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Why does God allow so much suffering? It’s the question believers have wrestled with for thousands of years and never been satisfied with any one answer. Yet The Chosen doesn’t shy away from asking it, so you’ll ask it, too. You’ll join the many before you in never quite finding the answer. But it’ll be good.
Discuss
We knew the resurrection of Lazarus was coming, but we didn’t know how emotionally-complex it was going to be given the deaths of others. It’s a question pondered by Jesus’s followers, and now it’s our turn: why him (Lazarus) and not them?
Don’t hesitate to revisit the Scripture that inspired this episode for possible answers: John 11:1-44.
“Soon” is always a loaded word, but especially when associated with the work of God. When speaking of God’s delayed action, some would join a particular disciple in calling it all “sick.” How would you respond to that accusation—that God’s delay in sweeping suffering from the earth is “sick”?
What a word from Jesus: “What the Father allows can be crushing. But please stay with me.” When something’s crushing, we tend to flee, not fight. How would you explain to someone why you stick with Jesus when there’s so much suffering in the world?
It’s easy to flee, but we’re called to fight—that is, to stand firm with and in Jesus. What does the fight to stay look like for you?
Pray
Here are 2 questions to guide your group’s closing prayer:
If you were to offer a word of thanks to God for something that comforted you in this episode, what would it be?
If you were to ask God’s help in living life in a new way in light of this episode, how would you sum up this new way of life?