FIRST SOLUTION TO BEARING A CROSS: SUBMISSION TO GOD'S WILL

Jesus' human nature rebelled against pain, for he was like us in every way, he has been through suffering, and knows what it is like when we suffer (see Hebrews 2:17-18). And again, "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with us, but one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet without sin" (Heb 4:15). Challenged to obey God's will in supreme sacrifice, Jesus "learned obedience [to God's will] from what he suffered" (Heb 5:8). The same letter follows up with some pastoral advice; "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who, for the joy set before him endured the cross.... Consider him... so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Heb 12:2-3).

As we identify with Jesus, the paradigm of submission to God's will in suffering, we can hear his follow-up prayer echoing through our soul: "Not as I will, but as you will." This attitude had characterized his whole earthly life, for his very conception had been God's response to submission on the part of Mary: "Be it done to me according to your word [God’s will]." And now Jesus was practicing what he had taught his followers to pray: "Thy will be done on earth..."

But was Jesus' prayer for release from suffering really answered? Yes, says this first solution, because his prayer was ultimately a prayer for the accomplishment of the divine will, to which his human will was submitted. In the light of this first solution the key phrase is: "He was heard because of his reverent submission” to God's will (Heb 5:7). To paraphrase it, Jesus' prayer was: "l want relief, but only if it is your will. My human will is ultimately and absolutely submitted to your divine will.”

The "if it possible" part of his prayer was uttered also in this same context. Knowing that "all things are possible to God" (Mt 19:26; Lk 1.:37), Jesus prayed, in effect, "If it be possible without contravening your divine plan.” Jesus prayed conditionally in suffering, which is not usually our tendency. For most of us the phrase “Thy will be done on earth" is all too often eclipsed by the urgency of our petition, "Give us this day..." Especially in suffering, God’s will is mostly a background experience, while our needs have a foreground focus. With Jesus, this was reversed.

This gives us another perspective on the question we are examining. Perhaps we are beginning to understand how, or in what sense, Jesus' prayer was heard. Now we can reformulate the question—why was it heard? John 5:14 provides the answer. "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us."

What then is "according to God's will"? Not sickness, for there is no scriptural indication that sickness ("intrinsic" suffering) is according to God's will—with the rare exception of "redemptive" human suffering in illness, to which very are called. In fact, we should almost always presume that God wants healing from sickness.

"Extrinsic" suffering, however, is according to God's permissive will. Caused by such things as persecution, social injustice, an unloving spouse, inclement weather, and accidents, this kind of suffering is what Jesus had in mind when he said that each of his followers must "take up his cross and follow me" (Mt 16:24).

Jesus' suffering was of the extrinsic type. But how could it be according to God's will that Jesus should suffer? Why would any loving father want his beloved son to suffer? Similarly, does God really want us to suffer? Does he gloat over our sufferings as if they provide some form of divine fulfillment? Does our suffering really fulfill God's will, and thus make him happy? By no means. For all such questions, the bottom line is: God sometimes wills our suffering permissively, but never positively. Moreover, he wills it as a means, not as an end in itself. By analogy, you may permissively will to take a fatiguing flight to Hawaii for a vacation that you positively will or desire.

God permissively willed Jesus' suffering for many reasons. He desired to show vividly the extent of redemptive love (see John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this...”) and to elicit our repentance through it. He willed it as an example for us of patience, fortitude, forgiveness. Likewise, God permissively wills our suffering for many reasons (one theologian listed nineteen reasons referred to in Scripture).

Like us, Paul sought a solution to the perplexing problem of suffering "We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair" (2 Cor 49). But Paul did detect God's good purposes at work—among them, inward renewal through suffering and, above all, an overwhelmingly disproportionate reward (see 2 Corinthians 4:16-17; Romans 8:18). Peter emphasizes this advantage also (see 1 Peter 1:6) and adds other reasons for suffering. And so, when we too are perplexed we might consider that our cross may redound to good in some unexpected way (see Romans 8:28; Isaiah 38:17; Jeremiah 29:11; Philippians 1:19). As we meditate on all this, we will see the problem of suffering in proper perspective: then, embracing God's will in suffering will be less difficult. With Jesus as our great exemplar (see 1 Peter 4:1-2) our bitter trials will become bittersweet, and they will grow sweeter and sweeter as we hunger more and more for God's will in our suffering.

This excerpt is from the book The Art of Loving God by John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications, 1995. This and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/visual materials can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408.