1.Peter.4:12-19.5.6-11, Seventh Sunday after Easter, May 4, 2008

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Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:12-19, 5:6-11 ESV)

Grace and peace to you from Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today’s sermon is about the Seventh Petition of the Lord’s Prayer. But deliver us from evil. This text from St. Peter’s letter talks about just that. Turn to your hymnal on page 303. Go about halfway down the page and let’s read it together.

The Seventh Petition
But deliver us from evil.
What does this mean?We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.

Deliver us from evil. I like that part rescue us from every evil of body and soul… Martin Luther just had a way of saying things that rings true. When we pray this prayer, deliver us from evil we are asking a great big things from God, and there is nothing wrong with that, in fact that is exactly what God wants us to do… ask for big things. And there is hardly anything bigger that to be delivered from evil. Now in fact when Jesus gave the prayer to his disciples He said it a bit different. What he said is often lost in translation, although some versions of the Our Father reflect it. He said, deliver us from the Evil one. And that’s how we get from the Lord’s Prayer to our text for today. Deliver us from evil is all about Satan and his work in the world.

St. Peter paints a frightening picture. Satan prowls around like a lion seeking someone to devour. He is out there, sneaking around waiting to pounce. Picture in your mind the lion hidden in the tall grass with unsuspecting gazelle grazing peacefully nearby. If the gazelle knew the lion was there it would have found someplace else to eat. Instead it eats its last meal without knowing the danger. The cat moves quietly and slowly on padded feet. It is patient even though it is hungry. Every tendon in its body is tense ready for action. Suddenly the gazelle senses something is wrong. It raises its head to look about sniffing the air for a scent of danger. It leans back on its haunches to spring away. Suddenly, out of the shadows of the grass the lion springs into action. Long sharp claws sink into the animals back as the full weight of the great cat brings it to the ground. Then the crushing jaws clamp onto the gazelle’s throat cutting off the oxygen it needs to live. Its death is certain and swift. The cat’s hunger is satisfied.

The warning is to be taken seriously. Satan wants nothing more than to kill you, to devour you, for you to spend eternity in hell. These days it isn’t popular to talk about Satan as a real being. In fact, in our minds we probably don’t even think he’s real. That’s the warning exactly. Satan does his best work in the shadows. He hides behind the actions of people we love. He skulks around whispering thoughts into our ears that sound so reasonable. His lies sound so truthful and reasonable. We want to believe they are true. And he even presents them in such a reasonable manner. “There are many ways to God, as long as you are sincere,” is one of his favorite lines. But it directly contradicts Jesus’ own Words,

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 ESV)

That’s Satan sneaking up, hidden by the reasonableness of the tall grass. He is ready to pounce. He wants only to satisfy his own hunger for your death. We graze ever closer to his hunting ground thinking we are safe, thinking that we have nothing to fear, until he sinks his claws into us and suffocates the life out of us with his lies. And we are helpless to resist.

In the Large Catechism Luther puts it very plainly.

Since the devil is not only a liar but also a murderer,³ he incessantly seeks our life and vents his anger by causing accidents and injury to our bodies. He breaks many a man’s neck and drives others to insanity; some he drowns, and many he hounds to suicide or other dreadful catastrophes^[1]

And so St. Peter tells us to resist him, firm in faith. He’s telling us that when Satan strikes we have no defense but faith.

But here’s the thing we should come to grips with. Faith isn’t a quality that allows us to stand up to Satan and defeat him. Faith is trust in the promises of God. True faith, doesn’t look inside ourselves for something to use against Satan, for some inner strength to resist. True faith trusts that no matter what happens God is in control, even though Satan seems to be in charge. True faith trusts that no matter what happens God is allowing it for our benefit.

Go back to the first part of the text. He says; don’t be surprised if the fiery trial comes. It comes to test you. It comes to strengthen your faith. It is nothing strange for Christians to suffer.

