Col

Col. 1:24-2:3

2/11/2007

“I Rejoice in My Sufferings for Your Sake”

“I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake….” How blessed are those who have someone to utter those words to them with all sincerity! Most of our acquaintances are probably no more than fair-weather friends. With such people everything is fine and rosy until things go wrong--then they are nowhere to be found, or, the thorns begin to show. But we shouldn’t be too quick to judge them. Probably we ourselves are no more than fair-weather friends to many of our acquaintances, even to our friends and families. We may be willing to suffer for a few of them, but more often with bitterness and resentment for all the troubles they are causing us than with joy; often out of cool obligation and duty rather than out of aching love; often to save face rather than to truly care for them.

But maybe it is more tragic and unfortunate to have no one to say what Paul said to the Colossians--no one to love deeply, no one to say with all of our hearts, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake….” If we have no one to love deeply, maybe it is not because there is no one worthy of our love--if the person we love is totally worthy of our love, if the person we love is easy to love, what merit is there? And if such was the case, how can we expect others to love us as Paul loved the Colossians? Who of us are truly worthy of someone’s sacrificial, suffering love? If we have no one to love deeply, maybe it is not because we lack the people to love; maybe it is because our heart is cold, like the bare, frozen garden of the selfish giant in a children’s story, which was always winter because the selfish giant didn’t want to share it with anyone else.

Listen to Paul’s words to the Colossians again: “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake….” There was no doubt that the Colossians were blessed to have someone like Paul to love them and to love them as he did. But what did Paul say? He declared that the joy was his because he suffered for their sake! The joy was his because he had someone to suffer gladly for! Paul’s words reflected what our Lord said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Oh, how I am convicted and humbled and moved and challenged by these words? I hope you too are drawn by these words to delve deeper into the divinely inspired words of the Apostle Paul.

It is easy to see throughout the whole passage how intense Paul’s love was for the Colossians. In this short passage of nine verses he says his sufferings were for them four times: “for your sake” (1:24); “for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (1:24); “the stewardship from God that was given to me for you” (1:25); “I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all…” (2:1).

We can also easily observe how costly Paul’s love for the Colossians was: “my sufferings” (1:24); “I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” (1:24); “For this I toil, struggling [that is, laboring intensely] with all his energy that he powerfully works within me” (1:29); “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have…” (2:1).

What is even more amazing is the fact that Paul had not even seen them in person (2:1)! We say, “Out of sight, out of mind.” We say that even of our friends and families that were once close and dear to us. Yet how great was Paul’s love for the Colossians, whom he had never met! We ourselves know that there is a world of difference between praying for the missionaries we have met and for those we have not. But we also know that in some ways it is much easier to “love” someone far away than someone close to us, whose faults we see and endure everyday. Was Paul’s love for them nothing more than such a romanticized love? Certainly not, for a romanticized love does not make sacrifices; it does not have enough substance to gladly suffer for its love. Yet Paul rejoiced in his sufferings for the sake of the Colossians he had never met. Note the plural, “sufferings”. He suffered greatly for his love and his sufferings were manifold: his imprisonment for the gospel ministry was just one of the many, many sufferings he went through for the sake of Gentile missions (cf. 2 Cor. 11:24-28). His love for them was real and costly even though he had never seen them. What prompted such a great, intense love in Paul?

Paul’s love is all the more amazing when we consider that the Colossians were Gentiles in the flesh (1:28). We all know of the tense relationship between the Jews and the Gentiles at that time. Paul characterized it as “enmity”, separated by “the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:15, 14). When Peter was brought to Cornelius’ house, he said, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation…” (Acts 10:28). When Jesus talked to the Samaritan woman at the well, she was taken aback and said, “‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?’ (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)” (John 4:9).

So then, what would take Paul, a Jew and a Pharisee at that, to love these Gentiles this way? In this passage he mentions his stewardship from God--the gospel ministry to the Gentiles, which God entrusted to him. But this stewardship was but a by-product of something greater. His stewardship was particularly of “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints” (1:26). We can sense that there is something radical about the revelation of this mystery “now” in this present time--something monumental, momentous, epoch-making. Paul hinted at the true nature and extent of this epochal transition when he described Jesus Christ as “the firstborn from the dead” (1:18)--the Lord of the new creation as He was the Lord of the first creation (1:15-17).

What would take Paul, a Jew and a Pharisee at that, to love these Gentiles this way? We answer: nothing short of the end of the present order of things and the creation of a new one! And that is exactly what happened in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! Throughout redemptive history, there had been cases of people being raised from the dead. But the resurrection of Christ is unique among them all. He was directly raised by God without any human agency. Yes, we can say that Lazarus and Jairus’ little girl and the only son of the widow at Nain were all raised directly by God since they were raised from the dead by Jesus the Son of God. But here is the second and the more important unique feature of Jesus’ resurrection: Jesus was raised unto eternal life while all others died again.

