In my last post I talked about Christ wanting to heal us. While this is true, it is also true that Christ wants to give our temporary suffering meaning and purpose.
We know Jesus wants to give our suffering meaning and purpose when he says, “Take up your cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; Matthew 16:24).
Notice Jesus doesn’t just say, “Take up your cross.” To only take up the cross would mean, “stop complaining,” “grin and bear it,” or “suffer alone.” These things make suffering cruel and meaningless.
But that’s not what Jesus says. Jesus says, “Take up your cross and follow me.” It is the “follow me” that shows he wants to give our suffering purpose.
To follow Christ and his cross means to participate in the redemptive suffering of the cross. We know this because it is due to Christ’s suffering and death on the cross, that we are redeemed. By following Christ and offering our suffering in union with Jesus on the Cross for the redemption of the world, we are not only following him, we are taking part in the divine act of salvation. What is more meaningful than that?
The first example we see of anyone participating in Christ’s divine act of salvation is during Christ’s crucifixion:
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us.” The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, “Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43)
Now, both these thieves seemed to recognize the power in Jesus, and both turn to him in their suffering. The first thief, finding his suffering meaningless, rebels against his suffering by asking Jesus to save him in an earthly way, but the second thief, finds meaning in his suffering. By saying, “…the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal,” (Luke 23:41) demonstrates that he knows he needs to accept his suffering in reparation for his sins. How does this make sense? Let me explain…
When I was a little girl, I purposefully broke one of my sister’s toys. My parents justly asked me to apologize to her. And while my sister forgave me, the right and proper thing for me to do to repair the damage between us, was to go to my piggy bank, break it open, and buy her a new toy.
Our suffering is like that. My sister didn’t need me to buy her a new toy in exchange for forgiveness, but the gesture of buying her a new toy, an act of love and repentance on my part, helped further unite us in our sisterly bonds.
In the same way, our act of offering up our suffering with Jesus on the cross also strengthens our relationship with God. Jesus’ response to the second thief demonstrates this.
He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).
To offer our suffering with Jesus on the cross, not only gives our suffering meaning, it is also one of the greatest acts of love we can give to our Lord. It is an act that shows our solidarity with his suffering, death, and resurrection for our redemption.
