Confronting Tragedy: Finding Hope in Brokenness

 

Summary

In today's reflection, I explored the profound dimensions of the gospel as tragedy, drawing from Fred Buechner's insights in his book "Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale." The gospel, much like ancient Greek tragedies, invites us to confront the tragic elements of our lives. Tragedy, originally a theatrical term, was deeply intertwined with religious rituals, often involving the sacrifice of a goat to appease the gods. This ancient understanding of tragedy helps us recognize the brokenness and unmanageability in our own lives, akin to the first step in the 12-step program: admitting our powerlessness.

We often try to avoid the tragic, but it is essential to face it head-on. Buechner emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the deep-seated issues within us, issues that cannot be solved by human means alone. These include guilt, brokenness, sin, death, and hell. The tragic story of Buechner's own father, who took his life, serves as a poignant reminder of the silent struggles many endure. This tragedy is mirrored in the ultimate tragedy of Jesus on the cross, where he cried out in despair, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"

The gospel is a story of tragedy, but it is also a story of hope. Isaiah 53 paints a picture of a suffering servant, a man of sorrows, who bore our pain and suffering. Jesus, the ultimate scapegoat, took upon himself the brokenness and guilt of humanity. This narrative challenges us to confront our own shadows, the darkness within us, and the things we have done or left undone.

Today, I invite you to name the brokenness in your life, the areas you cannot fix, and the deep need for God. It is in these places of pain, brokenness, and repentance that we meet God in profound ways. While we will not end our journey here, it is crucial to dwell in this reality to fully experience the transformative power and goodness of God.

Key Takeaways:

1. The gospel as tragedy invites us to confront the brokenness and unmanageability in our lives, much like the first step in the 12-step program. Acknowledging our powerlessness is the first step towards healing and transformation. [03:16]

2. Tragedy is not just an external reality but an internal one. It is not only about what has been done to us but also about what we have done and left undone. Facing this truth is essential for spiritual growth. [11:22]

3. The story of Jesus on the cross is the ultimate tragedy, where he experienced the absence of God. This moment of despair is a reminder that even in our darkest times, we are not alone, and God is present in our suffering. [08:25]

4. Isaiah 53 presents a picture of a suffering servant who bore our pain and suffering. This narrative challenges us to confront our own shadows and recognize the need for a savior who can bear our burdens. [10:32]

5. Meeting God in our places of pain and brokenness is a profound experience. It is in these moments of vulnerability and repentance that we encounter God's transformative power and goodness. [12:13]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:30] - Introduction to Gospel as Tragedy
[02:03] - Ancient Understanding of Tragedy
[03:00] - The 12 Steps and Tragedy
[04:15] - Acknowledging Deep-Seated Issues
[05:26] - Personal Story of Tragedy
[07:20] - The Absence of God
[08:25] - Jesus' Ultimate Tragedy
[09:11] - Isaiah 53: The Suffering Servant
[10:32] - Jesus as the Scapegoat
[11:22] - Confronting Our Shadows
[11:58] - Invitation to Name Brokenness
[12:13] - Meeting God in Pain and Brokenness

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Isaiah 53:3-5 - "He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."

2. Matthew 27:46 - "About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')."

Observation Questions:
1. What does Isaiah 53:3-5 tell us about the nature and purpose of the suffering servant? How does this relate to the concept of tragedy discussed in the sermon?
2. In Matthew 27:46, what is the significance of Jesus' cry on the cross? How does this moment reflect the ultimate tragedy mentioned in the sermon? [08:25]
3. How does the sermon describe the relationship between ancient Greek tragedy and the gospel? What elements are shared between the two? [02:03]
4. What personal story of tragedy was shared in the sermon, and how does it illustrate the internal and external realities of tragedy? [05:26]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of tragedy in the gospel challenge the way we typically view suffering and brokenness in our lives? [03:58]
2. In what ways does acknowledging our powerlessness, as described in the first step of the 12-step program, lead to spiritual growth and transformation? [03:16]
3. How does the story of Jesus on the cross provide hope in the midst of tragedy, according to the sermon? [08:25]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of confronting our own shadows and recognizing our need for a savior? [11:22]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt powerless in your life. How did you respond, and what role did your faith play in that situation? [03:16]
2. The sermon invites us to name the brokenness in our lives. What is one area of brokenness you are currently facing, and how can you bring this before God in prayer? [11:58]
3. How can the story of Jesus' ultimate tragedy on the cross inspire you to find hope and strength in your own moments of despair? [08:25]
4. Consider the idea of meeting God in places of pain and brokenness. How have you experienced God's presence in difficult times, and how can you seek Him in your current struggles? [12:13]
5. The sermon discusses the internal reality of tragedy. What are some things you have done or left undone that you need to confront and seek forgiveness for? [11:22]
6. How can you support someone in your life who is experiencing their own tragedy or brokenness? What practical steps can you take to be a source of comfort and hope for them?
7. Reflect on the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. How does this passage challenge you to live out your faith in a way that acknowledges both the reality of suffering and the hope of redemption?

