What's The Use of a Suffering God?

Recently I was asked, "What's the use of a suffering God?" Initially, I had no idea...which made me curious. After praying and thinking about it for a while, God started revealing some good stuff to me. Here was my response to the question...

Wow, there's so many places one can go with this. For starters, mankind is made in the image of God. So, for a God who will come off of His heavenly throne to bear with other's burdens and sufferings tells us a lot about ourselves. We were initially made with a heart that is bewildered by and breaks for people who suffer. Clearly, many people's hearts have grown cold to the constant injustices people suffer and therefore do not blink an eye anymore at a suffering person. I believe our ability to be broken with (for or over) someone is one way that we can be a godly witness to people.

Also, humankind was made to be in community. Again, going back to being made in God's image, if you think about it, He also exists in a divine community: Father, Son, Holy Spirit, all in one. So, for a communal Being to make communal beings is one thing. But for that Communal Being to participate in community with His creation brings it to a whole new level. Even still, for our communal God to be in communion with His creation who are suffering! That's the kind of God we serve. One who is not afraid of getting dirty for His "subjects" (as in He is our King and we are His subjects). Watch Emperors New Groove. Notice how the king had the old man thrown out the palace window for "ruining the Emperors groove." That kind of practice was and is truly not far from the truth. Many rulers would have people executed if they even appeared sad before their king/ruler (also consider Nehemiah who was afraid that he was sad in ch 2:1-3).

Finally, We have a God who truly does know our pain. In fact, He has often felt pain. Consider when God was grieved that he made man on earth at all (Genesis 6:6). Also consider the whole story of Hosea who tried to demonstrate what we do to Him and how He feels about us when we commit idolatry; it's like a wife running out from her husband and prostituting herself. When the husband goes and pays for his wife back (which is ridiculous in itself) she goes right back to prostituting herself again. We serve a God who knows pain. Sometimes the best thing for a suffering person is for someone to understand their suffering. Someone saying, "I feel your pain" is not enough. Someone who experiences pain with someone is healing.