October 5, 2018
Hebrews 2:5-12 …“It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” vs. 10
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews was confident that Jesus was every bit as human as anyone else, otherwise, the things that he did and the hope that he brought would have no meaning to mortals. But, since Jesus did share in our humanity, we are able to follow him on the way to eternal life. He was the pioneer of our salvation! And there’s one more bit of hope for us! We should not regard suffering as being a barrier on the road to glory–and why not? Because Jesus who leads the way, suffered as well. In fact, the writer believed that Jesus was perfected through his sufferings! Some of us probably aren’t comfortable with that kind of language. It comes from the world of temple worship and sacrifice. But, for people who were steeped in that background, such words brought comfort and understanding. Jesus’ sacrificial suffering opened the way to complete forgiveness and hope. For us, the hope comes from knowing that suffering is part of the journey; and in fact, can be seen as a blessing. Not that we will seek it out. We get plenty just by being alive! But it’s good to know that there will be an end to pain and life will be good again.
Thought for the Day: How has suffering benefited me?
0 Comments