We start the week together in the Word with a meditation from Hebrews 5:7-8, the heart of the epistle for next week in the LCMS lectionary.
[7] In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. [8] Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
Because society promotes happiness as an expectation and norm, we can get the impression that suffering is always a negative. As Christians, there are times when suffering is a blessing.
The author of Hebrews points out that Jesus suffered because he was obedient to God the Father. Ultimately, Jesus suffered in his passion the punishment we deserved for our sins. His death was the price of our sins. His resurrection was proof that our sins are forgiven.
There are times when we suffer because we have sinned. Such suffering is a reminder to turn to our Lord in repentance, seeking to hear again the words of forgiveness in Christ’s name.
In Philippians chapter three, the Apostle Paul shares that at times we will suffering specifically because we are Christians. Such suffering can serve as an affirmation of our faith, given our Lord also suffered.
In Romans chapter five, Paul tells us that, ”we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3–5)
When we suffer, we do well to reflect on such Scripture passages, to see how God might be working through the suffering.
Kevin Wilson 360 