A More Christ-Like God Analysis

A large part of what compiles the New Testament of the Bible is the recollection of the life and works of Jesus. This collection is commonly known as the Gospel. The Greek word “gospel” translates to “Good news”. What was considered to be such good news in these accounts? There are obviously a number of themes that run through the Gospels but one of the larger recurring message that appears throughout this good news is that we are able to find joy in and through suffering. Suffering no longer has to be meaningless. This message can be found on numerous occasions throughout the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John but through his letters Paul helps readers realize that in order to suffer well, Christ has to be at the center of it. Before …show more content…
In fact, Paul reminds his readers that God wants to help us in our afflictions. In his book, A More Christ-Like God, Bradley Jersak further emphasizes the need to see God in a positive light so as to better understand suffering. Many of us are guilty of imposing our own views upon God: God as a punitive judge, God as a doting grandfather (ie. A comfortable, but quite oblivious man who simply wants everyone to be comfortable and happy), the Santa Clause Jesus (ie. The God who will do whatever you ask for, but only if you have been good) and finally, God the deadbeat dad (ie. The man who sits in heaven and does not care all that much for his children.) All of these views of God are incredibly harmful. To properly understand the meaning of suffering, Brad Jersak suggests that it is important that we understand that God loves his children, just as Christ does. Similarly, Paul reminds his readers that when we are suffering Jesus, by dying in the cross shares in our sufferings, as opposed to punishing us for the wrong we have done in passages such as in his letter to the Galatians when he writes that “[Paul had] been crucified with Christ; it is no longer [Paul] who live[s], but Christ who lives in [him]; and the life [Paul] now live[s] in the flesh [he] live[s] by faith in the Son of God, who loved [him] and gave himself for …show more content…
One example is that of Saint John Paul the Great. Saint John Paul II grew up in war-torn Poland when Nazi’s invaded, after becoming pope there was an attempted assassination against his life. Fortunately, he survived the two gunshot wounds. Once he recovered, Saint John Paul II went and visited his would-be assassin and forgave the man. Three years after the attempt at his life, Saint John Paul II wrote an apostolic letter (a little similar to what Paul would have written in his letters, save, it is addressed to modern men and women) titled Salvific Doloris which translates to Saving Passion; in this letter, Saint John Paul addresses the meaning and goodness that can come out of suffering and expresses that suffering can be sanctifying he reminds readers