A Gift Granted Humanity

imjwood4
Aug 13
2 min read

…the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the subsequent glory. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in regard to the things that have now been announced to you through those who brought you good news by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look! – 1 Peter:11b-12 (NRSVCE)

Most of us like to avoid suffering at all costs. But I propose that, beneath the surface of appearances, suffering may be a gift granted in a unique way to humanity.

God created us in His own image, with both a body and a soul. Ever since sin entered the world, we experience all suffering, save the spiritual suffering of separation from God, through our bodies. But God didn’t leave us there.

He came down from heaven and took on a human body in order to share in our suffering and—through suffering—to restore our relationship with God and relieve us of the suffering of separation from Him. To redeem suffering.

Jesus’ willingness to suffer on our behalf reveals one of the deepest truths of Who God is: God is love. But not just any love. God is sacrificial love. The kind of love that keeps on loving no matter what it costs or has to endure. Even—especially—suffering.

It is this sacrificial love of God that Saint Peter tells us amazes the angels, that “into which angels long to look” (1 Peter:12b). Angels, as pure spirits with no bodies, can never offer up sacrificial love through suffering in the same way Jesus did.

But we can.

Because of God’s gift to humanity of both spirit and body, made in His image and likeness with the freedom to make choices, we have the potential to choose to suffer for the good of another in a beautiful reflection of God’s love for us.

In this way, we can join our sufferings and sacrifices to Jesus’ ultimate suffering and sacrifice on the cross in order to help save souls. Because our destination is heaven, where suffering will finally be no more.

We don’t have an endless number of chances to offer sacrifices to God for others. One day, we’ll run out of chances to show sacrificial love. So don’t waste God’s gift of redeeming suffering.

Accept it from God’s hands with wonder and thanksgiving.