Expert: Marilyn - 1/14/2012

Question
Luke 16:25 (NIV) But Abraham replied, '...while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

Does the above passage suggest that we will be compensated in the afterlife for the suffering we go through in this life?  If yes, kindly provide additional scripture reference.

Thank you.
Lenin

Answer
Hello Lenin;

I'm glad to hear from you again.

Suffering is a part of this world and everyone suffers to greater or lesser degrees in some way or another. Suffering is a by-product of sin.

Unbelievers might gain a reward in this life if they learn something from their suffering--and this applies to Christians too. For example, a diabetic might learn to eat right after suffering or a child might learn not to tell lies after a spanking.

Abraham seems to imply to the rich man that he could have done more for Lazarus while he was alive and that part of his present fate is linked to the selfish, haughty attitude that was the root of his earthly behavior. Indeed, he continues in that attitude even while suffering in hell when he asks Abraham to send Lazarus to him with water on his fingertip. He's still bossing Lazarus around and thinking primarily of himself. He shows a glimmer of something more when he asks Abraham to send Lazarus back to life to warn his brothers, but he's still interested in bossing Lazarus around.

Lazarus is receiving compensation, not because he suffered but because he believed in the Lord and never gave up his faith. Suffering by itself is not a ticket into Heaven. Those who do not believe and suffer will only find more in hell. But the Lord rewards us for the suffering we do for the sake of His Name or for the sake of living His Way. Just to be in Heaven and end this walk blinded by the flesh and the world, always struggling to live by faith when the product of that faith seems so distant would be a wonderful thing whether any further rewards await or not. But if we are suffering because we are doing good or because we have testified that Jesus is Lord, we will be rewarded.

The Lord Jesus suffered while He was here. He suffered scorn and derision, cold, heat, hunger, grief...all the things we suffer. And on the cross His suffering was greater than anything we can comprehend. The Lord promises us many things, but He does not promise to keep us free from suffering for His Name. He did not protect His Son, He will not protect us.

When we suffer for His Name we bring glory to God. Someone will be watching, someone will see the Lord in us as we suffer and that someone will turn to Him--that's what it means to bring glory to God: someone's life is changed and the person is transformed. The paradox: we make ourselves small and subject ourselves to ridicule because we proclaim Jesus is Lord and at the same moment we are elevated to the highest position possible because the Lord Jesus suffered and we are joined with Him in suffering.

I Peter 4:12-19, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the Name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of Glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that Name...So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

Matthew 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33 & Luke 9:22 we are told that Jesus explained to His disciples that He must suffer and that He would be handed over to die. Peter, being the impulsive, emotional person he was, blurts a rebuke to the Lord, he said, "Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!" Jesus wheels on him and says, "Get behind Me satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

Why did Jesus turn on Peter with such vehemence? I think it was because Jesus knew full well what lay ahead of Him and He could not afford more ropes around his ankles making the task even more difficult. Only a few verses earlier Peter was the one, who by the power of the Holy Spirit, blurted out that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah. Jesus blessed him for it, now He targets the one whose thoughts Peter speaks, satan, and tells him to get behind him. Jesus knew by what power Peter could speak His identity and he knew whose words he mouths in the next instant. Peter's boldness was both an asset and a curse--which our more unique characteristics often are.

While satan is the one Jesus nails, Peter is not exempt. Peter did not want the Lord to suffer. Like the rest of us Peter felt that suffering is a sign that we're on the wrong team, that things aren't right between us and God. And because he loved Jesus, he mistakenly thought that Jesus should be spared suffering. We think our children should be spared suffering and if we shield them too much from it, they turn into selfish brats. I have a tendency to think that my life in Christ should be like a vacation to a Caribbean island. But this is simply not the reality. We are called to a greater purpose. In order to do big things for God, we must suffer, and one reason for that suffering is that satan doesn't want anybody to do anything big for God!

Peter didn't understand the big thing Jesus came to do, in his shortsighted way all he could see was the pain. While we are suffering we might not see the big thing we are inadvertently doing or involved in. In the passage above from Peter's writings we see that he learned better. And his attitude about suffering completely changed. I would even go so far as to say that if a Christian isn't suffering, he's probably not really living for God: he's not scaring the devil enough to even get his attention.

Our suffering can be a sign that we are accomplishing things for God because satan will persecute those who take territory for God. This is why we should rejoice in suffering and praise God in all things. Our suffering indeed brings Him glory because it is a sign we have made the devil small. We need to remember, Philippians  3:20, "But our citizenship is in Heaven," and act like citizens of Heaven, recognizing that our time in this body is short compared to the time we will spend in our home, but what we do while in this body can bring eternal results for good or for evil.

God has a special crown He will give to those who persevere, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the Crown of Life that God has promised to those who love Him," James 1:12.

Acts 5:41; Romans 5:3-5; 8:13-17; Philippians 1:29; II Timothy 1:8; Hebrews 2:10; I Peter 4:1 & 2.

Theodore Roosevelt once said that he could think of no man of leisure who was worth remembering. Only those who have suffered and worked hard to accomplish good things are worth remembering.

I hope that 2012 will be a year filled with the Lord's Presence in your life, health, contentment and prosperity--and above all that you will be a great witness to and of His Love and Saving Power.

Sincerely,

Marilyn