Suffering

[Edwardjohn]

I have a question. How does one learn obedience through suffering?

 

[Gertabelle]

I have a question. How does one learn obedience through suffering?

Why obedience?

God has allowed me some pretty intense suffering this week, and it’s not likely to let up soon. I am a musician who just five days ago lost one finger entirely, and have three damaged fingers, two with pins in them. So the topic of suffering is very close to my heart.

For me, it is the virtue of joyful surrender that is being built up through God’s graces at this time. Honestly, suffering given with joy to Our Lord, and united to the cross of Christ, with selfless love for others – these are powerful prayers and a swift way to God. Of course, as we come nearer to God, we desire with growing intensity to love and serve Him with obedience, rather than seeking our own will.

Growing in virtues is an interconnected process.

Typing with one hand is slow, so I will stop now. Not sure I was any help, but I wil be praying for you.

Gertie

 

[Lief_Erikson]

I’m sure the question is based on Hebrews 5:7-9,

7During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

It’s easy to obey when life is good and obedience to God is easy. It’s hard to obey when suffering is necessary. For instance, read the account of the Garden of Gethsemane. The Father told Jesus to suffer and die for the world. Jesus prayed in the Garden, “if it is possible, take this cup from me, but not my will, but thy will be done.” That is obedience in suffering, something that would be hard for any man to do when obedience calls him to suffer, and would especially be hard when obedience calls Christ to take on all the suffering and sin of the world.

This is an unfathomable gain in spiritual grace that comes through suffering.

Consider people anywhere who are under pressure from their environment to deny Christ. For instance, a young person in public school whose peers all believe fornication and abortion are fine. How hard it must be for such a person to obey the Church in such circumstances! This person can either fall away or learn obedience through suffering and come out of the fire all the stronger.

Suffering through obedience to God or His Church creates godly character. It can create many virtues, but greater fidelity to God and His representatives, greater obedience to what is right, is certainly a result of godly perseverance in suffering. Through suffering, one comes to value more what one has and also become more steadfastly, faithfully united with it.

 

[Edwardjohn]

Why obedience?

Gertie

Because scripture says that “He learned obedience from what He suffered.” And I was just trying to figure out how this worked.

 

[Lief_Erikson]

God bless you, Gertabelle! I’m sure you’ve noticed how these terrible trials you’re enduring have come on Holy Week, the week of the Lord’s great suffering, the Sacred Heart of Lent. The timing reveals how God is using this to bind you to His Passion, and the merits in Heaven shall be everlasting.

 

[Edwardjohn]

I’m sure the question is based on Hebrews 5:7-9,

7During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

It’s easy to obey when life is good and obedience to God is easy. It’s hard to obey when suffering is necessary. For instance, read the account of the Garden of Gethsemane. The Father told Jesus to suffer and die for the world. Jesus prayed in the Garden, “if it is possible, take this cup from me, but not my will, but thy will be done.” That is obedience in suffering, something that would be hard for any man to do when obedience calls him to suffer, and would especially be hard when obedience calls Christ to take on all the suffering and sin of the world.

This is an unfathomable gain in spiritual grace that comes through suffering.

Consider people anywhere who are under pressure from their environment to deny Christ. For instance, a young person in public school whose peers all believe fornication and abortion are fine. How hard it must be for such a person to obey the Church in such circumstances! This person can either fall away or learn obedience through suffering and come out of the fire all the stronger.

Suffering through obedience to God or His Church creates godly character. It can create many virtues, but greater fidelity to God and His representatives, greater obedience to what is right, is certainly a result of godly perseverance in suffering. Through suffering, one comes to value more what one has and also become more steadfastly, faithfully united with it.

So it would be learning obedience through suffering vs. learning obedience through joy or pleasure or happiness. A tough thing to do. It has just now dawned on me!! Wow, this forum is a blessing from God! Seriously. Although, sometimes I see a lot of bickering. Anyway, thank you very much!

 

[Lief_Erikson]

Edwardjohn:

So it would be learning obedience through suffering vs. learning obedience through joy or pleasure or happiness.

Yep.

Edwardjohn:

A tough thing to do. It has just now dawned on me!! Wow, this forum is a blessing from God! Seriously. Although, sometimes I see a lot of bickering. Anyway, thank you very much!

Glad I could help .

 

[JaredR]

You can learn obedience through suffering by acknowledging that your suffering is what God has put before you for the present moment and submitting to that fact with humility.

 

[Lancer]

I have a question. How does one learn obedience through suffering?