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Our Powerlessness
The gospel as tragedy invites us to confront the brokenness and unmanageability in our lives, much like the first step in the 12-step program. Acknowledging our powerlessness is the first step towards healing and transformation. This recognition is not about defeat but about opening ourselves to the possibility of divine intervention. By admitting that we cannot manage everything on our own, we create space for God to work in our lives. This is a humbling yet liberating realization that allows us to begin the journey of spiritual growth and healing. [03:16]

"For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." (2 Corinthians 1:8-9, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel powerless? How can you invite God into this space today to begin the process of healing and transformation?


Day 2: The Inner Reality of Tragedy
Tragedy is not just an external reality but an internal one. It is not only about what has been done to us but also about what we have done and left undone. Facing this truth is essential for spiritual growth. This involves a deep introspection and honesty about our own actions and inactions. It requires us to confront the shadows within us, acknowledging the ways we have contributed to our own suffering and the suffering of others. This confrontation is not meant to lead to despair but to a deeper understanding of our need for grace and redemption. [11:22]

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" (Psalm 139:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a recent situation where your actions or inactions contributed to a negative outcome. How can you seek God's guidance to address this and grow spiritually?


Day 3: The Presence of God in Despair
The story of Jesus on the cross is the ultimate tragedy, where he experienced the absence of God. This moment of despair is a reminder that even in our darkest times, we are not alone, and God is present in our suffering. Jesus' cry of abandonment on the cross echoes the cries of many who feel forsaken in their pain. Yet, it is in these moments of profound despair that God's presence is most transformative. By identifying with Jesus' suffering, we find solace in knowing that God understands our pain and is with us through it all. [08:25]

"Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." (Psalm 42:11, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt most alone in your suffering? How can you remind yourself of God's presence and find hope in those moments?


Day 4: Confronting Our Shadows
Isaiah 53 presents a picture of a suffering servant who bore our pain and suffering. This narrative challenges us to confront our own shadows and recognize the need for a savior who can bear our burdens. The suffering servant's willingness to take on the pain of others invites us to examine the darkness within ourselves. It calls us to acknowledge the areas where we fall short and the burdens we carry. By confronting these shadows, we open ourselves to the healing and redemptive power of Jesus, who bears our burdens and offers us new life. [10:32]

"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." (Isaiah 53:4, ESV)

Reflection: What are the shadows in your life that you need to confront? How can you invite Jesus to bear these burdens with you today?


Day 5: Encountering God in Vulnerability
Meeting God in our places of pain and brokenness is a profound experience. It is in these moments of vulnerability and repentance that we encounter God's transformative power and goodness. When we allow ourselves to be vulnerable before God, we open the door to a deeper relationship with Him. In our brokenness, we find that God is not distant but intimately present, ready to heal and restore. This encounter with God in our pain is not the end of the journey but the beginning of a transformative process that leads to wholeness and renewal. [12:13]

"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you feel most vulnerable? How can you invite God into these spaces to experience His transformative power and goodness?

Quotes

"Tragedy is an Ancient Ancient category um since about 1500 we talk about it as a bad circumstance but initially actually was a theatrical term and the ancient Greeks uh used to have plays Aristotle writes about this that were called tragedies um troos it was from two different words OA is the word for song like an ode but then the other word tragas was the Greek word for goat and no one is quite certain why it's thought to be related to the sacrifice of goats and of course in the ancient world drama and religion and theater were much more closely connected than they were in our day so it made well be that uh when a Greek chorus would recite the story of a Greek tragedy a kind of a song uh a goat would be sacrificed offered up in the hopes of plating the Gods in the hopes of making things better at any rate um that was the story and beer talks about how the gospel has the dimensions of all three of those." [00:01:48]

"The first uh step of the 12 step is uh admitted that we were powerless over now alcohol but the tragic condition is you fill in that blank for you and our lives had become completely unmanageable I'm no longer writing my own story that's tragedy step two came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to moral sanity that's good news that's comedy step three made the decision to turn our lives and our Wills over to the care of God uh that is to enter into the reality now of another dimension of a Transcendent power that is beyond myself and to be transformed as a person that's part of what we will see beers talking about when he speaks of the Gospel as fairy tale but we can't go there yet we cannot go there today we don't go to the good news today we must live with the reality of the tragic in our lives you have to come back to step one we're never done with the steps I'm powerless my life became unmanageable." [00:03:09]

