Being an American in Burma was safe. Until it wasn’t. Being a Christian in Rome was not a problem. Until it was. How do you respond when your identity becomes a liability? How do you react to unjust suffering?
The Judsons and Unjust Suffering[1]
“All foreigners are spies!” That was the consensus of the Burmese government in 1824. Great Britain had attacked their empire. Anyone non-Burmese was in trouble.
“But my husband is not British!” Ann Judson cried as the soldiers dragged Adoniram away. “We have lived in Burma in peace for almost ten years. We are not your enemies!”[2]
Neither the soldiers nor their king cared. No matter what the Judsons said and regardless of what the truth was, nobody listened. Because of his identity, Adoniram Judson spent the next twenty-one months incarcerated. For the first nine months, Judson endured “death prison” tortured by guards chosen from death row—thieves, bandits, and murders.[3] What truths from God’s Word could sustain Adoniram and Ann while enduring unjust suffering?
The Roman Christians and Unjust Suffering
“The Christians lit Rome on fire!” The rumor spread faster and blazed far longer than the fire that had decimated the city for nine days. The source of the lie and the fire were one in the same: the emperor Nero himself. Now Christians burned. These believers—from bearded old men to beautiful young women—suffered for their faith, their bodies serving as the wicks in human candles at Nero’s garden parties. Lions tore their flesh to shreds in the arena as thousands watched for sport.
Society turned against the Christians. No matter what these faithful believers said or what the truth was, the populace came to believe that Christians were the vilest dregs of society. Christians supposedly met in secret societies. They practiced human sacrifice while observing the Lord’s Supper. They plotted to overthrow the empire. The lies justified the harsh punishment meant to wipe them from society. Because of who they were and what they believed, these Christians face unthinkable horrors. What truths from God’s Word could guide these Christians in the face of such unjust suffering?
Four Godly Responses to Unjust Suffering
Written just a few years before Nero’s persecution began, the epistle of 1 Peter gives insight into how we, as believers, are to react when society turns against believers for who we are in Christ and for our values based on God’s Word.
1. Do Right (regardless of what others are doing).
Peter writes, “Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12). He repeatedly emphasizes the importance of doing what is right in the face of unjust suffering. Why do right? Because “by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (2:15). When do right? Always, even if it results in suffering. We must “do good and suffer” (2:20). Furthermore, it is better to “suffer for doing good than for doing evil” (3:17). Then, as you suffer, persevere in doing what is right as you “commit [your] souls to Him in doing good” (4:19).
Like Christ, as we respond to unjust treatment and untrue words, we should not use others’ sin to justify our own. We should not utter lies to counteract others’ lies (including posting news articles or pictures we have not researched to be sure they are genuine). We should not return like for like—no threats, no barbs, and no arrows (2:22–23). Neither should we seek to overthrow the government (1 Peter 2:13–17). Don’t let a sinful reaction to unjust suffering detract from the glory of God (1 Peter 4:14–15). You, as a Christian, represent Him!
2. Tune Your Conscience to the Right Note.
Let God guide your conscience, not public opinion. “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully” (1 Peter 2:19). God, the Creator and Lord of all, defines what is good and what is right. Beware of artificial morality based on the shifting sands of majority opinion or amazingly flexible science that often seems to conveniently fit a political narrative. As 1 Thessalonians 5:21 commands, “Prove [test] all things; hold fast that which is good.”
3. Speak Up for God.
However, even in suffering, Christians have the responsibility to witness for Christ.
“Even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.’ But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed” (1 Peter 3:14–16).
Unjust suffering does not absolve us from fulfilling the Great Commission. Both our words and behavior should radiate the hope we have found in Christ.
4. Commit Yourself to God as You Act.
We are not the first to face these kinds of dilemmas. Christ Himself suffered unjustly for who He was and for doing right, leaving the results to God.
“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth;’ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:21–23).
Ultimately, we will stand before God, not man. God’s opinion of us is most important. Like Peter and the apostles, “we ought to obey God rather than men” and then accept the consequences that come (Acts 5:29). Therefore, we must place our lives in God’s hands: “Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator” (1 Peter 4:19).
You and Unjust Suffering
God’s glory trumps both political and personal concerns. Our citizenship is in heaven, not on earth. Doing wrong ultimately will not advance the right. Love, not anger, wins hearts. Hope, not despair, provides answers to the hurting in this world.
Adoniram and Ann Judson endured great difficulty but kept doing right for God’s glory. As a result, the church in Burma increased significantly after Judson’s prolonged and unjust suffering. The Roman Christians persevered, worshiping God in the catacombs[4] though they faced death in the arena above. Christianity did not die—it spread across the world through their witness.
Who are you as a Christian? Your identity in Christ should overshadow all other considerations. Don’t surrender in the face of intimidation. Be as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves. Humbly stand for what is right. If this leads to suffering in the will of God, then be willing to embrace it. After all, Christ suffered for you to the glory of God.
[1] Read more of Adoniram Judson’s amazing conversion story and how God used him in Burma (modern-day Myanmar) in my book Daring Devotion: A 31-Day Journey with those who Lived God’s Promises. Also, Courtney Anderson’s To the Golden Shore is an excellent biography of Adoniram Judson.
[2] The dialogue for this true story are not direct quotations but summaries of arguments Ann Judson made on behalf of her husband to the Burmese government.
[3] “I was seized,” Dr. Judson writes, “on the 8th of June, 1824, in consequence of the war with Bengal, and in company with Dr. Price, three Englishmen, one American, and one Greek, was thrown into the death-prison at Ava, where we lay eleven months—nine months in three pairs, and two months in five pairs of fetters. The scenes we witnessed and the sufferings we underwent during that period I would fain consign to oblivion. From the death-prison at Ava, we were removed to a country prison at Oung-pen-la, ten miles distant, under circumstances of such severe treatment, that one of our number, the Greek, expired on the road; and some of the rest, among whom was myself, were scarcely able to move for several days. It was the intention of the Government, in removing us from Ava, to have us sacrificed in order to insure victory over the foreigners.”
Judson, Edward. The Life of Adoniram Judson (New York : A. D. F. Randolph & Company, 1883), 219-222.
[4] Catacombs were subterranean burial grounds under the city of Rome.
Photo Credit: Alexander Schimmeck on unsplash.com
