Friday 22nd April - Mark 14

Today’s chapter is Mark 14, you can read it here

Tom writes:

Jesus knew where the donkey would be, where the man with the jar would be, that one of his disciples would betray him, that Peter would disown him (and how many times, and before when). And he knew he would be crucified. While the crisis unfolded around him and enveloped him in its murderous wake, Jesus suffered no crisis of faith. He knew what he was doing. He was the master of his ship. Compare that to everyone else in this story. No-one else holds it together. Not even those who are bringing their wrath down upon him. One by one their composure slips from them like the linen garment from the unnamed man. The disciples scatter, the false witnesses can’t agree, the temple leaders lose grip of their fury, and even Pilate doesn’t know what to do with the Christ. Here we see the de-creating power of suffering.

Suffering unpicks plans, fractures faith and wrecks relationships. Suffering de-creates everything… except for God. Suffering may feel it has kidnapped the Christ but Jesus has willingly complied and he will wriggle free on the dawn of the third day. This is the glorious triumph of these closing chapters of Mark. We see that our King can not only resurrect but can remain righteous in the decreating riot of pain. Nowhere is this “stability” needed more than in our godless 21st century society. We may be richer than ever, but we have no grid for suffering and it is spitting on our spirits and mangling our mental health. Believers and non-believers alike seem to morph into different, confused people when suffering comes calling. Anxiety and anger have become the amniotic fluid of those pregnant with pain. But not so with Christ. And, therefore, it need not be with us. If we follow Jesus towards intimate prayer and trusting obedience to the Father then we too can become people who suffer well. In Christ you can remain yourself even in the darkest trial. The way to do it is consistent drinking from the cup of the Supper and committed drinking from the cup of Submission. Put these habits in your life, and you will be able to suffer well.

Question for reflection

Do you suffer well?