The ultimate and obvious example of suffering out of love for God and humanity is Jesus, The Suffering Servant, The Anointed One, Messiah, The Christ...
"But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things, and through Whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings," Heb 2:9-10.
"Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name," Phil 2:5-9
21 "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls," 1 Peter 2:21-25.
BUT lest we say, "well that was Jesus, of course He had to suffer..."
Saul of Tarsus is a human example of mercy -- he had been in association with persecuting Christians to their death and imprisonment, yet after he was converted by direct intervention of Jesus The Messiah, he was called as a "chosen Apostle." He was specifically called to preach the Gospel to areas and races other than merely Jewish, write Scripture and teach and preach. He was granted not only salvation, but "the ability to suffer for The Name of Jesus sake," Acts 9:15-16, Phil 1:29.
Yet, Paul admits times of suffering greater than he could bear: "We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead," 2 Cor 1:8-9.
As we read through Acts, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter and 2nd Peter (Really the whole New Testament), we see that suffering is a blessing to be embraced when it comes (we don't have to search it out, it comes to all to train us all), and it is often more than we can bear, yet it's end result is the peaceful fruit of righteousness, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it," Heb 12:11, and eternal reward, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne," Rev 3:21.
1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials / so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.
Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
"The exchange rate of earthly suffering to eternal reward is incomparably greater than one ounce of suffering to one billion pounds of eternal glory" ~ Anon.
Father, help us not ignore or "redact" parts of The Teaching of Christ and The Apostles that are uncomfortable. Help us have an understanding of redemptive suffering, not that we seek it out or bring it on ourselves, but merely that we endure it with the attitude of Christ Jesus and more accurately glorify You, through the Power of The Holy Spirit, in Jesus' Name...
"But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for Whom are all things, and through Whom are all things, in bringing many children to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings," Heb 2:9-10.
"Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name," Phil 2:5-9
21 "For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
22 “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;
23 who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25 For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls," 1 Peter 2:21-25.
BUT lest we say, "well that was Jesus, of course He had to suffer..."
Saul of Tarsus is a human example of mercy -- he had been in association with persecuting Christians to their death and imprisonment, yet after he was converted by direct intervention of Jesus The Messiah, he was called as a "chosen Apostle." He was specifically called to preach the Gospel to areas and races other than merely Jewish, write Scripture and teach and preach. He was granted not only salvation, but "the ability to suffer for The Name of Jesus sake," Acts 9:15-16, Phil 1:29.
Yet, Paul admits times of suffering greater than he could bear: "We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead," 2 Cor 1:8-9.
As we read through Acts, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter and 2nd Peter (Really the whole New Testament), we see that suffering is a blessing to be embraced when it comes (we don't have to search it out, it comes to all to train us all), and it is often more than we can bear, yet it's end result is the peaceful fruit of righteousness, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it," Heb 12:11, and eternal reward, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne," Rev 3:21.
1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials / so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison.
Romans 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.
"The exchange rate of earthly suffering to eternal reward is incomparably greater than one ounce of suffering to one billion pounds of eternal glory" ~ Anon.
Father, help us not ignore or "redact" parts of The Teaching of Christ and The Apostles that are uncomfortable. Help us have an understanding of redemptive suffering, not that we seek it out or bring it on ourselves, but merely that we endure it with the attitude of Christ Jesus and more accurately glorify You, through the Power of The Holy Spirit, in Jesus' Name...