But often that’s not what we want to hear. We want God, my god, to deliver us from all that we see as all evil. We don’t want to suffer. We want to live my life in comfort, far away from the trouble that other people go through. But this isn’t faith the faith that Peter is talking about is it? The faith he’s talking about is trusting in God’s promises in spite of what it looks like is happening. St. Peter says it this way in the text:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

That’s right before he tells us that Satan is out there prowling around to devour us. He’s saying that God uses fiery trials in our lives. And that suffering has a purpose. God will use any means necessary to bring you to the realization that you are helpless to save yourself, even Satan who is out there wanting to destroy you. Humble yourself means the same thing as standing firm in faith. Submit to God’s will. Look for God in the suffering. Look for God in the pain. Look for God to reveal Himself. God shows Himself to you when you are helpless when you are at the point where you can do nothing else but to cast all your anxieties on Him.

How about an example: The example is this: Jesus lying on the ground in the garden of Gethsemane the night He was betrayed praying:

“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” (Matthew 26:39 ESV)

Jesus could have used these words, Deliver us from evil. They say and mean the same thing. And yet Jesus wasn’t delivered from the cross. He suffered there. Satan unfolded all his might to destroy Him. Satan pounced on Jesus and suffocated the life out of Him. He mocked Jesus thought the lips of the thieves on the crosses beside Him. He died there. This thing isn’t the great evil that it appears to be. Even though the actions of all those around Jesus, the betrayal, the nailing, the mocking, and the piercing, were all great evil, God allowed them all and made it all our greatest good. Jesus suffering and death there brings new life and salvation to you and me. Satan does his worst to Jesus, but Jesus wins anyway. Death turns to life. Jesus opens the grave and lives again.

The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

At the right hand of God means Jesus rules over all things. He is in control. Jesus Christ has control over even Satan. Satan can only do what God allows him to do. He may attack you, but God turns his attack into your good.

And that brings us full circle back to the beginning of the text.

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:13 ESV)

Satan is after you. He wants you dead and suffering in hell for all time. But God is in control. His loves you too much to allow Satan to destroy you. That means that when you suffer at Satan’s hand, God is doing something good in your life. That means that no matter how it looks, no matter how it hurts, when you have to cast your anxieties on Him, you can rejoice. He cares for you He will deliver you from evil. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

---

³ John 8:44.

^[1]Tappert, T. G. (2000, c1959). The book of concord : The confessions of the evangelical Lutheran church (435). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

Second Sunday of Easter, 1 Peter 1:3-9, March 30, 2008

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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:3-9, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

It caused Nicodemus to scratch his head. In case you forgot Nicodemus was a Pharisee who came to Jesus one dark night to speak to him secretly.
“What do you mean ‘born again.’ I’m already old, can I be born again? Can I go back into my mother’s womb and start all over again? That doesn’t make any sense!”

Nicodemus was a wise old man, but Jesus words confused him. Jesus couldn’t really mean what he was saying. “Listen closely.” Jesus continued, “no one can enter into the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. You see, human beings are flesh they can only give birth to human beings. Flesh is flesh, but spirit is spirit. The Spirit can give birth to spirit.”

It is perhaps one of the strangest metaphors used in the bible. To be born again. When Jesus had that discussion with Nicodemus he was left with scratching his head. He was an educated man, and yet he was still confused. What ever it means to be ‘born again,’ it is apparently very important because Jesus says that you can’t have a relationship with God without it. It is a good topic for the Easter season. After all Jesus Christ died and rose so that human beings could once again have a relationship with God. So to be born again must have something to do with that also. And here it is in our text this morning: According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope. New birth, born again, what exactly does it mean?

Well, let’s start by taking a closer look at the text.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Peter opens this section with a statement of praise to God. He’s using God’s name as that statement of praise. He begins here with what might be called a Doxology that is, praise to God for what he has done for us.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below, praise him above ye heavenly host, praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

Just like the song he’s saying let’s praise God because of who he is and what he has done. Let’s begin “In the name of God…” According to his great mercy, he has caused us… God the Father of Jesus Christ is acting as our Father, too. He gives us good gifts, just as any good father would do. He is a father that cares for us and gives to us what we need. Here, Peter says, he gives us

