Jesus shows us a BETTER way to suffer.
Jesus teaches us a BETTER way to accept suffering...(not weakly resigned and dejected but redemptively trusting God to work it out for our good.)
Jesus teaches us to drink the cup of suffering.
10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)
11 Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
12 Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him 13 and brought him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jewish leaders that it would be good if one man died for the people.
(John 18:10-12)
We often do everything we can to avoid suffering.
We often do everything we can to avoid suffering even when it will help others avoid suffering themselves.
We often avoid suffering because we are cowardly.
We often avoid suffering because we want an easier path that involves less work, effort and pain.
We often avoid suffering because we want someone else to suffer if they can take our place.
When Jesus is arrested, he tells Peter to put away his sword and not to fight back and resist.
Jesus accepts his drink of suffering so that when we suffer we will not lose hope.
Jesus accepts his cup of suffering so that when we suffer we will know that he knows what we are going through and he walks with us THROUGH the pain and suffering we will face in life.
May we see that Jesus' suffering ensures that all our suffering is not hopeless.
May we see that our suffering is redeemed by the fact that Jesus suffered so that our eternal life will triumph over all the earthly pain and suffering we will go through.
May we see that our suffering will be redeemed when we see that the rejection Jesus suffered ensures that God has accepted us and will not reject us.
No comments:
Post a Comment