Depression + Following Jesus 03 | Theology of Depression
Depression has been a reality –––– since the beginning of human history. It is not just a modern mental health condition. The post-Genesis 3 world was deeply affected by sin—God’s design for human health and flourishing was undone, and brokenness was felt in every facet of what it means to be human. Thus, humans experienced psychological brokenness, biological brokenness, relational brokenness, sociological brokenness and spiritual brokenness. This resulted in human suffering, including the experience of depression.
The human experience of depression threads through the entire Bible. Depression is a real human condition in biblical history. While our modern, and very recent, clinical construct of depression is helpful, the Bible does not share the same chart of symptoms or clinical definitions. However, it is clear that people experienced depression and had similar symptoms that would fall under the clinical symptoms of depression that we have today.
Here are three questions that resonated with me as I researched depression in the Bible:
How does the Bible frame depression?
Is depression framed as right or wrong or neutral in the Bible?
Could depression be a normal human response to psychological pain and/or physical pain?
Depression in the Bible is a form of human suffering, and is closely connected with various categories of suffering. For example, you find depression related to mental and emotional anguish (psychological suffering), depression related to sickness and disease (biological suffering), depression related to relationship trauma and social unrest (relational/social suffering) and depression related to various challenges connected to spiritual struggles and human sin (spiritual suffering).
It is clear to me, after extensive research, that the Bible gives an honest and empathetic view of human suffering, including depression and deep human sorrow. It normalizes mental and emotional pain, and it approaches these human experiences from a compassionate and empathetic perspective.
Let's look at three examples of biblical characters who walked through deep mental and emotional pain, including depression. Some of these descriptions include nuanced material around the words and phrases used in the original languages of the Bible in order to paint a more complete picture of the descriptive reality of depression in the Bible.
Jesus + Depression
Jesus felt the full spectrum of human emotions. Jesus felt joy and happiness. Jesus also felt deep pain and sorrow. In fact, Jesus is called "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." (Isaiah 53:3, ESV) The Hebrew word for sorrow is מכְאוֹב, makob. Makob has the idea of mental suffering or mental pain. The Hebrew word for grief is חֹ֑לִי, choli. Choli has the idea of mental pain or mental sickness. When is the last time you heard Jesus described as someone who lived with mental and emotional pain? This was a genuine description of Jesus' emotional atmosphere. He felt deeply the brokenness of life on earth. He was not immune to human pain, whether that was physical pain or mental and emotional pain.
At the end of Jesus' life on earth, He was in the Garden of Gethsemane with three of his disciples. He was facing the greatest crisis of his life, and cried out in anguish to His Father. Matthew 26:36-38 describes this experience using three descriptive terms:
Sorrowful —— The Greek word that Matthew used is λυπέω, lupeō. Lupeō comes from a root word that means "pain" and has the idea of mental pain or mental anguish.
Troubled –––– The Greek word that Matthew used is ἀδημονέω, adēmoneō. Adēmoneō means to be in anxiety or to be distressed.
Overwhelmed –––– The Greek word that Matthew used is περίλυπος, perilupos. Perilupos has the idea of being profoundly sorrowful or crushed by grief.
Luke's gospel tells us that not only was Jesus facing deep mental and emotional pain in the Garden of Gethsemane, He also began to sweat blood (Luke 22:44). This is a reference to a rare medical condition called Hemaditrosis. Hemadritrosis is caused by intense mental and emotional anguish caused by stress, fear, or some traumatic experience. In fact, Jesus was "overwhelmed to the point of death." (Matthew 26:38) You could say that the symptoms of Jesus’ mental and emotional pain were revealed in his physiological reaction of sweating drops of blood.
It is clear that Jesus felt human brokenness and human pain. He was well acquainted with mental and emotional pain during his life on earth. He understand suffering in all forms from life experience. He faced experiences of profound sorrow. These were not sinful reactions to human suffering. These were responses to deep pain in the soul, and a soul crushing crisis. More than anyone else, Jesus understands your pain.
Job + Depression
Job is an ancient story about a successful man who lost everything.
A series of tragic events occurred in his life, and he lost everything. He lost his children, his business, his employees, his wealth, his health and the support of his wife. This was a tragic and painful chapter in Job’s life. It is no surprise that Job was deeply depressed and overwhelmed by his pain.
In Job 3, he expressed his deep pain, depression and despair.
He cursed the day of his birth. (Job 3:1-3).
He had no joy. (Job 3:7)
He wished that his life would have ended through a miscarriage. (Job 3:10, 16)
He wished that he would have died at birth. (Job 3:11-12)
He was in a state of misery and turmoil. (Job 3:20)
He hoped for death. (Job 3:21)
He groaned and wept. (Job 3:24)
He was without peace. (Job 3:26)
He was restless (Job 3:26)
Job was depressed. He was in a state of complete brokenness--mentally, emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.
Psalm 42 + Depression
The author of Psalm 42 writes about his experience with depression. He vividly describes his depression.
My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God? (Psalm 42:3, NIV)
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5, NIV)
The Psalmist had lost his appetite and cried day and night in his distress. And three times he talked about his downcast and disturbed soul. The Hebrew word for downcast is שׁוּחַ, shachach. This word means to melt away or to despair. It refers to the sinking of a person’s soul in grief or depression. The Hebrew word for disturbed is המָה, hamah. This word means to roar, to moan, or to be afflicted by trouble or grief. It refers to the murmuring of one's soul in distress.
Depression had overwhelmed the Psalmist’s soul. He was experiencing a downcast soul that was sinking into a deep state of grief. Yet, he knew that there was still hope. His internal dialogue was a combination of articulating his depression and speaking hope into his soul.
These examples reveal that it is normal and ok to be human. Humans feel pain. Humans experience mental and emotional anguish because of suffering. And humans sometimes experience suffering that leads to depression.
In all these these examples, depression is not the end of the story. Each individual’s story had hardship and pain, and also hope and a future.
You are human. Your life will have hardships and pain. You life also has hope and a future. Depression is not the end of your story.
There are Better Days Ahead.
Much Love,
Wesley, Founder + Speaker