March 21. 2020
Romans 8:18-27
18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
As a high school student, I participated in the marching
band for four years. Every summer, we
would invade the Slippery Rock University for a week. We lived in the dorms, two to a room and
spent most of the days in various kinds of practices, training ourselves to
play and march together. We learned
drill every morning from 9-12. We practiced
by sections from 1-3. We spent every evening
continuing to learn and rehearse drill until it became second nature. Once we returned home and school began, we
continued to have rehearsals outside every day and we rehearsed every Thursday
evening from 6-9, we had a football game every Friday and a band competition
every Saturday. We spent quite a bit of
time practicing, getting into shape, being sunburned and training ourselves to
play and march as one band. We spent
much time and energy training ourselves in long hours, sweltering in the sun, sweating
over drill charts with sore muscles. But
the daily struggles paid off as we achieved excellence on the football field. After receiving awards and achievements, the
temporary headaches over learning drill paled in perspective when compared to the
success we enjoyed.
So too is it with us the Church. Paul
writes, I consider our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the
glory that will be revealed in us.
If anyone knew about sufferings, Paul would: beatings, lynchings,
starvations, shipwrecks. But amid such terrible trials Paul was focused
not on the temporary present but instead on the permanent future, held in Jesus
Christ. He was not worried about the crucifixions
of today, he was considering the eternal resurrection which waits for him. He may have even gone so far as to consider
the day-to-day struggles of this life as training himself for that eternity. In the mind of Paul, the struggles of today
are the sunburns, drills, hours toiling, preparing us to carry the weight of
forever glory.
Well, I as sit in my home office quarantined from others, hearing reports that
the virus has spread into the city, I know full well, groaning inwardly
from today’s struggles. I know full well
the frustrations and helplessness which myself and many others feel, waiting
expectantly. We only seem to be in total
bondage to decay, as the numbers climb, the supply of resources sink, and
fear and panic envelop themselves around our hearts and souls, tightening and
grasping us ever closer.
But, while my eyes see the difficulty of this moment and its overwhelming
circumstances, my ears hear another matter entirely. The very Word of God become flesh reminds us
that we are waiting yes, groaning inwardly yes, but we are waiting for the
liberation to decay and waiting to be brought into the glorious freedom of the children
of God. The goal of our journey is
not the temporary struggles and trials of this moment, but the permanent and
eternal Glory of Jesus Christ. While considering
time without end in Jesus Christ, three weeks or six months pales in
comparison. While considering life swallowing
death in Jesus Christ, death becomes not an insurmountable problem, but a
temporary obstacle, which in truth is no obstacle at all. While considering the Kingdom of God invading
and overcoming the kingdom of sin and death in Jesus Christ, quarantines are
minor inconveniences and annoyances, to be borne and carried and at the last
discarded for the redemption of our bodies.
In Christ Jesus, temporary struggles are training for eternal Glory in
Jesus Christ.
For in this hope we were saved. This
is God’s purpose for us: that being crucified with Christ, we might be raised
with Christ. Our temporary struggles and
overwhelming circumstances are no obstacle to the might and love of God in Christ
Jesus, but preparations for our entry into forever Glory. So, we hope and expect God to deliver on God’s
promises, because God is faithful, and God is mighty. God wants to and God chooses to do this, why
send Jesus unless this is the will of God?
Therefore, we hope for this salvation, and we wait for it patiently.
Perhaps that patience thing is the real problem. In a world where we get things immediately,
this one thing lies in God’s control and not ours. God’s timing has always been the problem, we
want it now and we don’t want to have to wait for it; and we don’t want to
suffer while we are waiting. God’s
timing has always been the problem because it is God’s not ours. But even now all things are not lost in the
realm of our patience. We are told that in
our weakness the Spirit helps us. Not
only do we not know what we ought to pray for, but also we can never find the
words. But the Spirit knows the words
and the content. While we are groaning
inwardly, the Spirit is groaning Godly, interceding for the saints in
accordance with God’s will. What
greater comfort can the saints possess that the Spirit of Jesus Christ praying
for and instead of us? What obstacle can
thwart such a prayer; what difficulty can overcome us that the Spirit’s prayer cannot
overwhelm? Forgiveness, done. Peace, done.
Unity, done. Health, done. Life, done. With the Spirit of Jesus Christ praying for us
in our weaknesses, we can endure and overcome, because God is faithful and
mighty.
My friends, I think we can all safely say, we know that the whole creation
has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. But also, we can safely say that, our
present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed
in us. Like a band enduring drills
and training, knowing the struggle will be worth the rewards, let us become the
Church of Jesus Christ enduring quarantines and pandemics, knowing the brief struggle
is preparing us for eternal Glory. Let
us wait eagerly for our adoption as sons and daughters, the redemption of our
bodies. But most importantly, let us
continue to hope in God knowing that hope is unseen, even daring to wait
for it patiently. Knowing and
trusting that the Spirit will help in our weakness and intercede for
us. Amen.
Prayer
O Holy and Loving God, you alone are in control of our history and our circumstances. We remember that the destiny you have planned for us is what has already transpired in your Son. We ask therefore for the endurance and perseverance necessary in this hour to bear today’s circumstances knowing they are training us for your Kingdom. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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