Betrayed in Ministry?
The Rev. Dr. Horatius Bonar (1808-1889) wrote in The Night of Weeping of his pastoral intents:
“to minister to the saints ... to seek to bear their burdens, to bind up their wounds, and to dry up at least some of their many tears.” Bonar sought to alleviate suffering.
Far more recently pastor Grahame Cook expanded upon the profit of a minister's trial:
"It is absolutely essential that you are wounded in ministry and that you know the fellowship of His sufferings. It is such an essential part of the call, that we get wounded in the house of our friends, we get wounded by the people that we really thought we could trust, that we feel that kiss of betrayal that Jesus felt in the garden. Being betrayed and wounded is just a part of your development. If you want all the fullness of God, you have to experience all the fullness of life! If you want the power of His resurrection you have to know the fellowship of His suffering. So when you know that it’s part of our development, it’s easier to forgive those people who have done things to you."
For those who have 'been stabbed by a cross', yet would minister with the Biblical and noble intent of Bonar, they must also walk the fiery stones of fellowship in Jesus' sufferings. And so too, become familiar with many troublesome and compassionate Divine virtues, but that first one is forgiveness.
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death (Philippians 3:10)
If you suffer from a bad man's injustice forgive him, lest there be two bad men. ~ Augustine
Today's Soul Snippet:
'It is good and right to be lowly.'
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