WHAT CHRISTIAN SUFFERING IS—AND ISN’T
7th Sunday of Easter (1 Peter 4:12-17; 5:6-11)
Introduction: “OK, Doc, give it to me straight.” When you go to the doctor, do you want him to only hint that something might be wrong, or do you want him to honestly and clearly discuss the details of your problem, even if they might be painful for you to hear? Most of us would prefer the direct approach. We don’t want someone who will candy-coat the problem or give us false hope. Neither do we want someone who will frighten with all the details of everything that could possibly go wrong. We simply want someone who will give it to us straight.
Jesus, the Great Physician, cared about what his followers would face after his glorious ascension into heaven. He even prayed for them specifically beforehand. He said, “…I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name...” (John 17:9-11)
How comforting to know that Jesus prayed—and continues to pray—for us! We are God’s family, followers of Jesus, bearers of the name of the Triune God which was given to us in Holy Baptism. Today is Mother’s Day—and we certainly thank God for our human families, especially for the role they had in bringing us to faith. Today we also praise God that we are members of another family: God is our Father, Christ is our older brother, and all of us are relatives of each other through faith in him. What a privilege to belong to such a family. What an honor to bear such a name—the name of Christ himself! Thank God that we are members of his family by grace!
The name of Christ—to be a baptized Christian—brings with it many lasting benefits, not the least of which are the forgiveness, life, and salvation he won for us on the cross. But Jesus wanted us to know that here in this world his name would also temporarily bring us suffering. He gave it to us straight! He said, “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name…” (John 15:20-21) He summed it all up by saying, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Peter learned this lesson well. He and the others saw firsthand what happened to Jesus: how he had been arrested, convicted, mocked, beaten, and put to death. He and the others knew that because of Jesus’ name, they could expect the same kind of treatment from the world! Yet, they also saw Jesus rise from the dead and ascended into heaven, so they stood up boldly and testified to the entire world. They weren’t afraid of those who could hurt the body. They rejoiced in their suffering and trusted in God. With this attitude, Peter was inspired by God to write the words we read today. First Peter was intended to be circulated among several different churches: some would only experience persecution in the future, some were just beginning to experience persecution, and some were already right in the middle of it. Today, one of these three categories can be applied to any given church anywhere in the world—including our own! These words were written for us so that we could learn what suffering IS and what it IS NOT.
I) WHAT CHRISTIAN SUFFERING ISN’T:
A) It is not unusual. “Do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”
Here in America, we have been blessed with religious freedom for so long that we forget we are the exception rather than the rule. We forget that there are places where Christians are or have been viciously and violently persecuted for their beliefs. Even where Christians are grudgingly tolerated, they don’t always enjoy respect and approval among their neighbors. Somewhere in the world right now, you can be sure someone is either being threatened or being put to death simply because they are a Christian.
For Christians, suffering is not unusual or surprising. It’s expected! What should surprise us is that here and now we have been able to go for so long without having to face the clear danger of persecution. This should be seen as a rare and unusual blessing from God! We should thank God with all our hearts for each and every day He gives us in which can practice our faith without having to put our own lives or the lives of our families in danger. We should also use it as a God-given opportunity while we still can.
B) It is not invited or deserved. “If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.” (4:15)
There is a difference between suffering for doing wrong and suffering for right. While we don’t delight in the suffering of anyone, some suffering is deserved. When God made us, he designed us to be happy and healthy in our relationship with him. He gave us his laws to safeguard those blessings. When we either intentionally or unintentionally break God’s laws, we go against his original design for our lives. We open ourselves up to the very real possibility of pain and suffering. When this happens, it really isn’t fair to ask, “Why is God letting this happen? Why is he doing this to me?” In such cases we should know that we have nobody to blame but ourselves. An even greater tragedy is that some people will needlessly suffer for eternity because they persistently reject Jesus’ free offer of forgiveness, life and salvation in his Gospel.
On the other hand, when Christians do suffer for their faith, it is never a punishment for something we have done wrong. Persecution never—underline never—means that God doesn’t love us, or that he’s forgotten about us, or anything like that! The trials we endure are never signs of God’s displeasure toward us. Such suffering is simply a result of living in this cruel, sinful world—a world that has turned against and rejected God himself. This kind of suffering is not something to be ashamed of.
C) It is not something to worry OR be careless about!
Jesus said not to worry about our life, what we will eat or drink, or about the body, what we will wear. The Father knows we need these things, and provides them for us. St. Paul also said, “Do not be anxious about anything...” Easy words to say—but difficult to live. I’m not sure of the statistics on this, but I would not be surprised if a great majority of the physical illnesses people face are in some way related to unhealthy stress. Simply put, we can worry ourselves into an early death!
