Scripture: “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.”
Observation: I’ve gone round and round on this one honestly. The thing that first grabs my attention is right in the middle where Paul says, “and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions…” That is a tough saying to untangle. It seems to me from reading Paul elsewhere, and the NT as a whole, that Paul doesn’t believe Jesus’ sacrifice is incomplete or insufficient. However, it isn’t immediately clear how to parse this one out without the help of some commentaries.
So, since what we’re doing in Seeds of Faith is practice scripture reflection based on what we observe in a verse or passage on our own, I’m taking this opportunity to say that I’m not sure what to make of that part today. That’s okay for this SOAP reflection practice and I’m giving anyone permission to say, “Hmm, I don’t know,” sometimes too. Better to do that than to overreach or find things that aren’t really there. The point of this SOAP practice is to observe and find something that speaks to me, not comment on everything I see. The same is true for you.
Giving myself permission to say, “I’m not sure about that part,” today opens me up to notice and reflect more on the beginning part of that sentence: “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you.” Suffering in and of itself is no good. It exacts a toll—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually. Even in the service of something worthwhile, like providing for one’s family, or helping a friend in need, suffering is usually tolerated and taken as the cost involved in doing that good thing. Paul takes it to a higher level. Not only is he willing to tolerate suffering in the service of something good—spreading the Gospel—Paul has such a heart for the power of the Gospel in people’s lives that he rejoices in the suffering required to spread it. Colossians is one of the letters Paul wrote while in prison, so he’s not kidding about suffering. Christ is such a tremendous gift in the Colossians’ lives, the joy at presenting the Gift overshadows the strife. In this, Paul has the mind and heart of Christ.
Application: What does it take to go from tolerating suffering for a worthwhile cause to rejoicing about it? What does that say about Paul’s love for Christ and the Colossians?
Prayer: Lord, fill me with love for Christ and for the people in my life and community. May I be not my own, but yours*, for the sake of your glory. Amen.
*See the “Wesleyan Covenant Prayer” here for a powerful prayer on this theme.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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Thank you, Guy, for admitting when you don’t fully understand a passage! That gives us all permission to admit the same 😌
In my New Living Translation Bible, “I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.” This translation seems a little easier to understand (for me). My understanding from this passage seems to relate the personal suffering, perhaps persecution or maybe even physical abuse of Paul as he spread the Good News of Christ. As we work to bring people to Christ, we may suffer rejection, intolerance, etc. which causes us (mental)!pain but we should shoulder willingly because we may bring others into His Kingdom. Any pain we feel in this regard should not be a burden but a joy. After all look what Christ suffered for us?!