This resurrection of Christ was not just a curious, rare oddity in history. It was truly a watershed, an event that changed the world forever--indeed the inauguration of a cosmic new creation--not just in a metaphorical sense but in a true, historical sense--to bring about a new heaven and a new earth, to usher in the eternal kingdom of heaven. You may ask, how is that true? Even secular scholars may acknowledge the enormous social, political and religious impact that Christianity has had on world history. But that is hardly a new creation in the true sense of the word, is it? The world doesn’t look that much different now than what it used to look like before the resurrection--the mountains and the rivers and the oceans look pretty much the same and the same natural laws govern our physical world as they have done since the creation. Where is the cosmic new creation?

What we have in the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the inauguration of the new creation, the intrusion of the power and life of heaven into this world order. There have been many invasions of heaven into this world throughout redemptive history. All the miracles were such invasions. All of God’s supernatural revelation, such as His theophanic appearances and His words to the prophets, were such heavenly invasions as well. However, we can say that they were but preliminary forays launched in advance of the main invasion, which is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. How so? The miracles accomplished only temporary results. Take healing for an instance. We have no guarantee that those, who were healed, were never subject to other illnesses after their healing. We know for certain that all of them eventually succumbed to death and died. These miracles were but fireworks of the power and life of heaven, brilliant in their glow but short-lived in their duration.

The only exception would be the written Word of God: “The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever” (1 Pet. 1:24, 25). But what would be even the written Word of God apart from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? It would be no more than an empty promise--grand it its promise but without its fulfillment.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ was the decisive, main invasion from heaven, to which all other incursions pointed. His resurrection was not just a sparkle which was quickly swallowed up again by the darkness of death. He was raised in His body unto eternal life, never to die again--“an empty grave is there [still] to prove [our] Savior lives” (“Because He Lives”). Do you see? In this world of atrophy and death, a resurrection unto eternal life took place! Something that is completely foreign to this world is introduced and implanted. Christ’s resurrection is the abiding reality of heaven embedded in this world. It is like adding a chemical element to a solution, setting off a radical chemical reaction, making all things new. The first stage is the inner new creation of individual believers; then comes the last day for their physical transformation as well as the cosmic renewal of the whole universe!

This is at the core of the mystery Paul speaks of numerous times throughout our passage (as well as in other writings of his). In 1:26 he speaks of “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.” What triggered the revelation of this mystery at this particular time? We read in 2:2, “the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ…”--it was the appearance of Christ in history and the accomplishment of His redeeming work in His death and resurrection. What is so amazing about this, especially to us once Gentiles in the flesh, is how Paul speaks of the mystery in 1:27: “the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” What is the mystery of God, which had been hidden for ages and was only lately revealed? Christ is us, who were once Gentiles in the flesh! Do you see that? Oh, to think that the mystery of God, which had been hidden for ages, was finally revealed to show that it had something to do with us all along; that the riches of the glory of this mystery are particularly about Christ in us!

This is not to say, of course, that the concept of the Gentile salvation was the hidden mystery. For God’s covenants and prophecies are replete with the promises of Gentile salvation along with the Jews. Simply take a look at God’s dealings with Abraham, the fountainhead of Israel. God’s promise to him was to bless all the families of the earth in him and his Seed. And God changed his name from Abram (“exalted father”) to Abraham (“father of a multitude of nations”; Gen. 17:5). No, the hidden mystery of God was not the idea of the Gentile salvation; it was rather the realization of the promise in Christ Jesus. As Calvin puts it,

“whereas God had, previously to the advent of Christ, governed his Church under dark coverings, both of words and of ceremonies, he has suddenly shone forth in full brightness by means of the doctrine of the gospel…. Christ has been exhibited, bringing with him the full truth, which had lain concealed….”

Christ is the hidden mystery lately revealed! Christ is what all the riches of the glory of the mystery are about! Christ is the substance of God’s mystery, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!

And how marvelous is the revelation of this mystery! Who could have thought that our salvation would come through the unimaginable sacrifice of God’s only Son--through the unspeakable humiliation of the One, who is preeminent in everything; through the death of the One, who is the firstborn of all creation, by whom all things were created, who is before all things, in whom all things hold together (1:14-18)!

Even more amazingly, what do we see when the hidden mystery is finally fully revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ? “Christ in us!” In Christ Jesus, “the whole world, which had up to this time been estranged from God, is called to the hope of salvation, and the same inheritance of eternal life is offered to all” (Calvin). So when we behold the beauty and excellencies of Christ, we do not admire Him from distance as spectators do at museums: rather, we admire Him as our Redeemer and Lord! His beauty is the beauty of our Savior and Friend! His excellencies are the excellencies of our Redeemer and Lord! All of His beauty and excellencies are all the more beautiful and excellent because they are the glories of the One, who is in us as our Savior, our Lord, our strength, our life, our hope, our glory! Oh, to think that He is all of that to us, who were once Gentiles in the flesh, having no hope and without God in the world!

