Luther on the Cross and Suffering

by Rev. Matthew Zickler

In the season of Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord on the first Easter Sunday. Our Lord Jesus Christ, by His sacrifice for us on the cross and by His resurrection from the tomb, has won the victory for us over Sin, Death and the Devil. As we celebrate this season we look at His victory and we are reminded of the promise for us, the promise that at His return our own bodies will be raised from our tombs and we will live forever with Him in His Kingdom. However, while that promise is ours to cling to now, the fulfillment of that promise will not be until that day. We won’t have the fullness of freedom from these three enemies until our Lord comes to us again.

In the meantime, we will have suffering in this life. In our time—which I am sure is not unique—we often assume that this life should be free from suffering. We try to remove suffering at all costs. In truth, this is impossible. The reality is that we will still experience our sin, we will still experience death, and we will still experience the tyranny of the Devil over this world. This is to say, we will still experience the cross and suffering in this life. Luther understood this and in light of that understanding preached a sermon specifically on that topic in Coburg in 1530. Having the words of Luther, a man who understood the cross—in particular the suffering under the cross because of the faith—is a blessing for us in our day because of the wisdom he gives to those who are also under the cross. So what does he say?

Luther says that suffering should not be something we choose. We can’t choose which cross we bear. That’s up to God: “It should be the kind of suffering which we have not chosen ourselves, as the fanatics [the Anabaptists during the Reformation] choose their own suffering. It should be the kind of suffering which, if it were possible, we would gladly be rid of, suffering visited upon us by the devil or the world.”[1] Of course, it often happens when we endure such suffering that we wonder why this would be. Why would God afflict us in this way? Doesn’t He love us? Doesn’t He care for us?

Luther addresses this with four reasons. First, “in this way [God] wants to make us conformed to the image of his dear Son, Christ, so that we may become like him here in suffering and there in that life to come in honor and glory.”[2] So, we suffer in this life, so that we would be like our Lord Jesus who suffered in this life. Being like Him here in this life, we will be like Him in the life to come, with honor and glory.

Second, “even though God does not want to assault and torment us, the devil does, and he cannot abide the Word.”[3] What does Luther mean ?  He means that the devil wants us to suffer because of God’s Word, but God uses this suffering so that we may learn that the Word is greater than the devil: “Then our Lord God looks on for a while and puts us in a tight place, so that we may learn from our own experience that the small, weak, miserable Word is stronger than the devil and the gates of hell.”[4]

Third, Luther says, “it is also highly necessary that we suffer not only that God may prove his honor, power, and strength against the devil, but also in order that when we are not in trouble and suffering this excellent treasure which we have may not merely make us sleepy and secure.”[5] God gives suffering so that we wouldn’t get sleepy in this life, but always look to the treasure we have in Jesus and His eternal promises which will be ours forever—as Paul says, “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17).

Lastly, Luther says, “Christian suffering is nobler and precious above all other human suffering because, since Christ himself suffered, he also hallowed the suffering of all his Christians[6]”  When Christians suffer, it is a suffering which Christ Himself has made holy for them. In fact, Luther says, “when [non-Christians] run into affliction and suffering, they have nothing to comfort them, for they do not have the mighty promises and the confidence in God which Christians have. Therefore they cannot comfort themselves with the assurance that God will help them to bear the affliction, much less can they count on it that he will turn their affliction and suffering to good.”[7] There is a special component to sufferings for the Christian. Not only has Christ made their suffering holy, but there is also special hope. There is the hope that points to this work of God, this work which conforms us to the image of Jesus. This work points to God’s own words and promises to overcome the world and the evil one. This work draws us to eternal hope. There is hope in who this God is as the Almighty One who loves us and cares for us. He is the God who proved His love and sent His Son to suffer and die for us. If He has done this, will He not certainly in His love do what is best for us in all things? Yes, yes, it shall be so.

This is our comfort in all suffering. As Luther says, “God grant that we may understand and learn [suffering] aright.[8]”

The Rev. Matthew Zickler is Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Western Springs, IL.

[1] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 51: Sermons I, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 51 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 198.

[2] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 51: Sermons I, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 51 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 206.

[3] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 51: Sermons I, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 51 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 206.

[4] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 51: Sermons I, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 51 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 207.

[5] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 51: Sermons I, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 51 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 207.

[6] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 51: Sermons I, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 51 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 207.

[7] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 51: Sermons I, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 51 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 201.

[8] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 51: Sermons I, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald, and Helmut T. Lehmann, vol. 51 (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1999), 208.