Suffer it to be so now, for it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Suffer the little children to come unto me. How long shall I suffer you? Some translations of the Bible have changed the word suffer to permit or bear (abide) in the preceding statements. As Christians we are told that we must suffer for Christ’s sake and that Jesus suffers many things for us. We know of the beating that Jesus took but that is not all the suffering that Jesus bore for our sake.
In the first statement above, “Suffer it to be so now,” Jesus was asking John the Baptist to put aside his personal feelings and perform a baptism. John felt unworthy to baptize Jesus. There is a lesson in that for us. When God gives us a task to perform or calls to us, we often feel unworthy. We are to put aside our feelings and “fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus Christ is the righteousness of God and we are the body of Christ. Wow! We are the body of righteousness, but not on our own or because of us. Jesus is our righteousness. It may be better said that Jesus is righteousness for us. He bore or suffered our sins to become our righteousness.
Suffer the little children to come unto me is a powerful statement that we need to get a hold on. Jesus was telling the disciples not to stop the little children from coming to Him. The disciples assumed that Jesus was too important to have children clattering about. In reality they overestimated their own importance. It was okay for the disciples to be next to the Son of God, but not for the little children. We see the same thing in the lives of professing Christians that feel that the length of time they have been Christians gives them special rights to the Lord God. I have heard it said that not all religion saves, I tell you now that no religion saves. The Lord Immanuel saves. God being among us is what saves. The rhetoric of religion may help teach, but the spirit brings understanding and the Lord saves. Regardless of how long you have labored in the field, the reward is the same.
How long shall I suffer you? How long before my heart does not break as I watch you in your understanding? How long before you understand who I am? How long before you understand grace? How long before you understand mercy? How long before you understand what it means to be servants of the Lord? The King serves those that He rules over. To be a loyal subject of the true King Immanuel is to be served by the King. To be a servant of the King is to serve those that the King rules over. It is not to lord over but it is to be the Lord to those that the King rules over. It is not to force onto, but to give to. It is not to take from, but to receive. It is not to make law, but to forgive. It is not to be a burden on, but to love – truly love unto death. How long has Jesus suffered us? He has not yet stopped.
Suffering does not mean self inflicted denial of something temporal. Nor does it mean slapping yourself on the back with a whip. It does not mean denying your flesh to live under physical laws. It means to hold your tongue and guard your attitude when someone rubs you the wrong way. It is not denial of self just to bring on suffering. If you fast to be seen fasting, your body suffered but what was gained? If you fast not to be seen but so that you can give a day’s portion of food to one in need of it, then you have suffered with a cause. If you use your tongue to bless someone that cursed you, you have suffered with a cause. If you deny the urge to hate someone that hates you, you have suffered with a cause. Suffering may be blessing another even when it may feel like it does not bless you to do so. Suffering may be accepting something about another that you would rather change. Suffering may mean to change yourself rather than trying to change others to make your life easier. In all these things, take them to God in prayer and count you suffering as joy.