This week we will continue our look at overcoming, which by definition involves something painful.  (Enduring something wonderful would be called enjoyment.) 

Overcoming always results in resumption of forward progress and with Christian overcoming, it also grows our faith, exhibits grace, and offers forgiveness.  Overcoming doesn’t always take away the pain of the memory or remove the consequence of the hurtful action.  The scars may remain, but we make peace with the pain to where it won’t torment us anymore.

With that in mind, last week we talked about 5 Kingdom principles for overcoming (from 1 Peter 2:21-23):

1. Kingdom expectations; 1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,
2. Kingdom perspective; leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
3. Kingdom actions; 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
4. Kingdom time frame; 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate;
5. Kingdom power; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

We saw that Jesus Christ expected suffering (In this world you will have trouble), but that He didn’t do so with a sense of fatalism (Take heart, I have overcome the world—John 16:33).  He was profoundly realistic which we noted differs from fatalism by seeing all of God’s possibilities, responding to those possibilities with God-honoring choices such as prayer, and with confidence in the power of God.  This, in turn, helps us to keep all of our suffering in perspective without resorting to victimhood as our identity.

Let’s look at another lovely Irish hymn, Be Thou My Vision, to set the tone as we begin exploring what that Kingdom perspective looks like…to have the vision of Christ.

Sarah McCabe has written a history of how Be Thou My Vision  came to be a cherished hymn.  She begins with telling the story of St. Patrick’s courage in lighting a fire on Easter Eve on the Hill of Slane (433 AD) despite a king’s decree forbidding any fire to be lit before the one celebrating the vernal equinox.  She continues:

Considered Ireland’s chief poet during his time, Dallan Forgaill, who was killed by pirates in 598, was known as a studious and scholarly man. It was said that he spent so much time reading, writing, and studying that he became blind.

Inspired by the events on the Hill of Slane about 100 years earlier, Dallan Forgaill wrote the original words to “Be Thou My Vision” in old Irish, as a poem entitled ” Rop tu mo baile.”

In 1905, the Gaelic words were translated into English by Mary E Byrne and then versified in 1912 by Eleanor H. Hull.  Listen to this lovely version on cello by David Abramsky 

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you” (John 15:15).

By way of hitting the “pause button” for a take-away from this week’s look at Overcoming, let’s go back to the hymns.

At one point, I had a teacher whom I admired in many ways though he didn’t ever seem to think anything but poorly of me.  As a matter of fact, no encounter was complete until he’d used every theological means to reduce me to tears.  One instance surrounded today’s hymn: What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

I had selected this hymn as the theme music for a Lenten Intercessory Prayer Series I coordinated—not taught, an important distinction—at what was our local church until 2004.  I chose this hymn for its focus on the beauty, benefits, and blessing of prayer.

Prayer honors God.  It is invaluable in our Overcoming.  I believed it true then.  I believe it now.

This teacher’s disagreement was with the word Friend.  We cannot call Jesus our Friend, he said.  He cited all the right theological reasons why Abraham could be God’s friend (James 2:23) but Jesus can’t be ours, even with a capital F to show reverence.  Friendship is a one-way street apparently.  God can call us friends, but it’s improper for us to call God that even in a hymn exalting Him as Savior.  I was told so in private and then the teacher pronounced the same in a class of more than 200 students, though he spared me the humiliation of calling me out by name.  I knew who he meant.  Clearly, he didn’t view me as a “friend” but a heretic, perhaps with all caps for emphasis.

According to the cyberhymnal, What a Friend We Have in Jesus was written in 1855 by Joseph M. Scriv­en:

Scriven wrote this hymn to com­fort his mo­ther, who was across the sea from him in Ire­land. It was orig­in­al­ly pub­lished anon­y­mous­ly, and Scriv­en did not re­ceive full cred­it for al­most 30 years.

But even that does not tell the full story of this Overcomer.  Scriven looked at the world with the expectations of Jesus—a world filled with God’s goodness and possibilities that invited a wholehearted response of faith which provides every ounce of Holy Spirit power needed to humbly obey the call to love one another.  Take a moment, if you will, to watch the encouraging history behind the hymn, behind the man, behind the suffering, and behind the relationship of love and trust and obedience that inspired What a Friend We Have in Jesus.

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.

One of the principles of Kingdom vision we talked about yesterday involves expectations.  Jesus expected suffering.  But He wasn’t a fatalist.  How did He avoid fatalism while still being realistic?

The Miriam-Webster Dictionary defines fatalism as “a doctrine that events are fixed in advance so that human beings are powerless to change them; also : a belief in or attitude determined by this doctrine.”

