Facing Suffering With Maturity

When Paul wrote this letter he was in prison, and so he makes sure that he addresses the elephant in the room. If his job was to introduce the Gentile (non-Jewish) world to Jesus, then why was his ministry being frustrated? Why was he suffering and being prevented from completing his mission? People were tempted to view Paul’s imprisonment and suffering as evidence that his message lacked validity and authority – perhaps he wasn’t everything he claimed to be?

But in these verses, Paul flips this logic and points to his suffering as proof of his calling. He simply reminds them that the world which rejected Jesus will also reject us. If we’re going to follow Jesus then we’ll also experience the same suffering that Jesus knew. In fact, suffering is central to the mystery of Jesus Christ.

God chose to reveal his glory through the life of Jesus – a life that didn’t look particularly significant or successful to a watching world. But in Jesus, God hid “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”.(2.3)

In other words, Jesus is the cypher that unlocks the meaning of life. In him our lives find purpose and fulfilment; in him, we discover the worth and satisfaction that we were made for. But the Kingdom is hidden in a man who was rejected, suffered, and died. That’s the mystery.

Deep down I think we all crave success, recognition, and adulation; we want our faith to be credible to a watching world; we want people to acknowledge that we are intelligent, perceptive, and sophisticated. But Jesus was mocked and ridiculed, and so it should be no surprise when we are too. In fact, if we don’t experience some degree of ridicule and hardship for our faith then there’s a real risk that our understanding of Jesus has been distorted by the world around us. We’ve missed the mystery of the Gospel.

You see Jesus is God’s ultimate ‘easter egg’ – His hidden secret for us, revealed in and through suffering. In some ways growing up in our faith is about discovering this truth – because somehow in the midst of hardship and suffering the beauty of the Kingdom is revealed. So when we do face difficult times, rejection, misunderstandings, and people mocking us, it can actually strengthen and encourage our faith. Like Paul, we can recognise a hidden value in suffering, because our priorities are being transformed by the cross of Jesus.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

1. Whose approval and respect do I most crave in regard to my faith?
2. How comfortable am I with people thinking my faith is foolish?
3. What is God inviting me to trust him with at the moment? Something that others may not understand?