The Source of our Suffering

The Bible tells us that “Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble. He comes out like a flower and withers; he flees like a shadow and continues not.” ( Job 14:1).

While these words were written several thousand years ago, they resonate deeply still. And they resonate not simply because of their poetic beauty. They resonate because they are true. Think about your own life experiences and how those experiences have repeatedly demonstrated the brevity of life, the suffering that happens in this world, and the “withering” all humans inevitably endure as they move day-by-day from the cradle toward the grave. Which of those life experiences comes to mind?

Maybe it’s the constant aches, pains, and dysfunction of your body. Maybe you think of the gravity of grief that comes from a beloved family member’s death. Maybe you’re like me who is brought back to the devastation of having to bury my newborn son. But maybe it’s something even more fresh like the recent and crushing news of a cancer diagnosis, or the collapse of a marriage, or the ongoing and never-ending trial of being chronically ill. Whatever it is, know this: I’m with you. I know what it’s like to suffer. I know the deep heartache of living through unexpected tragedy.

Unfortunately, we live in a world that is ravaged by illness, sickness, disease, and trauma. While the world works diligently to hide these things, to appear strong, and to show no weakness, the truth is, we all experience real pain, real sadness, real grief, real loss, and real death. These truths are undeniable. Also undeniable is the fact that from the beginning of time, humans have sought out and chased down countless cures for their sickness and suffering. From splints to slings, from ice to ibuprofen, from vitamins to ventilators, humanity is perpetually seeking solutions to cure illness, to overcome suffering, and to delay death.

However, it’s clear, illness and suffering and loss and death are here to stay. The hardest part is that these things bring about deep heartbreak and sorrow. But the truth is, all these experiences are symptomatic. They are the fruit of a bad root. They are the harvest of a broken seed. I’m not talking in medical terms, either. I’m not talking about bad genetics or bad luck. There is one, deeper, single underlying cause to all humanity’s sickness, suffering, loss, and death.

That cause is sin.In the Bible, the Apostle Paul writes, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned...” (Rom. 5:12).

According to the Bible, we live in a world that has been cursed by the original sin of our forefathers (Adam and Eve). They are the bad root of humanity which has resulted in our bad fruit. Their sin against God became like a cancer infecting themselves and being passed down to every generation thereafter. In other words, sin is not only an act but also a condition. It’s something stitched into our physical and spiritual DNA. Ultimately, sin is the crack in humanity’s foundation. Our bodies and relationships and even our planet is crumbling as a result. To say it differently, our results flow from our nature. Our pain flows from our problem. One theologian rightly said, “We’re not sinners because we sin, we sin because we’re sinners.”

And the truth is I sin. You sin. We all sin.