What about Jesus’ Kingdom vision made Him different?  He was completely realistic in His expectations about the pervasiveness of suffering (John 16:33–In this world you will have trouble) without becoming fatalistic about it all (Take heart, I have overcome the world).

I submit to you that we can follow in His footsteps of suffering without becoming the world’s greatest pessimists by having the same Kingdom vision and expectations that Jesus had.  Today, let’s examine Mark 14:35-36 to see three distinctions that help us see life the way Jesus saw it.

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.  “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:35-36)

Let’s look at those three distinctions between realism and fatalism. 

First distinction:  Realism sees circumstances within a world of real possibilities.  Fatalism sees circumstances surrounded by impossibilities.

Jesus asks that the hour might pass knowing that everything is possible with God.  Had Jesus resorted to fate, He’d never have asked or believed it to be possible.  Jesus knew God to be the God of all possibilities. (Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”)

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus stated what He wanted in the world of possibilities: If there was any other way, to have the cup taken from Him.   But in the end, Jesus loves the Father and submits His own will to the Father’s.

Fatalism says whatever will be will be, it’s carved in stone, and there is no way out.  You’re trapped.

Jesus didn’t view Himself as trapped.

Second distinction:  Realism offers an opportunity to respond with a choice.  Fatalism offers only resentment and victimhood in circumstances that will never change . 

Jesus realistically sees the situation.  The hour was coming of His suffering and death.  Realism looks to the possibilities, invites a response, and that response is a choice to react, often in very practical ways.  In our core passage today, how did Jesus react?  Jesus prayed.

Jesus responded with love and serving others in John 13:1-17.  He responded with forgiveness in Luke 23:34.  His responses always reflected His choice of obedience, trust, and love.

Fatalism on the other hand fosters resentment at circumstances beyond one’s control.  It highlights that one is a victim, all the circumstances are stacked against you, and you are completely without hope.

Third distinction:  Realism says power exists that can change things.  Fatalism says there is no power available to change anything.

John 10:17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life– only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Jesus had decisive power and entrusted Himself to the Father who has all the power needed to overcome any circumstance.   Just think about how differently we’d view the Crucifixion if God the Father forced Jesus onto the Cross against Jesus’ own will.  It would have been little different than child sacrifice and Jesus would have been a victim instead of a victor!

With Kingdom vision, we can expect suffering—realistically and not fatalistically—as Scripture tells us we ought. 

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.  But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (1 Peter 4:12-13)

We can know that realistic, possible, and powerful response to suffering that Jesus gives:

 In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Yesterday we recalled that Jesus overcame the world (John 16:33).  He sure didn’t do it the world’s way. His way reflected Kingdom vision and despite temptations, Jesus set before us the way of the Cross. 

In the temptations of Jesus recorded in Matthew 4, we see several kinds of suffering and temptations to deal with it the world’s way.

• Are you hungry?  The tempter says to ignore God’s ability to provide. Do whatever it takes to satisfy yourself.  (Matthew 4:1-4)
• Does no one see who you really are?  Do you want a better reputation?  The tempter says to climb your way to the top.  Show off and make a name for yourself. (Matthew 4:5-7)
• Are you impoverished?  Do you want more power and economic justice?  Does someone flaunt possessions or power over you?  Are you envious?  The tempter says to take what you want, go for it, and even sacrifice what you know is right to make a name for yourself. (Matthew 4:8-10)

Jesus didn’t buy all that self-satisfaction because He already had a Name and had Kingdom vision.  And Kingdom vision applies no matter what kind of suffering we’re going through.  It’s Kingdom vision that I want to establish as being paramount in our dealing with everything from injustice to illness, anger to adversity, and prejudice to persecution and every other kind of suffering you might imagine.  It’s Kingdom vision that Jesus had.  It’s Kingdom vision that we need as our Christian Guide to Overcoming Suffering.

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.  “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”  When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. (1 Peter 2:21-23)

What’s included in Kingdom vision of suffering?

1. Kingdom expectations; 1 Peter 2:21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,
2. Kingdom perspective; leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
3. Kingdom actions; 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
4. Kingdom time frame; 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate;
5. Kingdom power; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.

Expectations:  Jesus tells us time and again that in this world we will have troubles.  Peter reminds us that suffering (even though we are doing good things) is to be expected; it’s not something strange that’s happening.

Perspective: When we expect to face troubles because we follow a Savior who faced our troubles for us and who set an example for us to follow, we can have the same perspective, adopt the same actions, be on the same time frame, and trust in the same power Jesus trusted.

Actions:  Here is one of the keys for people who are doers by nature.  We cannot do what our flesh tells us to do.  We must rise above.  Our actions must reflect the Christian way and not the world’s way of dealing with things.

