In an earlier study, we explored the meaning of Jesus’ suffering. Let me recap.
Jesus was made like us.
He was born with the nature of the first Adam, before he fell, that is, able to sin and able not to sin. Jesus is called “the last Adam”.
“For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way…
Hebrews 2:16-17a NIV
Jesus suffered being tempted.
To give in to temptation, that is, to act on His own instead of out of obedience to the Father, would have meant death…for Him and the human race.
“Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
Hebrews 2:18 NIV
Jesus was tempted “in the flesh”, that is in His human nature. He was tempted to react to the way others treated Him by retaliating in some way, out of His emotions, out of insecurity, or in defence. However, Jesus never reacted to persecution by reflecting the words or actions back on those who insulted or abused Him.
“Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body (His “flesh”, that is, in His human nature), arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin.”
1 Peter 4:1 NIV
Jesus always chose to absorb the mistreatment by entrusting Himself to the Father’s justice. His defence was truth, not emotion. He used the Word of God to silence His accusers.
Jesus taught His disciples how to deal with persecution.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:11-12 NIV
His strategy to handle persecution was twofold.
“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.”
1 Peter 2:23 NIV
- He refrained from reacting.
- He trusted the Father to vindicate Him.
The Apostle Paul learned this lesson through hardship and persecution…he prayed for deliverance but God said, “No!”
“…Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me (the temptation to retaliate). Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 NIV
Paul turned hardship and persecution into celebration because thanksgiving in his suffering submitted ti the discipline, killed the desire to retaliate, and gave him power over his weakness.
Now let’s apply these principles to our lives when we are tempted to react out if our fleshly nature to any kind of suffering, hardship, or persecution. .
Since our sinful human nature always wants to reacts to any kind of suffering especially criticism or abuse, we will interpret such behaviour as rejection. Our first natural reaction to rejection will be some form of retaliation. We will resort to self-defence or counter accusation to deflect the offence away from our injured “ego”.
We can either compound the sin of our accuser by our own sinful counter-reactions or we can choose not to retaliate by absorbing the insults, accusations, criticism, without reaction.
This way of non-retaliation depends on the way we view ourselves in the light of what God says about us. If we are secure in the love of God, we will not be moved by the opinions of others. If we depend on ourselves for self- preservation, we will be quick to retaliate, believing and absorbing the “poison” from others into ourselves and allowing it to damage our confidence in God.
Once again, Jesus has given us the solution. Turn opposition into opportunity! Rejoice and be glad! The weapon of thanksgiving will immediately neutralise any temptation to retaliate.
Thanksgiving is the language of faith. It turns our attention away from self to the Lord and defuses anger and resentment. God’s Word renews our minds with truth. Whatever God says about me is more real and powerful than any abusive language or behaviour thrown at me which is a lie and does not exist.
This is “spiritual warfare” in essence, nullifying lies with truth, and taking the heat out of conflict by dousing the flames of emotion with the cool head of reality. What God has said carries far more weight than anything any person says and, best of all, God’s peace continues to reign in the heart.