One danger of suffering painful trials is that we can allow ourselves to become filled with worries and fears about tomorrow. As we see troubles brewing all around us, this can cause us to “freeze” or shut down. What if persecution does come? What if I’m not able to handle it? Should we be busy preparing underground shelters, etc., for the day of persecution? Should I be writing my will? What if…? What if…?
There is, however, the opposite danger: that we relax to the point where we just stop caring. In America, have we forgotten that God has blessed us with this time of relative freedom from persecution for a reason—so that we can be especially fruitful in spreading the Gospel for him? Have we forgotten how easily this freedom could be taken away? For this reason, Peter wants us to always be aware that there is someone out there who is constantly at work in the world, trying to destroy the family of God: “Be self-controlled and alert. The devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (5:8)
II) WHAT CHRISTIAN SUFFERING IS:
A) According to Ecclesiastes, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Eccl. 3:1) According to Peter, suffering is an experience now shared by churches throughout the world. (5:9) Yet it is not presented as a terrible tragedy. Instead, we can see it as a time for joy:
1) Because we share in Christ’s sufferings. (4:13a) I’m reminded of a backpacking trip with teenagers. Some of them were complaining about how long the trail was and how heavy the backpacks were. One girl responded by saying, “If you think this is bad, just think about what Jesus had to go through for us on the cross!
In Acts, we read how Peter and the apostles were put in jail. An angel of the Lord rescued them, and in the morning they started teaching people in the temple courts. When the authorities heard about it, they brought them before the Sanhedrin, where the apostles boldly testified about Jesus’ resurrection. Although some wanted to kill them, they let them go after giving them a flogging. “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.” (Acts 5:41)
2) Because we will be overjoyed when Christ’s glory is revealed! (4:13b) Paul writes, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 5:18) Christians can face the possibility of persecution in this present age because our future in Christ is more wonderful than we could possibly imagine.
3) Because God promises a special blessing: “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” (4:14) If persecution does arise, God assures us that we will not have to face it alone, by our own power. He has promised that, when the time comes, he will give us what we need. He will give us his Holy Spirit.
B) Persecution is a time for praise. Christians are like a different kind of “grape”. The average person, when squeezed, produces sour juice. Troubles come, and out comes grumbling and griping and complaining. When you squeeze a Christian, though, something different happens. Out comes a sweet song of praise! When Paul and Silas were thrown in prison, they started praying and singing hymns to God. It was midnight. An earthquake came and the doors flew open and the chains came loose, but not one of the other prisoners tried to escape! As a result, the jailer and his whole family were converted and baptized. (Acts 16:25-34) Peter writes, “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” (4:16)
C) Persecution is a time for humility. Don’t turn on the “cruise control” when troubles come. Don’t look for the nearest exit. Don’t slam on the brakes, either! It’s a time for God to be in the driver’s seat in our lives—so let him take the wheel! This is when he does some of his best work in us! Paul writes in Romans, “we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4) When suffering comes, we can simply look for God’s mighty hand in it. (5:6a) His hand isn’t over us to crush us. It’s there to protect and keep us safe, so we can learn valuable lessons!
In western Kansas, there was a family that was bothered by the tumbleweeds that always cluttered their property. One day, however, they got an idea. Why not sell them on the Internet? As light as tumbleweeds are, you can ship them all over the world for very little postage. Believe it or not, there are parts of the world where people actually want tumbleweeds! (Don’t ask me why!) It ended up being a very profitable experience for this family.
God can turn our tumbleweeds into treasures if we adopt Christ’s attitude of humility and are willing to be taught. Through persecution, we learn how faithful God is, that we can depend on him no matter what. We also know that, as happened with Christ, the same hand under which we are humbled will one day lift us up again. (5:6b)
D) Finally, persecution is a time for faith.
Faith in God means taking our troubles to him in the present. This is one of my favorite Scripture verses! “Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (5:7) We can pray to God about our problems. We don’t have to try to handle them alone. God wants to help us! He wants to hear his family pray. When we do, he promises a peace that passes all understanding. (Philippians 4:7)
Trusting God also means standing on his Word, believing his unshakable promises for future. Here we have just such a promise: “The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.” (5:10) Wow!
Conclusion: When Jesus “gave it to them straight” the disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” (Jn 16:29-30) Through apostles like Peter, God also gives us the bad news straight: we can expect to suffer. This world can be a dangerous place. There are spiritual enemies that we must face. As Peter says, “it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God.” (4:17) But there is also good news—thank God that we are his family in the first place! Because by grace we bear the name of Jesus, who himself suffered for us—who died, rose, and ascended in glory—now is a time for joy! It is a time for praise. It is a time for humility. It is a time for faith. “To [God] be the power forever and ever. Amen.”