Time Frame:  This is where so many of us fall short in having the kind of Kingdom vision God wants as our Christian Guide to Overcoming.  We want results and we want them now.  We don’t want to stand in the place of discomfort or suffering.

Kingdom Power: So to the final step exemplified by Christ involves entrusting ourselves to the One who judges justly.  Yes, it is hard to let go of our ideas of justice and our ideas of vindication and let God do what only God can reasonably do: Be the Perfect Ultimate Judge.

Yes, when we have Kingdom vision like Jesus—when we follow in His steps—we can overcome the sufferings of life.  Over the next few posts we’ll see how Kingdom vision specifically applies to what you may be going through.  But for today, it’s enough to remember that Kingdom vision like Jesus had is better by far than the world’s way.  It is our Christian Guide to Overcoming.

Are you facing injustice?  Adversity?  Anger?  Sadness? Disillusionment?  Prejudice?  Persecution?  Frustration? Disenfranchisement?  Are you tired of being misunderstood?  Put down?  Unappreciated?  Pigeon-holed? Unwelcome?  Judged? Are you waking up every day and looking in the mirror at an illness that threatens to rob you of all joy the same way it robs you of energy and stamina?  Is it getting hard to persevere because of the pain, the sadness of the diagnosis, a fear of the future, or the uncertainty of a recovery? This post is for you.  It will unfold over the next few days under the overall theme of A Christian Guide to Overcoming. 

We’ll start off with overcoming in general and work our way into overcoming difficult contemporary issues.  I’ve decided to adopt this approach because:

1. The overcoming required in individual circumstances looks different even though the source of overcoming, God Himself, remains the same.
2. It will help to explain why I’ve been writing some posts on American culture and how good theology should be made visibly practical.  Christians should be able to show how a timeless truth is still relevant today.  Years ago, I wrote in a workbook on spiritual gifts that I felt my calling was, in part, to help bring American culture to a renewed moral course by preaching the Gospel clearly and fearlessly.  It’s still my heart’s desire, as my tag line states, “Making the Theological Understandable.”
3. One of the blessings of having friendships with people around the globe through the Internet is that I come to see that our cultures may differ, the struggles we face may be of different intensities, but the wounds of the human condition are ubiquitous. The source of overcoming, however, is a single point.

I have asserted elsewhere that the Gospel is the only thing that will change people and/or their circumstances.  External efforts, I’ve suggested, may have some ability to mask whatever is going on, but true change and genuine overcoming is an internal thing.  It happens in our hearts.  And it happens because of Jesus.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

I never stopped to pay attention before.  It’s been there in front of my eyes all along.

“I have overcome the world.”

It sounds like it’s already been done. 

But, wait! Jesus said this in His farewell discourse (John 13:31-17:26).  Before the scourging.  Before the crown of thorns.  Before the Cross.  Before Jesus’ death.  Before His resurrection.  Before the discovery of the empty tomb.  Before Jesus’ ascension.  Before all of this, “I have overcome the world.”

How is this possible?

Jesus says [comments inserted], I have told you… [in the past but you’ll carry these teachings with you] so that [here’s the purpose of all My teachings] in Me you may have peace [the result of My teaching you is so that you’ll be able to find peace that is only knowable in Me.  Why will this peace of God and peace with God come in handy?  Well, suffering and persecution are headed your way as Christians].  In this world, you will have trouble [in English it sounds future, but we can take it as a given, automatic!  Trouble equals normal, it’s not just some avoidable future thing though the translation says “will have”…it’s really more expected than that] But [this is a command] take heart!  [Our commanded to-do list is rather short in all of this.  It’s variously translated, Take heart!  Take courage!  Be brave!  Be encouraged!  Be of good cheer! Take hope!] I have overcome the world.

But how?  When did this happen?  Why does it read as past tense, already accomplished, even when the Cross was yet ahead for Jesus?

The ministry of Jesus to an ailing world of humanity didn’t begin with His choosing disciples or changing water into wine.  John tells us it started long before.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God– 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'”

Trouble started when we rejected God’s command in Eden.  But the good news of the Gospel is that we will have peace in every trouble by looking to Jesus, and our being found in Him.  He is the Word made flesh, the source of all overcoming, and the author and perfecter of our faith.  Yes, there will still be troubles facing Christians and everyone else in the brotherhood of man, but the Gospel can answer each of these troubles.  Over the next few posts, we’ll explore how.

The Word of God, Jesus Messiah, and our trusting in God have been our victory all along.  It is the Word that creates and gives life.  It is the Word that brings light and delivers us out of the darkest circumstances.  It is the Word we must obey.  It is the living Word–Jesus Christ, the Son of God–who gives us all we need to overcome.