Prepare to Suffer Joyfully
Jesus announces these very counter-intuitive (and in America counter-cultural) words:
Matthew 5:10-12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
With these bold statements, Jesus addresses a specific kind of human suffering, the kind resulting from the conflict between the kingdom of Heaven’s culture and the kingdoms of human culture. Putting it mildly, these have never been in my “Top 10 Bible Promises to Claim”. Suffering for me has been something to avoid. But Jesus doesn’t present suffering as an option, he presents it as a joyful inevitability: “Blessed are your WHEN…”. This guaranteed rejection and abuse comes with a great reward and a great pedigree. To the extent that we are proud to be in good company with the prophets of old and to the degree that we prize the heavenly reward, we will know if we have come to deeply love and trust our Savior.
I think it is time to reconsider this blessing and start preparing to receive it.
As any athlete can attest, the contest is won largely ahead of time, during preparation. No one can win a marathon without extensive training. No team can hope to win by stepping onto a soccer field without prior understanding of the game and time developing skills and endurance and hope to win. Sport is an excellent analogy for the Christian life because both 1) involve a conflict,
2) require endurance, 3) demand total focus and 4) a promise a glorious prize. As Paul writes:
1 Corinthians 9:24-26 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
The Civil Rights movement demonstrated these same elements and importantly, Civil Rights leaders trained the activists before the encountered opposition in order to prepare them to endure during hostile encounters. One non-violent activist reflected:
As civil disobedience became a crucial part of the civil rights movement, training included role plays and signing a pledge to remain nonviolent.
Why is preparation— mental as much as physical — an absolute necessity when facing soon-to-come conflict? Because untested and untried, humans drift into our normal response patterns to danger: flight, flight or freeze. Jesus spent time in preparation throughout his ministry and especially before the most intense conflict of his earthly life (Mark 14:36,39). Going into his arrest, trial and crucifixion he steeled himself with the Father’s will and the joy of his reward (Hebrews 12:1-3).
Having studied under the master Suffering Servant and having himself suffered joyfully, Peter would write this encouragement to persecuted Christians:
1 Peter 3:14-18,4:1 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit…Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking…
If we are to suffer like Jesus and share in the deepest fellowship with Him, we need to decide and commit ahead of time to suffer in the same way he did
With full awareness of the nature of the conflict
With full acceptance of God’s good purposes for our suffering
With full willingness to bear the weight of suffering caused by others.
With full confidence in God’s love to sustain and bring us through
With full expectations of deeper union with Jesus in suffering and certain reward
With full commitment to respond to suffering with love and forgiveness, remembering our King who “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23)
With full conviction that we can endure standing in the truth and power of God
Questions for Reflection
Can you think of a time when you have suffered rejection, mockery, or verbal/physical attack? What is your attitude toward suffering for the sake of Christ? Do you accept that since there is no fellowship between dark and light, your Christian convictions will eventually come with suffering?
In what areas of your life do you actively avoid suffering? Have you ever compromised truth or conscience to keep the peace, preserve a friendship, preserve your reputation or avoid conflict? Jesus offers forgiveness for past compromise and cowardice (see Peter in Mark 14). Confess your failure to God and thank him for forgiving you in His Son. Like the Apostles, ask for boldness to suffer without compromise or hatred, just as Jesus did.
Consider the 7 items listed above. Talk to your Father each day about one of them as it concerns your life. As Him to strengthen you and equip you to suffer joyfully.