Suffering is unavoidable. That’s not a religious statement—it’s a human one. But how we interpret, endure, and grow through suffering depends profoundly on what story we believe we’re living in. In one of his most profound teachings, the late Dr. Tim Keller takes us deep into the heart of this question, offering insight not just for Christians but for anyone who’s wondered Why am I going through this? or How do I even survive this pain?
Let’s walk through the core lessons Keller offers in his message on suffering, based on Mark 5 and the dual healing stories of Jairus’s daughter and the woman with the issue of blood.
Tim Keller on Suffering
1. You Can’t Avoid Suffering—But You Can Be Prepared
Keller opens with a universal truth: every human being needs meaning, identity, satisfaction—and a way to process suffering. But in our modern secular world, we are least equipped to deal with it.
“Suffering will either make you better or worse. It will not leave you as you were.”
Older cultures often saw suffering as a pathway to virtue, to honor, or to spiritual growth. But in today’s secular Western world—where the meaning of life is tied to career, romance, comfort, or personal freedom—suffering does more than just hurt. It destroys meaning itself.
That’s why Keller insists: if we’re to endure and even thrive through suffering, we need a foundation beyond the material.
2. Christianity Doesn’t Deny Pain—It Dignifies It
In many religions or cultures, especially honor/shame societies, the noble response to suffering is stoicism: don’t show weakness, keep your composure. In contrast, Jesus is constantly shown in the Gospels weeping, grieving, moved with compassion.
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Keller highlights the story of the hemorrhaging woman who reaches out to touch Jesus. Instead of rebuking her for interrupting His mission, He dignifies her suffering, speaks to her gently, and calls her daughter.
“Jesus pioneered an enabling of grief that didn’t destroy you.”
In Christianity, grief is not a sign of failure. It is the beginning of deeper healing when accompanied by hope.
Tim Keller discusses more about suffering on Page Two . . .
