by Jamie Hebert

Created on: July 05, 2008

"How could a loving God allow this in your life?" Ever had to defend your faith based on your life circumstance? Of course you have. We all have. It is to be expected as a Christian. But, do we fully understand that as Christians we should learn to expect certain things in our walk and some of it will not be pleasant? Personally, I don't think that we do. Or, we understand it, but refuse to accept it from a personal perspective. We run screaming and crying when life brings us a bowl of pits and we were expecting cherries. Honestly, can you deny this? I can't. I know that I do not like to suffer, but it is a part of Christianity. It is to be expected.

Why do I feel that we should expect suffering in our journey? If you take the time to read the four gospels, it depicts a life of suffering by a man named Jesus Christ. It speaks of a man, our role model, who was born in a stable and slept in a manger. He had little in the way of belongings. In fact the three wise men probably delivered his most valuable possessions because his family was poor. His earthly father, Joseph, was a carpenter. His mother was homely and poor. Jesus was born into suffering. And, it did not change after the birthing process. He grew up suffering. His first experience teaching, at the temple, he was scolded by his mother, Mary, for doing the very work he was born to do. This woman, Mary, was enlightened by an angel before birth that her child was to be the Messiah. Understanding intimately the destiny of her child, she still scolded him for carrying out his calling. Suffering was not foreign to our role model. He understood suffering. He experienced suffering in his own life. Did he complain about his suffering? We are told that he was man and human. I would take this to mean he did experience the same feelings we experience. We are not privy to the discourse he had with his mother on the subject of his calling and her expectations. But, feeling torn between being a "good" son and doing the calling of His father had to be a part of the conversation. How did this affect him? How did he feel about being put in this situation? We don't have the answers to some of these questions. But, we know that he experienced what humans experience. And, we know that he did not run screaming and crying. He continued to do the work of his Father. He continued to fulfill his calling. But, he suffered for it.

As a man, Jesus was spat on. He was cussed at. He was shunned. He had to leave his hometown to perform

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