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| JESUS EXPLAINING TO THE DISCIPLES ON THE WAY TO EMMAUS WHY THE MESSIAH HAD TO SUFFER. Image via google.com |
"Was it not necessary
that the Messiah should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Many people ask whether it was necessary for the Lord to suffer at all in relation to the sufferings which we, humans, experience each day of our lives. So they question the need for suffering in the world. And many even blame God for the misfortunes that especially fall upon those who are weak, poor and incapacitated.
In Proverbs 13:24, it is written, "Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but one who loves their children is careful to discipline" which is usually shortened into "Spare the rod and spoil the child." In Hebrews 5:8, it is stated, "Son though he was, he learned obedience for what he suffered."
Various passages of the Holy Bible attest that God is a merciful God, slow to anger and full of compassion and love [see Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Psalm 86:5, 15; 103:8; 111:4; 145:8]. In fact, it is also written that God desires mercy not sacrifice [see Hosea 6:6]. It is because of His great love for mankind that He sent His only begotten Son [see John 3:16] who took the form of a man and obeyed even to die upon a cross [see Philippians 2: 6-11] to atone for our sins [see 1 John 2:2; 4;10]. For such great love, the Father even had to let His Son undergo the final sacrifice which is irrepeatable [see Hebrews 10:10; 1 Peter 3:18] though Jesus our Lord made a simple but humble request of letting the cup pass if possible but only if the Father wills it [see Matthew 26: 39, 42; Luke 22:42].
God did not let His Son suffer for the sake of suffering. That suffering has a purpose: the salvation of mankind. And that salvation was due to the great love of God for us. It was not necessary for Jesus our Lord to suffer just so that God may prove that He can do it as a human being, therefore, man could do it too. Instead, God did it so that man may never have to suffer again. Unfortunately man did not get the message; or perhaps doesn't want to learn at all.
Mankind's suffering started when our first parents disobeyed the Lord. It was man who brought evil upon himself, of course by surrendering to the temptations of the deceiver. When Jesus Christ our Lord, God made man, came, He showed how we can overcome the deceiver and in order for us to be freed from bondage to evil, He obediently accepted death upon the cross. By that great sacrifice we have been redeemed and became freed men. But very many of us still resist the love of God by returning to the life of sin. The Holy Spirit has even made our bodies His temple and yet we profane His temple by surrendering to the lusts of the body. And because we resist His love and remain in sin, we still experience the effects of sin, even causing the innocent ones - those who live in accordance with God's love - to suffer with us for we are all part of the one human family.
So sufferings in the world is not because of God's will or due to God's wrath but because of our failure to obey His will. He merely allows them so that we may not be spoiled and learn to obey. If only we will fully obey His will, we shall truly live in bliss. However, we must never be discouraged for even if we shall never attain bliss on earth, we have a ready place to enjoy eternal bliss for our Lord and Savior has gone ahead to prepare a place for us in the Father's house [see John 14: 1-2].
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For more info regarding the Catholic explanation on why the Messiah has to suffer, please visit the online Catholic Encyclopedia's topics on Christology, the Messiah and about Atonement gives us important explanations on the Lord's discussion with the two disciples on the way to Emmaus as to why should the events of the previous week [our Holy Week] had to take place. The topics on Christology and the Messiah discuss, explain and refer to significant Old Testament passages which may have been quoted too by the Lord as He explained the necessity of the Messiah's sufferings and His entry into glory "beginning with Moses and the all the prophets" [Luke 24:27]; while that of the Atonement deals more about New Testament passages related to the atoning purpose of the sufferings of the Lord and with theological doctrines which developed from the earliest times to the most recent ones which try to further explain the need for the Messiah's sufferings.
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