8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered
There are lessons to be learned even in suffering, or should I say especially in suffering, but too often we are working so hard to get out of the suffering that we fail to learn the lessons the suffering contains. I know I have missed some lessons over the years. Jesus learned obedience from His suffering. Right in the middle of His suffering He continued to obey. He sought an alternative (if there is any other way), but willingly obeyed when there was none (not my will, but yours be done.) And we are not talking about some trivial suffering. His last day was filled with torture and humiliation that was unimaginable to us, but which He fully understood. Perhaps that is why He sought an alternative to the Cross. He knew fully what was involved, and still chose to be obedient. When I am in the middle of a struggle I rarely even have a clue what lies ahead. I don’t know if the end is just a few moments away or years away. I don’t know how intense the suffering is going to get or whether it has already reached its peak. Jesus knew full well the unimaginable horrors and yet He still chose to go through the humiliation of mock trials, beatings, public ridicule and death as the worst offender of the day. The official charges against Him, that He was the King of the Jews. Imagine getting killed just for who you are! But it is hard in the middle of suffering to try to hear what lesson is being taught, let alone be obedient. Sometimes we don’t even see the choice that is present in that moment for obedience and disobedience. All we see is the suffering. It takes a heart tuned in to God at that point to see the obedient path. So next time you are going through a tough time, look for the option to obey. It is there, but you must seek it out so that you can learn to obey, even in suffering.
The Arnold Journey 