So it would be learning obedience through suffering vs. learning obedience through joy or pleasure or happiness. A tough thing to do. It has just now dawned on me!! Wow, this forum is a blessing from God! Seriously. Although, sometimes I see a lot of bickering. Anyway, thank you very much! __________________

I would add:

Philippians 2: 5-11 (King James Version)

5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. **
9Wherefore ** God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: **
10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; **
11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It was by this testing…this being **obedient…in suffering (death…even death on a cross) that Jesus…as the Son of Man…learned how greatly the Father judged this obedience…in accepting this extreme suffering (vice…for example… the lesser suffering of being humbled to take on human existence…being incarnated)…that he (the Father) highly exalted Jesus as the Son of Man…and raised him from the dead…**and decreed…

10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; **
** 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father

So, it is like Jesus knows that obedience is key…but He learned that there are degrees of suffering…and if great suffering is accepted (not even done yet) to attempt to fulfill the Father’s will…the Father sees it as** “a greatness of obedience”…** so great…that the Father…will give him everything…I mean everything…He will hold nothing back…and guess what…we are part of that great “deal”…in Jesus’ willingness of obedience to (simply) accept the suffering (even before it happened)…the Father exalted the whole human race to be redeemed (but…the working out or our individual salvation (as St. Paul says Phil 2: 12) “…in trembling and fear…”…that is, to cash in on this great redemption “deal”…it is still up to us…becasue God created us without our free will consent, but He will not save us without our free will consent (can’t remember the saint that said this)…a consent that He requires of us every moment of every day of our life!..begging for mercy – whether in personal prayer or sacrament – is simply a reaffirmation of our free will consent for him to save us).

Lastly…Saint John Chrysostom…says that Jesus learned that (our) perfection comes from obedience in suffering…period…. **Amen! **

For your consideration,
Pax Christi

P.S. I am not saying that Jesus did not have to be crucified and die on the cross…but that when Our Lord Jesus beat the Devil again in the Garden of Gethsemane (errierly and effectively portrayed in Mel Gibson’s ***The Passion of the Christ) ***…it was a done “deal”…The Lion of the Tribe of Judah roared…but as The Lamb of God (Rev 5: 1-5)…who took away the sin of the world…and the Devil was defeated again…once and for all!

 

[wxboss]

So it would be learning obedience through suffering vs. learning obedience through joy or pleasure or happiness. A tough thing to do. It has just now dawned on me!! Wow, this forum is a blessing from God! Seriously. Although, sometimes I see a lot of bickering. Anyway, thank you very much!

Obedience is what God desires most (Hosea 6:6: For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.)

God wants us to trust Him, but there is a tendency to “forget God” when things go well, so He lovingly moves into our state of complacency and wakes us up to what is real, Himself! Suddenly, our little world starts to crumble, and God does this to show us that only He is worthy of our trust and our life. It is hard in the beginning, but faithful trust in our Loving God will prove so much greater grace not only in the world to come, but in this one as well.

God loves you enough to destroy everything you had faith in besides Him. Go to Him and surrender all your weaknesses and shortcomings and you will find Him even greater than you could possibly imagine!

 

[Lief_Erikson]

You can learn obedience through suffering by acknowledging that your suffering is what God has put before you for the present moment and submitting to that fact with humility.

Very succinct and well said!

 

[Edwardjohn]

I get it. Through all of your posts I have been schooled. Thank you all very much and, if anyone reading wants to expand that would also be appreciated,greatly. Happy Easter to all of my brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ!

 

[Lief_Erikson]

A glorious Easter to you!

 

[Gertabelle]

I’m sure the question is based on Hebrews 5:7-9,

7During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

It’s easy to obey when life is good and obedience to God is easy. It’s hard to obey when suffering is necessary. For instance, read the account of the Garden of Gethsemane. The Father told Jesus to suffer and die for the world. Jesus prayed in the Garden, “if it is possible, take this cup from me, but not my will, but thy will be done.” That is obedience in suffering, something that would be hard for any man to do when obedience calls him to suffer, and would especially be hard when obedience calls Christ to take on all the suffering and sin of the world.

This is an unfathomable gain in spiritual grace that comes through suffering.

Consider people anywhere who are under pressure from their environment to deny Christ. For instance, a young person in public school whose peers all believe fornication and abortion are fine. How hard it must be for such a person to obey the Church in such circumstances! This person can either fall away or learn obedience through suffering and come out of the fire all the stronger.

Suffering through obedience to God or His Church creates godly character. It can create many virtues, but greater fidelity to God and His representatives, greater obedience to what is right, is certainly a result of godly perseverance in suffering. Through suffering, one comes to value more what one has and also become more steadfastly, faithfully united with it.

What an awesome post! Thank you!

God bless you, Gertabelle! I’m sure you’ve noticed how these terrible trials you’re enduring have come on Holy Week, the week of the Lord’s great suffering, the Sacred Heart of Lent. The timing reveals how God is using this to bind you to His Passion, and the merits in Heaven shall be everlasting.

I don’t think I could have endured this without the graces of Holy Week.

Gertie