“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:10)
Because my, or your physical or mental pain is nothing in comparison to the suffering our Lord endured on the cross, should we consider it a lite thing when we suffer?
Does He?
Those that love you will endure with you, a form of suffering in itself, they are, as much as they are able to, bearing your burden with you, assisting in whatever manner they can to ease your pain. But it is your pain, no one can feel it as acutely as you can.
So then, here is the question we must ask ourselves, all the verses of the Scriptures that are in context with Isaiah 52:14, “As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:” about our Savior’s suffering, the intense physical pain, the words that came from the depth of His heart. “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46)
Does the knowledge of what He experienced for you, for me, for all that call upon Him for the salvation of their souls ease your immediate pain? Can the mind that serves Christ within you receive comfort knowing that everything you are suffering is nothing in comparison to what He experienced?
I cannot count all the times that someone has said to me, “Well, it could have been worse.” They are of course referencing to death, for to them that is the ultimate pain. It is, in a sense, if you can contemplate it, an inner knowledge within them that hell awaits them.
Even if you were taken captive by evil men whose sole intent was to cause you as much pain as possible before they killed you, you could not experience the pain our Lord suffered.
“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28)
None who have been born-again will ever experience the Almighty turning His back on us, not one of us will ever experience the torment of hell.
“For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalm 16:10)
It can never be “worse” for us my friends.
There is something within us, something more than what I know how to express in words, a singular part of us that only the Living God can touch and that only responds to God Himself that never even contemplates pain, never considers it or gives it a second thought. It is the perfect realization of eternal assurance, of unmitigated faith, of unquestioning truth that we are His forever.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13)
This is one of those things, possibly the most important thing we can do through Christ, rest assured in every one of His promises when the pain becomes unbearable.
This is far beyond the knowledge that one day there will be no more pain or tears again, this is the ability to recognize that suffering today as a lite thing. It entails, in part, being able to compare our suffering with His, but it is even beyond that, it is past accepting the fact that it is where He wants you to be for His glory.
“And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.” (Rev. 15:3)
It is complete submission to the Father solely out of our love for Him.
I do not believe that many of us will ever reach that point, it is the fulfillment of the fellowship of His suffering, it is the complete and total death of self, it is being able to say with our Savior, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42)
“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:14)
Give all of you that you can to Him, and then ask Him to reveal to you how to give even more. We can do no less for Him who gave all.