Paul was gripped by that reality, by that mystery of God in Christ Jesus! He knew that Christ’s resurrection, the new creation commenced by it, brought about a radical change in Jew-Gentile relationship, a new creation. This gospel grabbed a hold of him and made him an example of its awesome power. So you see Paul’s profound affection for the Colossians. So you see the communion of deep affection between Paul and the Colossians. The dividing wall of hostility was broken down and completely leveled. The age-old enmity was removed. But the resurrection of Christ did not just neutralize the antagonistic relations. The dividing wall of hostility is replaced with the strong, firm bridge of brotherly solidarity. The age-long enmity is replaced with the kind of love we see in Paul for the Colossians. In Christ’s death and resurrection, in this new creation, a deepest hatred is put to death and raised anew as a deepest love. Both Jews and Gentiles are born again as fellow citizens of the kingdom of heaven. Mortal enemies are made loyal friends, who would gladly die for one another. Discrimination is transformed into warm reception and self-sacrifice. Therefore, Paul, a Jew, rejoiced in his sufferings for the Colossians, once Gentiles.

But if we speak of the magnitude of Paul’s love for the Colossians, it is only to highlight and magnify the surpassing love of Jesus Christ for sinners. Do not forget: Paul’s affection for the Colossians was but an effect, an echo, of Christ’s love. If so, how much greater must be the love of Christ for us, which drove Him to the cross to die in our place!

So then, what does Paul mean when he says in v. 24, “in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church”? It doesn’t mean that there is anything qualitatively deficient in Christ’s affliction for our redemption. He declared on the cross, “It is finished!” All of His affliction for the sins of His people was finished when He breathed His last and died on the cross. Nothing can add to His affliction for the forgiveness of our sins--not the labors of our hands, nor our zeal that knows no respite, nor our tears that flows forever without ceasing. All of Paul’s suffering for the gospel could not add to the perfect efficacy of Christ’s suffering for our sin.

But there is a kind of affliction we suffer because we are redeemed, because we are united with Christ. This kind of affliction is not punitive in nature--we do not suffer it as God’s punishment for our sins. But we do suffer it as members of the body of Christ to build it up to its intended maturity and completeness. So Paul says,

“Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of Gods mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (1:28-2:3).

Paul’s afflictions were not to bring about our forgiveness of sins; his afflictions were about building up the body of Christ to a fuller maturity. Again, we must not forget that Paul’s suffering and labor were a part of Christ’s own work of building up the body of Christ. Last week we read in 1:22 that Christ is working to present us holy and blameless and above reproach before God. Now we see it reflected in Paul as he proclaims Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ (1:28). We see here Paul’s ministry in union with Christ’s.

So then, if Paul was able to rejoice in his sufferings for the Colossians, it was because Christ rejoiced in His sufferings for us. Michael Card sang, “And why did they nail His feet and hands? His love would have held Him there!” Surely, it was not the nails that kept the almighty Son of God up on the cross, was it? Even if the Roman soldiers and the Jews repented and “unnailed” Him, He would not have come down until He shed every drop of His blood and water. For He went up there voluntarily, knowing that without Him there would be no salvation for us. And He did it with joy: “for the joy that was set before him [he] endured the cross, despising the shame…” (Heb. 12:2). We have seen how such rejoicing in suffering is impossible without a great love. And oh, how great His love was that the holy and righteous One should lay down His life for such worms as we!

Christ was able to rejoice in His sufferings also because He knew His sufferings for us would not be in vain. His death would procure our full reconciliation with God and He would be raised from the dead to usher in the kingdom of eternal life. Oh, how He must have rejoiced to see us fully pardoned, fully made holy and blameless and above reproach through His work of redemption! Paul was given the privilege of participating in that work, which cannot fail. No matter how great his afflictions were, Paul was able to rejoice because he knew that his labor was not in vain, because he possessed Christ’s joy in his union with Christ.

Do you know this joy of Christ? Christ rejoiced in all of His sufferings for you. Do you know the joy that Paul experienced in his sufferings for the Colossians? We may feel sad because no one seems to care for us, let alone rejoice in suffering for us. But can we be so dejected when Christ rejoiced in His sufferings for us? And let us remember the words of Christ: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” We will never know this joy of Christ unless we are willing to suffer for others for Christ’s sake. Oh, how deep that joy must be! Oh, how fulfilling and precious it must be to identify with Christ even in His sufferings for the saints! Let us not forget that all of us, who are members of the body of Christ, are given the privilege of taking part in the work of Christ, which cannot fail. Regardless of success or failure we can rejoice in our struggle and labor for our Lord and His church, knowing that our labor is not in vain in Christ. God, who sees in secret, will greatly reward us for our deeds of service unto Him. So then, look around to see who might need your work of service, your sacrifice, your forgiveness, your humility, your encouragement! May the Lord bless us all with the very heart of Christ to rejoice even in our sufferings for others! For the day will come when we shall live forever in the kingdom of heaven, where there is no suffering or pain or death. And we shall rejoice forever in the sufferings we suffered for the sake of Christ, seeing that none of our sufferings was in vain but richly rewarded far beyond what we deserve!