Fellowship of Suffering

The meditation for today is from Philippians 3:7-16 NIV:

[7] "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. [8] What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ---the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

[10] I want to know Christ---yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

[12] Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

'[15] All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. [16] Only let us live up to what we have already attained."

I love these verses from Paul's letter to the Philippians. They challenge me to continue to press forward in my pursuit of the Lord. Paul wrote thus letter sometime after his visit to Philippines, which occurred in his second missionary journey. This would put this letter late in his effective ministry years, and yet his pursuit and perspective remains unchanged. He continues to press on, doesn't feel that he has fulfilled that which He was called by Christ to do, and so he does not rest, does not coast, but presses onward.

This morning as I was reading these verses, I was struck by Paul's meaning of 'all things are garbage' as he presses into the Lord. He understands clearly that his actions, his efforts are ineffective in any way, for earning him righteousness and eternal life. It is Christ alone who has accomplished this. All accomplishments and actions in Paul's life, regardless of how significant, can not earn him salvation. It is through relationship with and belief in Jesus that is the only path.

Finally verse 10 & 11 are two verses that I just don't like to think about. Its fine to read the first part of verse "I want to know Christ - yes, to know the power of the resurrection" but it is the rest of that sentence that is challenging. To think on and desire to join in participation with Christ's sufferings is not something that I generally find myself joyfully anticipating. The Greek word here translated participation is Koinonia, whose definition is:

1. fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation, intercourse
A. the share which one has in anything, participation
B. intercourse, fellowship, intimacy
C. the right hand as a sign and pledge of fellowship (in fulfilling the apostolic office)
2. a gift jointly contributed, a collection, a contribution, as exhibiting an embodiment and proof of fellowship

What helps me with this passage is thinking back to the time my honey had cancer and went through chemotherapy. Although she suffered the ill effects of both in her physical body, I was there by her side, seeing the effects, serving her needs, caring for her, and walking through it with her. There was a fellowship, an intimacy that developed through that time, which although painful, is also beautiful. There is a depth of knowledge about each other that was attained in that season, unlike anything else we had previously experienced. This helps me understand what Paul is writing about, this fellowship in the midst of suffering, this deeper understanding of Jesus as he meditates and is brought into that place of suffering that Jesus went through on our behalf.

We generally don't like to be confronted with suffering and pain, and many of our friends were unable to deal with, or struggled with my sweetheart's suffering. However, there is a place of deep relationship that is established when we are willing to walk into and through suffering with someone else. That is our invitation in Christ, especially during this Lenten season as we look toward Good Friday. We are invited to delve into Christ's sufferings and in doing so, bringing our relationship with Jesus to a new place of fellowship and intimacy.