READ: 2 Thessalonians 1
Verses
chosen for meditation: 2 Thessalonians 1:5-6
5 This is evidence
of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the
kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering — 6 since
indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who
afflict you…
REFLECT
A
topic that dominated 2 Thessalonians was Jesus’ 2nd coming. The
church was disturbed by rumours that the last days had already arrived. Part of
the controversy traces back to the end of 1 Thessalonians, where Paul gave
direct answers to questions regarding the afterlife.
Some
believers might have misinterpreted Paul’s words, and thought that the day of
the Lord had arrived and that they were suffering under that tribulation. Paul
writes this letter mainly to correct this misconception. He made it clear that
the persecution the Thessalonians were suffering was not part of the day of the
Lord. Rather, in v5, Paul says that their suffering is evidence of God’s righteous
judgement.
Because
they endured afflictions for their faith, God declared them worthy of His
kingdom (v5). Enduring trials does not earn anyone a place in the kingdom, but
it does show the reality of a person’s faith. A person’s faith can be shown to
be true or false based on how much they are willing to go through for their beliefs.
Jesus
taught that suffering was the unavoidable path to glory, both for himself and
his followers. Only when we share in the sufferings of Christ can we then share
in his glory. Paul also taught in Acts 14:22 that only through many
tribulations can we enter the kingdom of God. The links are there: suffering
the pathway to glory, tribulations the pathway to the kingdom.
Paul
comforted the church that since God allowed them to suffer, He was preparing
them for glory. V6 also assured the sufferers that those who afflicted them
would eventually get their just deserts. The church is to trust that Jesus' return will finally bring justice to earth, and to live worthily for that
day.
RELATE
Trusting in God’s justice is not the easiest thing
to do. It’s two-fold: trusting that God is fair and will vindicate you despite the
struggles you may be facing, and also trusting that God will deal with those who wickedly oppressed you.
There was a time in my previous work where I went
through what I thought was gross injustice for years. There was slander,
backstabbing, gossip, constant efforts to undermine my work. This was all done not
to an experienced worker, but a very green and young lad just starting out. I
eventually found out I was a victim of politics, embroiled in a scheme of a
group of people, in their ploy to maintain a stranglehold of power and influence.
There was God’s protection even during such a time,
as I had good bosses and colleagues who stood by my integrity, at least to an
extent. However, the constant efforts to pin me down made my journey
exponentially arduous. It put unnecessary scrutiny on me, and made neutrals
wary of me. Trust in some working relationships became almost impossible. Career
progression stalled because leadership needed time to verify certain accusations,
so put promotions on hold. I was walking on tightrope all the time, being put
in situations where I had to prove myself (and my innocence) when I shouldn’t
need to, or be totally above board in every situation, so opponents could never
sniff out opportunities to exploit a single weakness. The worst part was the
mental turmoil of imagining how half the organisation who didn’t know me well regarded
me.
The bullies seemed to flourish, getting high
salaries, getting away with their schemes, and claiming credit for work they
hardly put any effort in. It was not that the organisation was corrupt and
unwilling to protect young officers. It was just a very systemised scheme that
was hard to uncover. I needed clout and influence to do that, something I didn’t
have at that time. I had superiors who cared for me, but not enough to expand that
sort of energy to investigate/fight a group of influential people who hide
their tracks well. I felt truly alone and powerless.
It was in those years that God taught me some of the
most valuable lessons I cherish to this day. Dependence on God spiked in those
years. Learning how pointless people’s opinions of me were. Learning to
forgive. Learning to maintain excellence in trying circumstances, instead of
growing bitter and justifying sloppy work. Learning to work with people who
wronged or betrayed me. Learning to protect people. Learning that the gospel is at stake when people
observe how I respond under such circumstances. Seeing justice in a new light. In
the process, God has helped remove any notion of revenge or taking justice into
my own hands, and assured me that He will take care of any wickedness in His
own time.
I didn’t suffer nearly as bad as what the
Thessalonian church experienced, but I saw how God used my struggles as a means
to build my faith. I learnt to persevere and love when it was hard to do
so. Those years helped me a lot in facing further trials down the line. It also
helped me better empathise with victims of organised oppression. Most
importantly, I learnt how to trust and depend on God. It was the best justice
for me.
It takes spiritual discernment to see evidence of God’s
righteous judgement in a situation of injustice. We tend to see only the
surface, hence make only superficial comments. When we see the righteous suffer
and the wicked flourishing, we are tempted to protest and ask God: Why aren’t
you doing anything? Well, God is doing something and will continue doing it. He
is allowing His people to suffer, to qualify them for His kingdom. He is
allowing the wicked to triumph temporarily, but his fiery judgement will come
upon them in the end.
REST
May
we have the same spiritual perspectives as Paul. In the Thessalonians’ success
(spiritual growth), instead of flattering them, he thanked God for His grace.
In their sufferings, instead of complaining, he thanked God for His justice.
Chris
Chong
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