"bner uh writes about the importance for those of us who preach to keep in mind the people who are in the congregation there is one who can't stop thinking about suicide there is one who experiences his own sexuality as a guilt of which he can never be absolved the there is one whose fear of death is only a screen behind which lies his deeper fear of Life there is one who is in a way crippled by her own Beauty because this meant she has never had to be loving or human to be loved but only to be beautiful and the angry one and the lonely one for the preacher to be relevant to the Staggering problems of history is to risk being irrelevant to the Staggering problems of the ones who sit there listening out of their own histories to deal with the problems to which there is a possible solution which is tempting to do for those of us who preach can be a way of avoiding the problems to which humanly speaking there is no solution and those are the great ones guilt Brokenness sin death hell." [00:04:13]

"when Fred bner was a boy 10 years old he remembers the door to his bedroom opening and seeing the face of his father and that's the last time he would see him his father went down to the garage and started the car and they found him dead of carbon monoxide poisoning sometime later his wife found in a newly published book back then it was the book Gone with the Wind poignantly enough Gone With the Wind a suicide note from Fred's dad that read simply I adore you and I love you and I am no good I adore you and I love you and I am no good and he took his life and a few years after that his brother Fred's uncle took his life and that was the day when SU side was thought to be uh shameful and deeply humiliating to a family and so they never spoke of it again they never spoke of him again Fred writes that for many many years afterwards when somebody would ask him how did your father die he would say a hard problem a hard problem." [00:05:29]

"all us live in a world the writers of scripture say the prophets in particular say that is deeply haunted and deeply broken and deeply twisted and that is inside me and I cannot make it better and part of me wants to avoid thinking about it he goes on to write there would be a strong argument for saying the much of the most powerful preaching of our time is the preaching of The Poets and the playwrights and the novelists because it is often they better than the rest of us who speak with awful honesty about the absence of God in the world and about the storm of his absence both within and without which because it is unendurable unlivable drives us to look to the eye of the storm and no one has ever addressed that the way that Jesus himself did who said when he was on the cross the ultimate tragedy I have a friend who is a Greek New Testament Professor wrote a book about the gospel of Mark as a form of tragedy but with a different kind of an ending and in his own life he has known tragedy as well Jesus cries out kind of like a Greek chorus my God my God why have you forsaken me." [00:07:01]

"Jesus shares with us the darkness of what it is to be without God as well as the glory to be with him he speaks about it perhaps uh perhaps that is why although we have not followed him very well these past 2,000 years or so we have never quite been able to stop listening to him the gospel is a story and it is first of all a tragic story one of the most famous chapters in the Bible you may know this if you're a Bible person it's Isaiah chapter 53 and we often don't think think about this but as is often the case with the prophets this is a story it is a story about someone who was never named about those who are faithful to God perhaps in the Old Testament the New Testament writers came to understand it to apply primarily supremely to Jesus he grew up before God like a tender shoot like a root out of dry ground not just a shoot a tender shoot a tender shoot of course is vulnerable has the capacity to be bent or broken he had no beauty or Majesty to attract us to him." [00:08:25]

"beon writes about how we're often tempted to sentimentalize suffering and problems in our world because that makes it prettier but Jesus was not that way when he is portrayed in movies very often It Is by somebody uh who has a lot of beauty and a lot of majesty but not this one nothing in his appearance that we should desire him I wonder what Jesus looked like he was despised and rejected by humankind The Man of Sorrows and familiar with grief surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering yet we considered him punished by God stricken by him and afflicted did but he was pierced for our transgressions he was crushed for our iniquities and the punishment that brought us peace was on him by his wound somehow we were healed he became he became the scapegoat on which somehow were placed the Brokenness and the guilt and the tragic fallenness of every human being." [00:10:32]

"I can't I cannot make my life right periodically I will read something I'll find for myself I have a natural tendency towards optimism and I'm a Feeler and so I will want to feel all as well with the world and then I will read something or something will happen and I'll remember oh no uh there is a shadow and it's not just outside of me it is inside of me it is not just things that folks might have said or done to me or about me it is what I have said and what I have left unsaid is what I have done and I have left undone I can't now we will not ultimately end there so watch the next video in this little series but we stop there today because if we do not live fully and deeply in the reality that we cannot do it then we cannot experience the power and the goodness of what it is that God wants to do so we we will move to that but not today today my invitation is name what it is in your life the Brokenness the thing that you cannot fix the great need for God the dependence on God the darkness the storm the sorrow we meet God there I don't fully understand why I just know that it is true we meet God in the place of pain and Brokenness and repentance and sorrow in ways that we don't meet him any place else this is my story." [00:11:22]

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Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?