born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading

Well, there it is: being born again; The new birth that Jesus talked about to Nicodemus, being born again; The new birth that is necessary for anyone to ‘see the kingdom of God.’ The new birth that is a birth through the Spirit of God. So the text says that this new birth comes about through the resurrection of Jesus. This new birth has everything to do with Easter. It has everything to do with what Jesus has done for us. Notice how the text says that it was given to us. It’s a gift; new birth is something that we don’t have much to do with. How many of you had something to do with your first birth? How many of you chose to be born, when and where you were born? So in the same way we have as much to do with our ‘new birth’ as we did with our ‘old birth.’ Nothing. It comes to us because of God, too. The same with our new birth. It comes to us through the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus says that the Spirit must give birth to spirit. He is talking about faith in the work of God, through Jesus Christ. Faith that is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So we still haven’t answered the question yet, we know where it comes from but, we don’t know exactly what it is. But before we answer that question lets ask another; Do we really need to be born again? Well… Many people feel that life is a dead end. Modern life with all its gadgets and distractions (as many of you might know I’m a gadget guy!), with all its entertainment and pleasures, can feel quite pointless and without purpose. It’s easy to feel like a hamster on a wheel running for all your worth, to get nowhere. There doesn’t seem to be time to do anything well. It’s easy to look back to the ‘good old days’ and feel that life in the past had much more purpose.

“I remember when… things were just better. I remember when this church was filled to the rafters. I remember when downtown was packed every Friday night. I remember when men were men and boys were boys. I remember when gas was 15cents. And a coke was 5cents. I remember when we announced for communion. I remember when…”

When people feel that way, often it isn’t that they have lost a sense of meaning in life, the real problem is that they have lost the meaning of life. That is to be in a relationship with God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. Sometimes we get that way especially in the church. We forget why we are here. We forget why the church exists. The church is here for this morning. Here is where our relationship with God is fully expressed. The church is here to receive from God the gifts that He loves to give. Through Word and water, bread and wine we receive what we need for life to have meaning. Whenever we loose sight of God at work in our lives in this way we cannot understand life’s ultimate purpose. When we receive these wonderful gifts from God, we turn around and share them with the rest of the world. Without that, we can’t see the purpose for our existence. We focus on ourselves and our lives and all that we have to do. We are cut off from the one that that makes life worth living. We are self centered, living only for me. That’s when life feels like a dead end because it is a dead end. This is sin and sin brings only death. And we are mired in sin up to our eyeballs. Not other people’s sin, but our own. We need God’s forgiveness; we need to be born again, without it we are lost.

But St. Peter talked about being

born again into a living hope.

A living hope, is a hope that makes a difference in a life. It’s a living hope, not a dead end. It’s new life, born again, not an old life with no future. St. Paul describes it too, in his letter to a Pastor named Titus. He describes us pretty well when he describes our sinful nature.

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. (Titus 3:3-7, ESV)

Paul too talks about rebirth, being born again. Did you hear how he describes it? God saved us through the washing of rebirth that he poured out on us through Jesus Christ! There are other words that we have heard recently:

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:3-4, ESV)

There it is again. New life, it says, so that we can live a new life! It’s talking about dying and being born again. Dying with Jesus Christ. That’s what baptism is all about. We are connected to Jesus death. In fact, we die with him on the cross. There is no other way to put away sin. You know that if you’ve ever tried to be perfect. We excuse ourselves by saying, “I’m only human.” Well, that’s exactly the problem. Humans cannot be perfect as long as they are alive. But Baptism takes care of that. We die with Jesus. He takes our sinful human nature, and nails it to the cross. He takes ours sick, sinful, hearts and pierces them with the Roman spear. He buries our sin sick bodies, dead and buried in the grave. That’s what Baptism does. Not because I say so, but because God says so in His Word. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death. Our sin is done away with and we rise to new life. A life marked by the joy of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. A new life that has hope, living hope. A new life that has meaning and purpose because we have forgiveness of sin through the death of Jesus. Our relationship with God is restored. It is our inheritance. Peter wrote: born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. That is the living hope that we have been baptized into.

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Even though we have been born again, there is still trouble while we live on this old corrupted planet. Even though our hope is living, our living is filled with all kinds trials. It should be expected. Many of you have experienced exactly what Peter is talking about here. Suffering grief and pain of many kinds, hospitalization, tragic accidents, cancer, and death. And even trouble from your own bad decisions. But these, Peter says, also have purpose. If your new birth gives your life purpose, then the troubles in your life must have purpose too! They come, says Peter, to increase your faith. They comes, he says, so that you can see the new life you have in Jesus even more clearly. Trials make us see our faith Jesus as a gift and nothing we can do for ourselves. When you can’t depend on yourself, you have to depend on Jesus. When you know you will fail, you turn to the one who gave his life for you, because what he gives you that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, and is kept in heaven for you.

