Barrels of ink have been poured out on the topic of pain, and I’m hardly qualified to express profound thoughts on the matter. Nonetheless, its perplexities baffle the minds of those contemplating it, while its simplicity crushes the hearts of those touched by it.
I suppose one could divide pain into two categories. There’s injury to the body, and then there’s wounding of the soul. Though both strike fear in our hearts, one is arguably superior. Job’s response to losing his family was markedly different from when he merely lost his health. His physical pain was no doubt excruciating, but the wounding of soul led him to despise his own life.
“May the day I was born perish…” Job 3:3
A child may feel the physical pain of a spanking, but the absence of love and instruction will produce loneliness of heart. A teenager may get beat up at school, but the constant humiliation of being bullied will push him to despair. A man may scream as his arms are severed, but no longer being to hold his wife or provide for his family may be the ache that keeps him up at night.
Did Jesus not come speaking the language of the soul when he said: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted," or "He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted." The Savior recognized that mankind's deepest needs were much deeper than mere physical afflictions, but they stemmed from a heart not only wounded by the unjust circumstances of life, but also darkened by its own wickedness. Jesus came, died, and rose again to provide healing and restoration at our deepest level.
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord" Acts 3:19
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