MIND OF CHRIST
“For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked and spiteful entreated and spitted on”.
Luke18:32
While meditating on this verse a picture came to my mind, the death of an Australian Missionary Graham Staines, who worked among the lepers in Orissa, India, and his two small children, who were burnt alive in their van by the same people he served. His wife Gladys though in great pain forgave the killers and continued to work among them without any complaint. As Paul said in Philippians3:7 “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ”.
This is the mind of Christ.
Luke 18:32 is the fulfillment of Jesus’ prediction about His death. It is also in Mathew 20:18-19. He already gave an outline of the sufferings He has to go through, to the disciples before also, but never so clearly as in this verse. He even told them the manner of His end, and how His countrymen would give Him to the Gentiles, who will do all evil means to put Him to death, but on third day He will rise again. The victory over the enemy.
It gives us hope that whatever sufferings we have to go through, the final victory is ours, if Jesus is with us. We must become a living sacrifice for Christ as He became sacrifice for us. Romans 12:1. Our commitment must be a total surrender, dedication and devotion to Christ. As He told His disciples in Mathew20:22. We should be willing to drink the cup of suffering for His sake. We should have that mind of Christ, willing to suffer for His sake. Phil 2:5.
Due to my husband’s heart problems and paralysis I had to go through sufferings for twenty years. But I was not discouraged nor complained because I was strengthened by the word. Eph 3:16. I began to saturate my body with the verses like:
Hebrew13:5 I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Isaiah 41:10 Fear ye not for I am with you
Isaiah 43:2 When thou pass through the waters, I will be with you…….
Even now it is a great testimony for me. As the Psalmist sings 119:71 ” It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes”.
Romans5:3-4 says that we can rejoice when we run into problems and trials, because they help us to learn patience, patience to character, character to confident expectation of Salvation. And this expectation will not disappoint us.
Prayer–Father God give us the grace to face sufferings for your glory.
Sol Gigi Jacob