It’s a new life that you’ve been given, new life full of joy and hope. How do you know it’s yours? How do you know that you’ve been ‘born again?’ It’s a gift from the Father, a gift to you, not because you deserve it, or because you chose him, but because he chose you when he poured out on you new life a new birth. He did it when he said to you:

“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Seventh Sunday of Easter, May 8th, 2005, 1 Peter 4:12-17

1.Pet.4.12-17
7th Sunday of Easter (Mother’s Day)
St. John’s, Burt ~ Our Savior, Swea City
(1 Peter 4:12-17, ESV)
(Thanks to Pastor Tim Pauls)
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Mother’s day is great day to be in church. In fact when the national holiday was established 1911 and has very strong roots in the church. In those days, the celebration of Mother’s Day always began in church. But we should also take not that Mother’s Day isn’t a church holiday. It’s not on the churches yearly calendar, there are not specific reading set aside for the day. Today’s Liturgical date (church calendar date) is The Seventh Sunday of Easter.
Now just because there isn’t day set aside in the church calendar for Mothers, doesn’t mean that they aren’t important, or that God doesn’t think motherhood is important. There is very good reason for us to give thank for our mothers.

Just look at how God has set up the job of being a mother. God has specifically set up mothers to bring new life into the world, and he does it in a way that shows us what it really means to be servants of one another. Every mother knows that as soon as she is pregnant everything in her life is different. She’s got to eat different foods, she’s got care for herself in a different way than she did before because she’s not just eating for one anymore. Her body isn’t just hers anymore; a good part of it is on loan to the other life that’s growing inside her. She suffers discomfort, sickness, weakness, stretch marks, etc. for the sake of a child. All you have to do is remember that fact to realize that we owe a great deal of gratitude to our mothers.
But Mom’s rewards are very often hidden, too. You know about that old yarn that says, “When I was a child I couldn’t believe how dumb my parents were, they didn’t seem to know anything, especially when I was a teenager. I was also amazed at how much my parents learned by the time I got to be 20.” Of course Mark Twain had a lot to say about children. He is well known for not wanting children around him. He said that as soon as children are born they should be put in a barrel with just a bung hole for air. When they get to be teenagers you close the bung hole. It’s the kids that get into trouble that are remembered, and mom is blamed. We all think we know just exactly how any given mom should raise her own children. And it is true, all mothers make their share of mistakes. Mother’s are sinful human beings. Every one of them will tell you they learned “on the job” and on the job training means making mistakes.
Add to all this the fact that motherhood isn’t highly respected these days. Of course we have this holiday, but on the whole women are told that a career is more important, and being a mother is a roadblock. And even more than that, It’s not uncommon for people to think that a woman would only stay home to take care of her children because she the can’t do anything else. These attitudes go against God’s way of thinking and we shouldn’t be surprised. The world always goes against the ways of God. If you have ever been mocked for being a mother… for doing what God would have you do as a mother… you know what St Peter is talking about in this text. When we follow God’s will for our lives there will always be trouble with the way the world thinks.
…do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
We shouldn’t be surprised. We know what the problem is. Motherhood and Fatherhood are built on God’s ideas. He makes parents to serve children. Not in the way of giving children whatever they want, but serving them in the ways they need. In God’s plan, parents give of themselves to serve their children by caring for them, disciplining them, doctoring them, and teaching them. Parents are God’s gift of love to children. In God’s plan all human beings are made to be of service to each other in every part of their life. The problem is that we don’t want to serve… we want to be served. We don’t want to think about what other people need or want, we want to take care of what we need and want. In our sinful hearts anything that comes between us and our self satisfaction can’t be good. Our self centered hearts don’t want anything to do with anything that points us away from self service. We are guilty, too. But the sentiment is clearly expressed in the way that people don’t really respect motherhood the way God has set it up. As we think about it a little bit more, it shouldn’t surprise us, that’s what St. Peter is saying. “Don’t be surprised!” The true nature of sin is selfishness not service. People want to reject anything that smacks of service.
