Morning Prayer Reflection 15 Feb, 2019

This reflection is based on
Psalm 88
Isaiah 61:1-9
2 Timothy 3:1-17
Mark 10:32-45

The theme of suffering is common all throughout Scripture and is emphasized in the epistle and gospel lessons. Jesus predicts His death and resurrection to the disciples, which we know was an excruciating suffering for Jesus; being mocked, beaten, and crucified. The disciples did not understand this message yet, having only the concept of a king that would overthrow the current powers of their time and establishing His kingdom on Earth. James and John make a request known to Jesus to be seated in positions of honor. Jesus responds to them saying that they must share in His sufferings, this being the only thing Jesus promises them and adding that the Father wills who will be seated at His right and left. In making this known to James, John, and the Ten, Jesus then says that the authority given them is to be used in service, neither to be served or to intimidate others.

Paul in his second letter to Timothy, warns him of the dangers and sufferings to be experienced, not as to scare him out of ministry but as a means of encouragement as Paul suffered persecution himself, and testifying to Christ's deliverance. Through this epistle, Paul charges Timothy to persevere, knowing the Scriptures since his infancy and reassuring their inspiration from God, knowing that all instruction received from them equips him for the work of ministry.

The Church even today participates in suffering, albeit in different ways depending on what part of the world you reside. Much of the developed world, Faithful face post-modernism, false teachers leading astray church after church, that certain precepts don't apply as well as allowing other faiths to use the consecrated spaces for idol worship. In the developing world, they face the like of Islamists or hostile government regimes systematically imprisoning and/or killing members of Christian communities and their families, regardless of their level of involvement. All of this promised to happen by Jesus Himself, not that He wants it to happen, I'm certain, but because our very nature is against what He's for.

In Paul's exhortations to Timothy, to look at him as an example, in this scriptural light we should look at the examples of the persecuted for our own encouragement and be ready ourselves for suffering on any and every level, being reminded that the authority given to us as disciples is not of our merit but by Jesus Christ; resting our identity in Him and remaining in solidarity with our brothers and sisters across this and every land who are persecuted for His sake, and trusting in His grand promises of Salvation.