Evil & Suffering
Why do innocent children suffer?
Short answer
There's no easy answer, and we should never pretend there is. But Scripture shows God's fierce love for children and his anger at those who harm them (Matthew 18:6). Much of children's suffering comes from human evil God will judge; some comes from a broken world he will heal. Jesus welcomed children, and God promises a day when no infant will live only a few days (Isaiah 65:20).
In simple words: God loves children very much. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me." God is sad when children are hurt, and one day he will make everything right.
Response
Of all the questions about suffering, this one hurts the most. If you're asking it after losing a child or watching one suffer, please know that tears and anger are not signs of weak faith. Much of the Bible is honest lament (Psalm 10; Lamentations).
Scripture is clear about God's heart for children. Jesus took children in his arms and blessed them (Mark 10:13-16). He said that whoever causes a little one to stumble would be better off thrown into the sea (Matthew 18:6), and that "your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish" (Matthew 18:14).
Much of children's suffering comes from human evil: abuse, war, neglect, and injustice. God does not approve of any of it, and he promises to judge it. The Judge of all the earth will do right (Genesis 18:25). Other suffering, like childhood disease, comes from living in a world broken by sin, a world God has promised to heal.
God himself knows the grief of losing a child. The Father gave his own Son, who suffered as an innocent victim of injustice. Whatever we feel, he is not a distant observer.
And the story isn't over. Isaiah describes the new creation: "Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days" (Isaiah 65:20). When King David's infant son died, David said, "I will go to him" (2 Samuel 12:23), and many grieving Christian parents have found comfort in the character of a God who is perfectly just and loving.
Key evidence
- Jesus welcomed and blessed children (Mark 10:13-16).
- Jesus warned severely against harming children (Matthew 18:6).
- Much of children's suffering comes from human evil, which God will judge.
- Isaiah 65:20 promises a world where infants no longer die young.
Bible passages
- Mark 10:13-16 "Let the little children come to me."
- Matthew 18:6, 14 God's fierce love for little ones.
- Psalm 10 An honest prayer about injustice.
- Isaiah 65:17-20 No more infants who live only a few days.
- 2 Samuel 12:22-23 "I will go to him."
Discussion questions
- Why is it important to start with compassion before answers on this question?
- What does Jesus' treatment of children tell us about God's heart?
- How does God's promise of final justice speak to the suffering of children?