"Attend to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in both tasks, for by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you." (1 Timothy 4: 16)
Tend to your garden every day. Do everything for the sake of God. Do and say everything as if God is watching you. Persevere in doing good. Salvation comes not by tending you garden one day but through persevering in tending it every day.
"He learned obedience, Son though he was, through his suffering." (Hebrews 5: 7 – 9)
If we unite our sufferings with those of Christ, we too can learn obedience through our sufferings: pains, sickness, poverty, humiliations, delays, disappointments, obstacles or whatever suffering. Christ was perfected through suffering. We too can be perfected through suffering.
"As Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up so that everyone who believes may have eternal life." (John 3: 14 – 15)
Scripture tells us that there is a divine necessity that Christ must be "lifted up", that means, suffering. His cross and death became a grave obstacle to belief for many people. But His cross is the ordained means of salvation. He who believes in Jesus must also believe in His cross. This is the means of salvation. No cross, no crown. No suffering, no salvation. Period!
"Christ was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross." (Philippians 2: 8)
Jesus Christ submitted Himself willingly to suffering on the cross. He triumphed over death and suffering by His willing acceptance of the cross.
On the way to the Promised Land, "the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses." (Numbers 21: 4 – 5)
The Church uses these two scriptures on the feast of the Holy Cross to teach us that without the cross, there can be not crown. The cross is the sign and the means of salvation. Accept the cross.
"On the way the people lost patience. They spoke against God and against Moses. (Numbers 21: 4 – 5)
Why did the people lose patience? They lost patience because the journey had become longer than expected and the perceived suffering more acute. God did not excuse their impatience and punished them for it. He teaches us a lesson in this event. If God is in control, then all is well. No complaint, no criticism, no condemnation will be tolerated.
"But say the word and let my servant be healed." (Luke 7: 7)
The above scripture captures the amazing faith of the Roman centurion. Lord Jesus, I want the same faith. Give me the same faith. The centurion recognizes that Jesus' word is sufficient. O that I can come by such a faith!
