Day 8: Obedience Proven Through Suffering

Opening Scripture

Hebrews 5:8–10 (NIV) 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered 9 and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him 10 and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.

Devotional Reflection

Our passage today presents what could seem like a strange message—that Christ was made perfect through the obedience He maintained as He suffered. We might think, Christ is the Son of God; He was always perfect. Yet we cannot forget that Christ took on human form and was tempted in every way, as Scripture tells us. His perfection as a man had to be proven. His devotion, as a man, to His divine teachings as God was revealed when He remained obedient even when it led to great suffering.

Obedience that benefits us does not reveal devotion. Even those who oppose God will do what benefits them, and at times this may include temporarily following the teachings of Christ. That is not obedience but expedience. Suffering exposes whether our devotion is sincere or merely convenient.

When we consider the cross, we must not forget the temptations that accompanied it. Christ was crucified by those He came to save. He would have been tempted toward bitterness and anger. Crucifixion is a prolonged sensation of suffocation, as fluid slowly fills the lungs. Anyone who has struggled underwater, holding their breath and fighting to reach the surface while feeling the burning in their chest, has experienced a faint echo of what the cross involved.

To relieve this agony, a person would have to lift their body to expand their lungs. This required pulling upward with the arms, levering against nails driven between the bones, with nothing else to grasp. It also required pushing upward with the feet against nails driven through them. Pulling with the arms and pressing with the legs against the nails would have been excruciating. The greater the pain, the greater the temptation toward self-preservation.

Yet even in this suffering, Christ continued to minister. He cared for His mother and for John, the disciple. He showed mercy to the penitent thief. He restrained Himself when the unrepentant thief hurled insults. He forgave those responsible for His death. He obeyed even in suffering.

We learn from our teachers. We go and do likewise, and we receive feedback. But the truest test comes when obedience requires pain. Only then can we truly assess the depth of our devotion to Christ’s teachings.

The Examen

Where in my life is obedience currently costly or uncomfortable?

When pain or resistance arises, am I tempted toward expedience rather than faithful obedience?

Lectio Divina Scripture

Romans 5:3–4 (NIV) 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Note: Read the passage slowly, out loud, several times. With each reading, emphasize a different word or phrase. Notice what stands out and why.

Prayer Prompt

Lord, when it hurts, may Your Holy Spirit give me self-discipline and faith to trust Your way, even in the pain. Amen.