Why do children suffer?

“I have cried until the tears no longer come; my heart is broken” (Lamentations 2:11–12, NLT). The prophet Jeremiah wrote these words after witnessing children suffering and dying. He saw them faint from starvation and struggle to breathe; some even died in their mothers’ arms. Sadly, many people today, both believers and unbelievers, can identify with Jeremiah’s anguish. This leads them to ask difficult questions, such as why children suffer. The answer to this question begins with understanding that the world is not the way it’s supposed to be because of sin. Yet, even in this fallen world, there is hope through Jesus Christ.

Jeremiah wasn’t the only one in the Bible heartbroken by the suffering of children. David cried out in agony when his infant son died (2 Samuel 12:16–23). An unnamed woman from Zarephath, who had already lost her husband, felt hurt and angry at the loss of her young son and directed her frustration toward the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 17:18). Job mourned when his adult children died in a sudden disaster (Job 1:18–19). Mary watched her firstborn child, Jesus, die on a cross unjustly (John 19:25–27). In stories like these, the Bible validates the grief of the heartbroken, acknowledges their confusion, and shares their pain.

Beyond sympathizing with the brokenhearted, the Bible explains the origin of suffering. When Adam and Eve rebelled against God, sin entered the world and corrupted His perfect design for humanity and creation (Genesis 3:1–7; Romans 5:12). As a result, all people, even children, can experience suffering. Some suffering results from human actions, such as abuse or neglect. Other suffering results from the fallen world's brokenness apart from direct human action, including natural disasters and genetic diseases. In either case, all suffering comes from sin.

A person can’t truly understand what the Bible says about suffering without knowing how God has responded to it. The Bible reveals that suffering is temporary, as God will one day bring it to an end (Revelation 21:4); it is limited because God is more powerful than it (2 Corinthians 4:8-–9); and it is redeemable because God is able to use it for good (Genesis 50:20). Ignoring God’s response to suffering is like a patient learning they have a deadly disease but refusing to listen when the doctor says there is a cure. The cure, in this case, is Jesus.

There is no hope amid suffering apart from Jesus because there is no cure for sin apart from Him. The gospel—the invitation to know Jesus and be saved from sin—is God’s definitive response to suffering (Mark 1:15). It proclaims God’s great love for people, even though all have sinned and fall short of His glory (Romans 3:23). Sin deserves eternal death, but Jesus offers sinners eternal life instead (Romans 6:23).

One example of Jesus' response to suffering is found in the account of a desperate father who brought his son, who had suffered for many years. The boy was unable to speak, suffered violent seizures, and was tormented by an evil spirit that almost killed him. Fearing he might lose his son, the father pleaded with Jesus, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us” (Mark 9:17–22). Jesus answered, “If you can? Everything is possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23). The boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). This honest response reflects what many people feel when children suffer—faith is present, but so is doubt. In reply, Jesus doesn’t rebuke the boy’s father. Instead, He showed compassion to his son (Mark 9:25–27).

This story illustrates that, while sin has corrupted the world, God is working to restore it to His original design. Although God doesn’t instantly fix all hurt and pain, He will eventually do so for those who know Jesus (Romans 8:28). This promise offers hope to the hurting. In Scripture, hope is not wishful thinking or pretending that everything is fine. Hope means trusting that God is good and faithful, even when circumstances suggest otherwise (Hebrews 11:1). This hope is anchored in God’s love for the brokenhearted and His promise that their suffering will end one day (John 3:16; 16:20).

It’s impossible to genuinely love others, as God has commanded people to do, and be indifferent to their suffering (Leviticus 19:18; e.g., Lamentations 2:19). This is why Jairus pleaded with Jesus for his dying daughter (Mark 5:22–23), and an unnamed Syrophoenician woman pleaded with Him for hers (Mark 7:25–26). They turned to Jesus because He alone could relieve their suffering. Jesus came into the world and died on the cross to begin restoring what sin had broken (John 1:14). He will finish what He started in God's perfect timing.