Death on Demand #3 - What the Bible Says About Suffering and Death

When we talk about MAiD, we're not just discussing an ethical abstraction; we're talking about real people facing real suffering: psychological, physical, or both. We must admit that there is a kind of suffering that feels unbearable, even dehumanizing. And it is not for no reason that dying in certain situations is truly tempting and seems like a better option.

Scripture doesn't shy away from this. In fact, it gives us examples of godly men who were so overwhelmed they longed for death. Job, known for his immense suffering, cried out: "Why is light given to him who is in misery, and life to the bitter in soul, who long for death, but it comes not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures…" (Job 3:20–21). Elijah, crushed under prophetic burdens, pleaded: "It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers." (1 Kings 19:4)

We hear similar cries from:

• Jonah (Jonah 4:3): "Please take my life…"

• Moses (Numbers 11:14–15): "Kill me at once… the burden is too heavy…"

• And even Paul (Philippians 1:23–24): "My desire is to depart and be with Christ…"

  
  

This shows that even great men of faith, powerfully used by God, can be overwhelmed by suffering and see death as a more desirable option than their present agony. But now, what you see in all these men is the opposite of a "suicidal" spirit; they don't dare to take their lives—or their death—in their own hands. But in the midst of great agony, they brought their pain honestly to God. They trusted Him, even when they longed for escape. They surrendered—not to death—but to the wisdom of the Creator and Sustainer of life.

The problem with MAiD is that it recognizes a real issue—human suffering—but directs the broken and vulnerable toward a path of rebellion rather than redemption. It whispers to the broken the same words Job's wife once said to him: "Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die." And the right response is still Job's: "You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?"

We must hold fast to the promise that "all things work together for good" (Romans 8:28)—even those things that feel unbearable. This includes even the most excruciating suffering. The greatest proof of this is the cross: Jesus Christ did not escape unimaginable physical, emotional, and spiritual agony; He endured it. And through that suffering, we were saved.

We look at the cross and we learn that we do not need a syringe. We need the cross. We don't need an escape from suffering. We need strength to endure it with hope.

The cross—not the syringe—is the Christian answer to suffering.

Nino Marques