Welcoming Abuse and Suffering

"In ordinary human suffering there exists no self contradiction. There is no self denial in my wife's dying a natural death - after all, she is mortal. There is no self denial in my losing my possessions - after all, they are perishable. In Christian suffering, however, self contradiction is necessary. It is this that constitutes the possibility of offense. To suffer Christianly is not to endure the inescapable, but to suffer evil at the hands of people because you voluntarily will and endeavor to do only good: to willingly suffer on account of the Word and for the sake of righteousness. This is how Christ suffered. This alone is Christian suffering."
-Soren Kierkegaard

"Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience towards God a person bears up under suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if when you sin, and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. For this purpose you have been called, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in His footsteps. And while being reviled, he did not revile in return; while suffering he uttered no threats, but continually entrusted himself to the One who judges justly. Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in his flesh is done with sin."
-1 Peter 2:18-21, 23-24, 4:1

The idea of suffering has been heavy in my heart for many months now. I haven't exactly come to many solid conclusions, but I am having many previous misconceptions shattered. That counts for something.

For one thing, I've come to question this unspoken rule that we are to "stand up for ourselves" and "defend ourselves." It almost sounds blasphemous to our American ears, but I have begun to at least entertain the possibility that abuse and persecution are not the plagues to be avoided that we preach them for. The western church teaches us to serve, but not to let yourself be "walked all over." Don't let yourself be exploited. Don't let them take advantage of you.

(Don't turn the other cheek?)

Is that biblical? These are serious questions I'm having - I'm not trying to be smart...

"For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience towards God a person bears up under suffering unjustly."

I'm beginning to see in the scriptures more and more the way Jesus was exploited, abused, manipulated, and abandoned by those around him. And the truly stunning thing is that he allows it and invites it. Powerless man would have no authority over the God-Man unless it was permitted from on high. When Judas betrays Christ in the garden, and Peter vainly attempts to stop it by use of the sword, Jesus rebukes him. He shocks everyone with his next words:

"Peter, do you think that this cup which the Father has given me, that I should not drink it?"

"This cup" is nothing less than total rejection, heart wrenching betrayal, unjust beatings, cold blooded murder of the only innocent man in history, and the very wrath of the Almighty against sin bearing down on a single human being. Jesus does not run away from this. Instead, He runs straight towards it. And what is more, he doesn't point the finger of blame on Satan, Judas, Pilate, Israel, fallen man, or even himself. He points the finger straight at the Father. This is absolutely amazing. How much time is spent by today's theologians trying to neatly shift the blame for human suffering and tragedy off of God? Man is fallen, and there is indeed a devil, but what happens when even unjust suffering is the Father's cup for you? Let's be clear: no one forced Jesus to suffer. Jesus chose it. You and I did not nail his hands to the cross - Love did that. True love (and therefore true Christian suffering) is never manipulated - it is always chosen freely.

I am really wrestling through this. I'm not ready to say we should receive every bit of suffering in our lives without question and just "suck it up" in the name of God. But, I am more than a little troubled that I have grown up in the church my entire life and have never heard this preached. I have never been told that I must choose to suffer. On the contrary, the unspoken (and sometimes spoken) message I have received is that "life is full of suffering - take what inevitably comes your way and let God teach you and refine you through it." This completely ignores the issue of meekness - of having power and comfort and laying it down voluntarily.

The other operative phrase in all of this is that the chosen suffering comes "on account of the Word." There is such a profound difference between a Hurricane Katrina victim and a Chinese pastor beaten to death in front of his children because of involvement in the underground church. Both are loved and valued by God. Both can learn volumes from their trials. But only one has chosen his path - and he has chosen it daily, with his eyes wide open to the danger.

Lord, teach me to embrace suffering as you did, continually entrusting myself to the one who judges righteously. Teach me to lay down my life for the brethren. Teach me how to walk this out in a healthy way.

I welcome your thoughts on this...