Now if people don’t have much use for the way God has set up families to work… if they reject the very practical gifts he gives in mothers and fathers, we should be even less surprised at the reaction to the gifts that he gives to us through Jesus. Just look at how Jesus was treated. He came to bring God’s forgiveness; he healed people of sickness, spoke about serving others, and even raised dead people back to life. He came to serve people by offering free forgiveness. And for all this, for doing God’s will, for serving people doing what God sent him to do, he was beaten, condemned and nailed to a cross. Jesus gave of himself. He came to serve people. He did what God wanted him to do and the world hated him and killed him. Now as he always does, God used that great evil for good. Because of Jesus death on the cross and his defeat of death through his resurrection, your sins are forgiven and you have eternal life through faith in him. Jesus turns his death in to your victory. “Jesus lives the victory’s won!” the hymn says. Your selfishness doesn’t condemn you anymore. That sin, along with all the others you have ever done are put away. The slate is wiped clean. You don’t have to worry about yourself any more. God has taken care of your greatest need. You are free to think about other people. You can serve, the way Mothers serve, the way Jesus serves. Jesus lived, died and rose again for you. You can give yourself for other people.
St. Peter is making one very important point here, though. He says that if we live the way God would have us live, we are going to suffer. It’s not going to be easy. Don’t think that it’s “something strange” that people hate you for the way you live. Jesus said it like this:
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19, ESV)
I know you’ve seen this hate. People call you a bigot for holding fast to God’s Word. People say that you are intolerant because you say that Jesus is the only way to heaven. Family and friends don’t want to discuss their beliefs with you because you won’t compromise. I know about the pressure you are under to abandon the things you were taught when you were young. Or the pressure to measure the success of the church by numbers, instead of using God’s standards. St. Peter says that this is to be expected. Jesus said it, too. If you follow Jesus, if you live as a Christian you can expect to be falsely accused, mocked and rejected. As the world treated Jesus it will treat you.
So what do we do? Well, St. Peter says to rejoice. “Not likely, Pastor. I’m not going to be happy about suffering. Don’t you know that suffering is the enemy? Don’t you know that suffering is to be avoided at all cost? Don’t you know that suffering never did anyone any good?” Peter didn’t say to look for suffering, he didn’t say you had to love suffering, he says “rejoice” in it. That means that when it comes (and it will come to every Christian), you share in Christ’s suffering. That doesn’t mean that you’re suffering for your sins, Jesus has done all that already. It means that your suffering for doing good reminds you of Jesus suffering. It makes you less self dependant and more Christ dependant. Suffering pushes you to Jesus.
Jesus suffering is your salvation: You were born into sin and faced only the prospect of suffering God’s eternal wrath and punishment. But Jesus saves you from that. Jesus, God himself, became a human being, just like you. He suffered and died on the cross for your sins. He suffered the rejection of the world. He unjustly arrested, beaten and put to death. But even more importantly he suffered God’s rejection, he became our sin, and God punished him for our sin. He was condemned for the sins of the whole world. But, Jesus lives. He rose from the grave. He lives forever and gives you the promise of eternal life, too. For all the times that you sin and deserve God’s anger and punishment, even the times when you resent suffering, Jesus declares that your sins are forgiven because he died and rose again for you.
You see, your sufferings don’t earn God’s forgiveness for you. Jesus earned God’s forgivness for you. He gives you his suffering through faith in him. He gives you his suffering through the Word spoken to you. He gives you his suffering in his body and blood present in bread and wine. He says, “I’ve suffered for you. I was hung on the cross in your place. Through forgiveness of your sins, I give you credit for my suffering you aren’t hell bound any more.” We share in Jesus sufferings, when we gladly receive the forgiveness of sins that he offers. Jesus shares his suffering with you.
Dear suffering Christians; don’t think that it is strange that you suffer for being Christian. You will face trouble in this world. But also, don’t think that because you suffer God has forgotten about you. After all he gave his only begotten son for you, you are forgiven. He uses suffering in your life to remind you of that. Remember the words of St. Paul:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18, ESV)
The glory that he’s talking about here is eternal life. That glory is yours because of Jesus.
The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.