I believe the Lord is inviting and challenging myself and us as a body to re-look at what
the the Gospel really is, what it offers and how it effects those who choose to follow
Jesus.
Over the past season, I have debated in my mind all the tensions that we encounter as
we follow Jesus. Suffering vs freedom, pursuing vs resting, trials vs accomplishments,
the natural vs the supernatural, the ordinary mundane life vs the exciting encounters
and growth. Where is the radical middle? When I accept suffering, I feel like I’m
accepting defeatism and I grow frustrated. When I pursue freedom I feel like I’m
becoming too self-aware and focused on what I get out of this relationship with Jesus.
The Lord is challenging us to get clear on the truth and the direction we are going to
choose everyday to follow towards this truth.
I hear the general message from churches today that God desires us to prosper and
experience the abundant life. While I fully agree with this, I sense an unhealthy pattern
and value beginning to form. While there is no wrong in desiring freedom, peace and joy
etc, these are the fruits and not the source where the fruit comes from. What I mean is
that when our truth is the fruit of freedom, peace and contentment, the temptation is to
focus on myself as the focal point. I believe the Lord wants us to make Jesus the truth,
Jesus the focal point and through this, fruit is produced. We make Jesus the focal point
when we understand that following him will result in suffering for as long as it takes for
Jesus (the Kingdom) to transform us. In the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-20), Jesus’
subject matter is ‘the sower’ (which is God) and ‘the seed’ (which is the word). We tend
to focus on the soils as the subject matter. God sows seeds on all four soils and three
interesting things happen: 1. There was nothing wrong with any of the seeds, 2. All four
soils ‘received’ the seed and 3. The seeds only died because the soil didn’t suffer well in
the circumstance long enough for the seed to grow properly.
The gospel (the word/the seed) has the power to transform lives (Romans 1:16) and by
grace and faith we are freely able to receive all that God has poured out (Romans 5:1-2).
So, Jesus is saying the message of the Gospel is that by following Jesus trials and
persecution will come (Mark 4:17), the goal is not to try all methods to eradicate the
pain, no, the goal must be to stay patient and allow the seed of the Kingdom in you to
grow in the midst of the suffering. I believe when we do this we allow Jesus to grow and
mature us in spite of what is going on around us. If we are too focused on freedom and
peace we immediately take our eyes off Jesus and onto ourselves and our situations.
Have you ever wondered, if the goal was to always be thriving, success, achieving, never
feeling pain or never being weak why would the fruits of the Spirit be ‘patience,
kindness, gentleness, self-control, peace’? The goal of the fruits is to help us nurture
the seeds of the Kingdom in us while we suffer so that Jesus can grow through us.
Overall, the key to this all is what Jesus starts and ends the parable of the sower with.
He starts by saying ‘listen’ (v3) and ends with ‘whoever has ears to hear, let them hear’
(v9). We need to listen more than come up with strategies and methods. When I realise
that suffering is inevitable and that the goal is not success but health and that the ability
to stay still and assured in the midst of suffering is what God provides, it fills me with
such a sense of hope, encouragement and strength.
‘In this life you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world’ – John 16:33
Let’s suffer well!
God Bless
David Skevington