As the story goes, St. Teresa of Avila, who was running because she was late to church, slipped and fell headlong into the mud. Getting up, she complained to the Lord saying:
“If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few”.
The past month has involved a visit to an emergency room for myself, and emergency surgery and a subsequent unplanned hospital stay for my wife. One might say that we’ve had several St. Teresa moments this past month. Truly, the effects of original sin are both ruthless and inclusive, and as a result, all of Adam’s descendants will experience suffering (Jesus included). Why then should we expect to escape the avoid it?
But why suffer at all? What good does it do? Well, that is a great mystery, but I suspect that in the same way that pain limits our abilities and our efforts, suffering keeps us from getting too comfortable in our situations. Put bluntly, this isn’t our home and we’re not meant to feel comfort or fulfillment. After all, if we were, what would heaven have to offer? The one thing that we can do is to help others bear their burdens. In Colossians 1:24, Paul (who certainly saw his share of suffering) says something very peculiar:
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church”
Wait…. what in the world could be lacking in the suffering of Christ? Our participation in it!
Have you ever seen a child suffering from cancer who lost their hair from chemotherapy treatment? Have you ever seen that child’s family and friends shave their hair in solidarity? Does this help the efficacy of the chemotherapy drugs? Does it lessen the pain? Does it limit the spread of cancer?
No, not one bit.
But it does help lift the spirits of the person who is suffering. Jesus says we must carry our crosses, but He didn’t say we have to do it in isolation or misery. Not only did Jesus carry His cross in public but a man named Simon even helped Him do it and in a way, I have to think that by joining our suffering to Jesus’ cross, that God takes notice. One can almost imagine someone with cancer asking Jesus to bind their suffering to His cross. Can’t you almost see Jesus, looking down from heaven and saying to God the Father “Hey dad…look at what they are doing!”
Suffering is repentance acted out
Suffering is nothing less than repentance acted out and if you need proof that offering it to God can make a difference, look no further than Nineveh. That town was slated for destruction, but because they repented, put on sackcloth and ashes and fasted (all of which are forms of suffering} they were spared. I know by experience that suffering enhances prayer. I will at times fast before I pray with people and I can report that it seems to help. This is why I keep a lookout for fellow Christians who suffer in rehab, in jail or those that are terminal or bedridden because I believe that God hears the prayers of these people in a special way (in fact I have several on my prayer team praying for your needs right now).
As I write this, my bride of forty years is in surgery. We don’t know exactly how, but her replacement knee joint became infected since being installed two years ago. This isn’t the first time in our forty years of marriage I’ve said “see you soon” as they wheel her off to surgery (I’ve not kept an exact count, but the number is probably closer to twenty). Only time will tell of the outcome, but I know there will be a lot of pain involved. As I said, we’ve been here before. To be sure, it’s a lot to endure, but overall, it could be worse. Fortunately, neither of us are crippled, deaf, blind or have a terminal disease so it could certainly be worse. So, while no one welcomes suffering, all will experience it in various degrees because in the end, while God promises us a safe landing, He does not promise a smooth flight.