Does God Hurt When We Hurt?

Amy posted a question in my last post, Does God Care, and I was responding, but it got really long, so I thought I'd make a whole post out of it. Her question was, "How do you know that God hurts when we hurt?"

It's a good question. And you definitely caught me using a Christian cliche that I honestly did put in without thinking to much of it, because it seemed to flow with the argument. But I will go ahead and tell you why I would say that God hurts when we hurt. But first, like everything else, it's good to agree on what we mean by God hurting, and what the implications are. And...I guess I would just say that to say God hurts when we hurt doesn't mean that it's all consuming in His mind and is the only emotion that he is feeling, and it doesn't mean that he will automatically work to alleviate that pain (like if we hurt from discipline), or that it moves Him to act in any other way than perfection. And it doesn't take away from any other characteristics of God.

In general, I guess I gather it from the continuous analogy of the Father and Son relationship used in scripture. We are mere images of our perfect God, and in no way could fully understand His ways or love. But I believe there are certain relationships that were put on earth to simulate and reflect it as much as possible. The Family being the biggest. Both parent and offspring, and husband and wife. I'm sure we've all heard the phrase, "This is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you" from one of our parents. Whether true or not...the sentiment of a parent hurting for their child when they must punish them, but knowing that it is for their good seems to embody a characteristic that is consistent with our nature and the characteristic of God in the Bible. It can be seen in Luke 19:41-45 just in the anticipation of heartache for His beloved. You can see the problem in many families where they can't handle the "hurt" of discipline, and therefore their children never are. But we have a perfect God. He is not calloused in His discipline. He does not take joy in our hurts, outside of the knowledge that it makes us more like Him. We are His beloved, and He cares deeply for us. It's the same joy and hurt combination that we are called to in 1 Peter, when he tells the church to rejoice in sufferings (which by definition hurt) because of what the future holds. And I cannot help but believe that God embodies the perfect implementation of every emotion we experience (minus maybe guilt...and that's the only exception I can think of right now...if you can even consider it an exception).

If you look at the "heroes" of the past (TV heroes), you see a lot of "loners." Mainly strong, stoic men who were in complete control of their emotions and weren't affected by anything, and could go into danger un-phased. James Bond seemed to always have his wit, and never seemed to panic. But I wonder if we are not seeing a shift in that type a hero. Many on TV now seem to be deeply passionate. They feel and act out of a deep desire to save lives, even of those they know nothing about. They seem to experience their emotions to the fullest and writers are not afraid to let the audience see them crying and overwhelmed. Yet, they are not out of control. And I think of God in this way. His perfection does not draw Him farther from emotion, but allows him to experience them to a degree that is far greater, and more perfect than we ever could. Yes He was angry at the Israelites, but his anger was not void of hurt and disappointment. Much like a Father's anger is not only not void of hurt, but it's usually the fuel behind it.

I think you see it in the imagery from Hosea, where a broken and in love Hosea must seek out his unfaithful bride in a whore house after she leaves him time and time again. The whole purpose of which was for him, and Israel to see what God goes through with us. I think you see it in Hebrews 2:18 where it says that Christ suffered in temptation, so that he might be able to help us in ours. A model lived out in Paul in 2 Corinthians 1 when he talks about suffering to the point of death, and that his comfort was given so that he might also comfort others. To comfort others effectively as humans we must know and sympathize with those who are suffering. And when it happens, there is a natural sense of, putting yourselves in their shoes, or hurting because they are hurting. That is sympathy. And I believe God's perfection perfects sympathy, not takes away the need for it. I think you see it just from looking at the nature of Christ who had compassion on the sick and suffering. A compassion that I can't envision existing outside of some sort of recognition, and sharing of the pain that they are in. I think you see it in the model given to us in Romans 12:15 where we are told to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Again, a principle I think God's nature has perfected, not alleviated the need for.

Maybe none of this is enough to make the claim. And I know that "hurt" can be intertwined with so many things. So...I think it's just as tough to say that God doesn't hurt when we hurt. Because in love, there can be hurt. In anger there can be hurt. In compassion there can be hurt. To care for someone deeply means to hurt when they hurt. Mourn when they mourn. Rejoice when they rejoice. And I believe God cares deeply for us, and it's not a one sided feeling, and that when we reject Him and disobey Him, He is not surprised, He is not knocked off His throne, or moved to a point of some sort of depression, or reacts rashly out of pain, or diminishes His glory, or changes His mind, or puts His justice or wrath imperfectly on hold, but hurts because we are not choosing His best for us. So...perhaps I am implying too much to say that God cares in the same way (yet perfected) that we do. But...according to scripture, and the model that is ourselves as the image of God...it drives me to believe that He does.

So...those are my thoughts.