Click here to watch my video reflection on our text for today, or keep reading for my written reflections: 

Today as one of our readings, we look at Hebrews 2: 5-10:

5 Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 6 But someone has testified somewhere,

“What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
or mortals, that you care for them?
7 You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
    you have crowned them with glory and honor,
8  subjecting all things under their feet.”

Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, 9 but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

Today is a day in the life of the church that is known as the Annunciation of Mary.  On this day, we remember when Mary was told that she would bear a son and His name would be Jesus and He would save the people from their sins. One of the suggested readings today is this passage from Hebrews.  It struck me because it talked about suffering.  

In this passage, we see that Jesus suffered, as we suffer. Whatever in our lives we go through, Jesus has gone through it – rejection. Hard life (birds have nests, the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay His head), the murder of His best friend, betrayal, and abandonment by those who loved Him. 

If we go through it, Jesus went through it. 

One of the things that we believe about suffering is that suffering can bind us to the heart of God.  It can draw us so much closer to God if we allow it.  I’m not saying that it’s a good thing, but I”m saying that God can use it. 

How? 

Two ways.  First, we can allow it to draw us closer to God.  Our suffering causes us to choose to cling close to Jesus for strength, for hope, and for power.  Is only through our faith, only through Jesus that we can find the power to keep going during the midst of our sufferings and pain.  

Second, shows how great Jesus’ love is for us.  Our sufferings remind us of his sufferings, that he chose.  Jesus chose to leave His Father, come to earth, suffer the pain of earth and suffer even the cross.  He chose His suffering.  He chose to suffer, to redeem us.  Our sufferings remind us of Gods’ grace love for us. 

Today, we see that this suffering can bind us to the deep heart of God’s love for us.  As hard as our suffering can be, it can have a divine purpose.  It shows us the depth of God’s love that He would go through all of this, redeem us.  

Our suffering reminds us of Christ’s sufferings. Our suffering reminds us of God’s great love for us.  Today, or any day, when you suffer, know that God can use even this terrible thing, as a way to bind us to Him, and remind us that we are loved.  

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