded to the
scornful suggestion OF His enemiesl The
greatest lesson OF the cross, not to speak
Of its deepest significance, would have
been lost TO humanity.
THE purpose OF God could never have
been fulfilled apart from the suffering
OF the cross. And may not the parallel
hold good in what the sons and daughters
OF God suffer today? Moreover, the cross
OF Christ not only shows that the SOU
conquers where the body IL defeated. but
It is a standing example OF the fact thai
evil and Injustice always over-reach
themselves. Wrong doing is self defeat
ing. The best mon have conquered By
endurance. and have won their victories
through suffering Numberless illustra-
tions of this could be cited,
I'VE should refuse to Yield to thu
singing language OF scorn. and follow
bravely in the pathway OF sacrifice The
counsel OF the worldly spirit 10 CONT
down from your cross II you can. Steer
clear OF trouble. Avoid the burden. Put
II ON someone else But the Divine
Master OF men says. Deny yourself and
| tnke up your cross. Shoulder your burdeI
manfuIly and bear II TO the end He tina
ioveth his life shall lose II, but he that
loseth his life for My sake shall find 4
| and shall keep Il unto life eternal