I like to share my thoughts on theological and philosophical topics. I am also a student working through an MDiv and occasionally share papers on the blog. If you have any questions on a paper or blog post, send me a message! I’d love to talk with you about it.


Good Friday Joey Bolognone Good Friday Joey Bolognone

Suffering is a Gift

What would it look like if the driving factor in our choices was not to avoid suffering?

Being betrayed by the emotionally immature? That would be an opportunity to display grace and loyalty, not an offense to recover from.

Turning the other cheek when someone slaps you in the face? That would be a chance to pronounce a blessing on them, not hit them back.

Why? Because we’re delighted to suffer—if our suffering has even the slightest potential of drawing someone else into closer orbit with the ways of Jesus.

Suffering is a Gift

Have you ever pressed hard into a season of prayer with God, crying out for a breakthrough, for healing, for relief,

and when God answers, you get incredibly excited:

My help is coming!

Only to find that your answer from God is a blessed season of continued suffering?

This is what happened to the disciples in the gospel of Mark.

For centuries, Jews had been crying out to God for miraculous deliverance from foreign oppression. Throughout Mark’s gospel, Jesus has been proving to his disciples through miracles, exorcisms, and powerful teaching that He is, in fact, their awaited deliverance.

After feeding 4000 people with 7 loaves of bread and a few fish (another amazing miracle), Jesus asks his disciples,

“Who do you say that I am?”

Peter responds, “You are the Christ.”

Wow! Deliverance is here! God has come!

But Jesus tells the disciples to keep quiet and warns them that His next assignment is to be

rejected,

to suffer,

and die.

Jesus is about to radically redefine what the gift of redemption looks like.

Ironically when Peter disagrees with Jesus and discourages the path he’s chosen, Jesus rebukes Peter for completely missing the will of God,

Get behind Me, Satan;

for you are not setting your mind on

God’s purposes, but on man’s (ESV).

Peter’s desire for Jesus to avoid suffering put him in league with Satan and the religious elite—and in opposition with God.

Think about that for a second.

What would it look like if the driving factor in our choices was not to avoid suffering?

Living in squalor among the poor and destitute in order to reach them? That would be a blessing, not a burden.

Paying off someone else’s debts when you’ve been wise with your own money? That would be an honor, not unfair.

Being betrayed by the emotionally immature? That would be an opportunity to display grace and forgiveness, not an offense to recover from.

Turning the other cheek when someone slaps you in the face? That would be a chance to pronounce a blessing on them, not hit them back.

Why?

Because we’re delighted to suffer—if our suffering has even the slightest potential of drawing someone else into closer orbit with the ways of Jesus.

Each time Jesus predicts his death, his disciples fail to get it. They respond with pride and incomprehension. They cannot fathom an outcome where their government continues to oppress them and their popular rabbi dies in shame and embarrassment. How is this a good thing?!

Many people today embrace servanthood, but only until serving leads to suffering. That’s when most bail.

I’ll serve you until that serving starts to hurt, and then I’m out.

Jesus served us right into a bloody death, and if he had bailed too soon, we’d all be lost in darkness.

Who is God calling you to serve today in order to radically alter their impression of His love,

and what form of suffering has become the excuse you use to avoid serving them?

Every time they sin, do you find yourself longing to bear the weight of their suffering if it could draw them closer to the love of Jesus?

The messiah must pass through suffering and sacrifice on his way to glory.

For us.

Who can you suffer for, to help bring them and yourself, after the footsteps of Jesus, to glory?

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