Faith: Enduring as Seeing...

"By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible" - Hebrews 11: 27

Those considered "young": Have you ever had someone say to you, "When you go through suffering, you will understand what it means in James...counting it joy." Or something to that effect, implying that as a young person you have not suffered. For most of us this is true, but it is also true for most anyone who says that statement, if they are here in America. 

There are not age-levels of suffering (there are levels...just not age appropriate). One of my friends in Minnesota lost her brother and mom within weeks of each other. Both suddenly. She is my age, so age does not determine level or severity. The elderly cannot say to the young, you haven't felt, seen, experience nothing yet! If they do, the young can say back, "Well, neither have you truly." Suffering is suffering. Period.

For some (believers in the finished work of Christ) death is not merely end of life, but the end of suffering. Is that acceptable thinking? Jesus thought that way (Hebrews 12:1-4). There is joy set ahead of those suffering, like the second marshmallow in the classroom. Its coming. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "This is the end, for me the beginning of life."

To truly suffer is to be apart from God, the Father. And all mankind has felt this. So can we say to the guy next to us, "You haven't seen suffering yet?" (not saying that we should not have compassion on those suffering severely...esp. life-altering suffering)

So while you are apart from this invisible God, endure your allotted "suffering," until you see Him face to face. Hurry, Lord.

Per Ardua

       Miserable persons ponder self, while the joyful consider Christ. We are called to carefully reflect on Him, who endured the hostility of sinners against himself. Meditate upon the living Word as the means of our endurance, so that we do not grow weary or fainthearted. Is this an echo of a promise? For if we do not consider the Lamb of God, what hope of perseverance do we possess? If we do not take into account the King of the Jews, will we find strength and peace for our souls? Now, we are called to carefully contemplate the condition of Christ's way, for this deep reflection of the Son of God generates consolation, comfort and courage. Instead of man’s way, it is through adversity that we find the Son of Man our brother. Does this not encourage us? Even more than consideration of the lilies of the field or the sky above, Christ’s worth cries for our consideration. His love, patience, suffering, endurance and faithfulness eclipse our pain, weakness, suffering, agony and infidelity. Brothers and sisters, we must not fade in our hearts through adversity, but instead, we must know the Shepherd of our souls, who endured hostility even unto death.


(Writing from my meditation on Hebrews 12:3)

Bonhoeffer on Suffering

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in After Ten Years.

"It is infinitely easier to suffer in obedience to a human command than to accept suffering as free, responsible men. It is infinitely easier to suffer with others than to suffer alone. It is infinitely easier to suffer as public heroes than to suffer apart and in ignominy (disgrace). It is infinitely easier to suffer physical death than to endure spiritual suffering. Christ suffered as a free man alone, apart and in ignominy, in body and in spirit, and since that day many Christians have suffered with him."

—Letters and Papers from Prison, ed. Eberhard Bethge (SCM Press, 1953), p. 24.