03 December 2006

1st Peter 4:13 ‘but according as you share the sufferings of Christ, rejoice; so that you may rejoice exultingly at the revelation of His glory.”

The early evening sunset directs it’s harsh red rays over the horizon. The black swathed young lady sheds tears as she looks to the backs of her parents. She must walk. The children in her village grab sticks and stones, and throw them at her as she trudges through the sands and walks away from the life she knew. She has no place to go, she has only what she carries to live on. What can she do but find the one who taught her, to find others like herself.

This is a scene that plays out many times. Sometimes it is a saddened man, sometimes it is a woman, sometimes a child and sometimes an elder. This is pain and suffering. This is the pain and suffering that Christ brought.

That is right. Christ came to Earth to bring pain and suffering. He came and brought revilement and hatred. Christ came to bring us such affliction as to save us from worse sufferings in the future.

For Christ’s sake we are mistreated, for standing in His name, we are reviled, ridiculed, and repulsed from society. For Christ’s sake we return to the societies that hate us, that mock us, that chastise us. We do this to bring them the same pain, the same torment to others as we too go through. Why?

Without Christ, we would suffer in hell for an eternity, without Christ we would be lost to God. Without Christ, we are separated from God and his splendor and majesty.

With Christ, we suffer on earth for a short time. With Christ, we are found by God. With Christ, we are joined to God and live in his splendor and majesty.

Christ was born to die.

We die to be born anew, to be saved through His suffering. Because we are of Christ, we are detestable to Satan, and feared by the lowerarchy. Because we are feared we are made to suffer. Because we suffer, we bring Glory to God.

All Glory Laud and Honor to thee redeemer King. Halleluiah in the Highest.