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Accepting the Path of Suffering
Peter was Jesus’ first disciple. He was the closest to Jesus. But he rebukes Peter in the most serious way:
“Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” (Mark 8:33)
This is a serious rebuke.
Satan means adversary. The one who is against God. Jesus is accusing Peter of going against God.
How was Peter going against God? By trying to block Jesus’ suffering.
Peter wanted to avoid suffering. But Jesus openly walked toward suffering.
This is what he said:
The Son of Man must undergo great suffering and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31)
To set your mind on divine things is to accept suffering. To set your mind on human things is to avoid suffering.
Jesus was not looking for suffering. He was not trying to get rejected or killed. He was simply trying to do what he came to do.
This is what he came to do:
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)
He came to give life.
But he knew that in this sinful world, he would be rejected. He knew what the result would be.
Even so, Jesus chose to live the life he was supposed to live. He accepted suffering, rejection and death.
This is Jesus’ call for those who follow him:
“If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34)
Don’t be concerned about yourself. Do the will of God. Focus on what it is you’re supposed to do. Don’t try to avoid suffering. In fact, take up the suffering that will come as a result.
Jesus’ call of discipleship goes to the core of how we live our life.
Driven by Fear of Suffering
Do you live life to avoid suffering? Or do you live the life that you’re supposed to live, even if it brings great difficulty and suffering?
Is your mind set on divine things or human things?
When I reflect on how we live our lives today, people are not driven by their beliefs and convictions.
They are driven by the fear of suffering. This fear drives all thinking, decision-making and actions.
They don’t know what they believe. They don’t know what they want in life.
They just want to avoid suffering. Avoiding suffering has become the prime motive.
Fear of suffering may produce a good life on the outside.
It can help you survive. It can help you become comfortable. You can enjoy the pleasures of life.
But fear of suffering holds you back from life.
It holds you back from committing yourself. It holds you back from getting involved. It holds you back, because you are afraid of losing yourself.
Fear of suffering produces a deeper suffering that is not visible on the outside.
The Russian author Dostoevsky said this:
Hell is the suffering of being unable to love. (Dostoevsky)
Fear of suffering squeezes love out.
My friends, what is life without love? That is hell.
The Path of Love
Love is what makes life come alive. Without love, life is flat, dull and meaningless.
Love does not hold back. Love goes all in. Love is all-in.
Love makes sacrifices. Love suffers. The heart aches because of love. Love is painful.
But love is what makes life come alive.
Calling is love that takes on a unique shape for your life.
It is love that is drawn to some greater purpose. It’s like a magnetic force that pulls all of you toward that purpose.
Jesus’ calling is for us to follow this path of love that takes a unique shape in your life.
But Jesus has a deep insight: following this path of love WILL bring about suffering.
People won’t understand you. They will question you. There will be so many challenges and obstacles. It will require sacrifice. It will bring suffering. There is no way around it.
My son is playing a lot of hockey these days. He thinks he can become an NHL player.
To become a professional hockey player, you need to make huge sacrifices. You cannot have a well-rounded, balanced life. Hockey has to be your life.
To live out your calling, there is no balance. Love goes all-in. All-in to the point of sacrificing your comfort, convenience and even well-being.
It requires accepting the suffering and hardship that will come for the sake of the greater purpose of what you’re living for.
To overcome our fear of suffering, we need to reflect on our approach to it.
Yes, suffering can damage you. The most damaging suffering is suffering that is inflicted upon you. The suffering you have no choice in receiving.
Boy in London. That boy will have to live with the consequences of this tragedy that was inflicted upon him.
We can become victims of suffering that is thrust upon us.
Your thinking becomes damaged. Your emotions become damaged. Your outlook on life becomes damaged.
The memory of this suffering drives the fear of suffering.
God’s Power in Our Weakness
But suffering does not have to destroy you. It can be a source of power and purpose.
Immigrant life was so hard. It was full of suffering. But that suffering also gave immigrants purpose. It gave them drive. It gave them the motivation to work from 7am until midnight.
More than that, suffering also produced faith.
Suffering created the church. Suffering laid a beautiful foundation for the next generation.
Suffering in love produces sacrifice that bears fruit.
Suffering can make us weak. It shatters our confidence. It weakens our resolve.
But God’s power is hidden in our weakness.
The cross was a symbol of people’s weakness. It was a visible reminder of how weak people were against the world’s power.
Jesus took on that weakness on the cross.
But instead of being defeated by suffering, God revealed his power through Jesus’ weakness on the cross. God took this symbol of weakness and made it his strength.
God’s power is made perfect in weakness.
That is what St. Paul discovered.
Because God’s power is perfect in weakness, we are strong when we are weak. We find God’s power in our suffering.
When we experience this power in our suffering, we don’t need to fear it anymore. It gives us the strength to face any suffering that comes our way.
St. Paul went so far as to even boast about his sufferings.
So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ, for whenever I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Suffering is never easy, but it is not something to fear. With faith, we can live our life boldly and accept the suffering that will come. We can take on suffering with faith that we will experience God’s power.
Don’t run away from suffering and miss out on life. Live your life boldly! Go all-in for a good purpose.
Our church is run by those who serve and sacrifice their time and energy. To keep the church going, we elect and ordain elders. Eldership is a calling. Meeting with Rev. Kim: said eldership requires sacrifice.
Sacrifice yourself for a good purpose. For something bigger than just yourself.
Trust in God’s power. Then you will find yourself.
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