Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse is facing one of life’s hardest realities with remarkable honesty and faith: preparing to say goodbye to his family as he battles terminal cancer.
In a recent interview with Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, Sasse reflected on suffering, grief, and the deep personal pain of knowing his 14-year-old son, Breck, will soon grow up without his father. Diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer last December and given only months to live, Sasse spoke candidly about both his heartbreak and his hope in God.
“I obviously don’t understand it,” Sasse said of suffering. “But Jesus took on incarnate flesh… He also suffered all the punishment that Adam and we, in Adam, deserve.”
Rather than trying to explain away pain, Sasse pointed to Christ’s own suffering as the foundation for his faith. He described suffering as part of the Christian journey—something God can use to shape and refine believers.
“And though it’s terrible, there is something very special in being able to be united with Christ’s suffering… because it helps us cleave away from all the idolatries we’ve built as we fell in love with the creation, instead of the Creator,” he said.
Still, Sasse did not minimize the emotional weight of his situation. During the conversation, he became visibly emotional when speaking about his children—especially his youngest son.
“The part that’s most baffling is, why will Breck not have a dad at 15 or 17 or 19?” he said. “And yet, God knows exactly what He’s doing… But it hurts.”
Drawing from the words of late theologian R.C. Sproul, Sasse emphasized his trust in God’s sovereignty, even when life feels incomprehensible.
“God is not uncertain about anything that has happened, is happening or will happen,” he said. “He will weave together that mosaic for our own good… He will use this for good.”
That confidence doesn’t erase the pain—but it gives it purpose. Sasse said his “deepest aches” come from leaving his family behind, though he holds tightly to the promise of eternal reunion.
When asked what he would say to others struggling to believe in God’s goodness during suffering, Sasse offered a grounded and humble response.
“God tells us in Scripture everything we need to know for faith and life, but He doesn’t tell us everything we want to know,” he said. “And He is God, and to whom else would we go?”
He added, “So, I trust Him because He is who He is, and He has been faithful. And so, I won’t get every answer this side of eternity.”
Even in the face of death, Sasse spoke with conviction about what lies ahead for believers.
“Death is an enemy. Death is wicked. But it’s the final enemy… And after that, there will be no more tears,” he said. “We will know that God used it for His good.”
In his final months, Sasse has continued to share this message of hope, determined to “redeem the time” and point others to the saving work of Jesus Christ—even as he walks through unimaginable loss.