Bear your share of hardship for the gospel
with the strength that comes from God.

Suffering. Suffering is mentioned approximately seventy-four times in the New Testament, depending on the translation.

A few examples:

Jesus with his disciples:

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.

“So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.—

And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?

A woman asking Jesus to heal her son:

Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly.

Pilate’s wife:

—Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.—

Jesus on Pilate’s killing of Galilean Jews:

And he answered them, —Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?

The Acts of the Apostles – after the Apostles were dragged before the Sanhedrin:

Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Suffering is an ever present reality. Some Christians attempt to deny suffering. As they account it those who suffer are apart from the kingdom. They preach a gospel of success and happiness. If you are successful, if you are happy, you are destined for heaven. Others maximize suffering. They deny the beauty and joy that is found in the world – the essential goodness that God created. They account all pleasure as sinful.

Neither of those approaches is correct. The gospel of success closes off those who suffer horribly, denying them the happiness of the kingdom. Those who hunger and thirst, those that are tortured, those who are abused and beaten – even within their own families, the sick. They are equal children of the kingdom and very much in need of the God’s loving care; very much in need of the care, concern, and Good News we followers of Christ must provide.

On the other hand the gospel of pain shuts our eyes to the beauty of the world – the magnificence inherent in creation. It makes us think that it is all coincidence – all an accident, all uncreated chemistry. Further it inappropriately makes us think that God desires pain and suffering, that God is a vengeful sadist. That God made a mistake in creating our senses.

Brothers and sisters,

The reality of life is that we have both suffering and happiness. We have pleasure and pain. We have a dichotomy – and we are lacking in perfection. We know that we do not like suffering. We know there is something more – that there is a better reality.

Jesus offers us a glimpse into that reality. He offers us a shinning moment of perfection – a view into the heavenly splendor that awaits us.

He was transfigured before them;
His face shone like the sun
and His clothes became white as light.
And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them,
conversing with Him.—¨

In that moment the voice of the Father is heard:

—This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.—

As Christians we are to trust that voice. We are to trust the Father. The Son came to teach us about the Father – and to give us the Father’s words. The Father sent the Son to give us life, to give us light, and to open eternity to us. He came to open the better and true reality.

Centuries before Christ’s coming Abram trusted. He listened when God told him to pack up and leave. Abram did all that based on a promise.

Abram went as the LORD directed him.

We too must go and do as the Lord directs – and we can do that because we have more than a promise.

My friends,

We have the promise and more than that – the revelation of God’s might. God has shown himself. Jesus knew that suffering was coming – so He gave Peter, James, and John reassurance in the Transfiguration. Later He showed the ultimate reality. In the resurrection Jesus let us know that the joy and happiness that awaits us is limitless. He has showed us the heavenly – the kingdom where there will be no tears and no suffering, a place of eternal joy and perfection.

As we walk through Lent – and as we reform our lives – let us hold fast to the promise and reality of heaven. Let us rejoice, because no suffering, no persecution, no pain can keep us from God. He is our hope, heaven is our destination.

Amen.