如果我们坦诚地说，就会承认，我们不会经常想要受苦。我们或许渴望经历基督复活的大能，但我们对于经历祂的受死之痛鲜有热情。然而在新约中有几处，保罗流露出分享基督苦难的渴望（例如罗 8:17-18；林后 1:5-7；提后 1:8）。
纵观教会历史，许多基督徒都曾为基督受苦，无论他们愿不愿意。直到今日，还有一些教会受到逼迫；近些年我们看到或听到因为信仰被砍头的可怕场景。如果我们有幸免遭这样的逼迫，我们会祈求事情一直会这样，我们也为受伤害的弟兄姐妹祷告，祈求他们不再受到迫害。然而保罗却积极地谈论为耶稣受苦的事，并且他邀请别人加入他的行列。
当然，在洗礼中我们确实与基督同死同复活了（罗 6:1-7）。我们在属灵的层面肯定这一点。身体上的受苦可能会有，可能没有；但如果有，保罗指出，这只会使我们更靠近耶稣。
这或许是保罗在罗马书 8:31-39所写内容的另一种表述：任何事物都不能使我们与神的爱隔绝，因为耶稣已经藉着为我们受苦并受死成就了救恩。
亲爱的耶稣，无论我们会在灵里还是肉身受苦，都帮助我们明白，祢与我们的关系是何等密切，祢在凡事中都与我们同在。阿们。
腓立比书 3:10-11
10 使我认识基督，晓得他复活的大能，并且晓得和他一同受苦，效法他的死，
11 或者我也得以从死里复活。
"I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings. . . ." — Philippians 3:10
If we are honest, we’ll admit that we do not usually, if ever, hope for suffering. We may be eager to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection, but we are less passionate about wanting to experience the agony of his death. Yet in several places in the New Testament Paul expresses a desire to share in the sufferings of Christ (for example, see Romans 8:17-18; 2 Corinthians 1:5-7; 2 Timothy 1:8).
Across church history, many Christians have suffered for Jesus, whether they wanted to or not. To this day, parts of the church are persecuted, and in recent years we have seen or heard about horrifying spectacles of Christians being beheaded for their faith. If we are blessed to live free of such persecution, we tend to pray that things may stay that way for us. We also pray that persecution will cease for sisters and brothers who are hurting. Yet Paul speaks positively about suffering for Jesus’ sake, and he invites others to join with him.
Of course, in baptism we do die and rise with Christ (Romans 6:1-7). Spiritually we affirm this. Physical suffering may or may not come, but if it does, Paul indicates that it only draws us closer to Jesus.
This may be another way of expressing what Paul wrote in Romans 8:31-39: nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ because Jesus achieved salvation by suffering and dying for us.
Whether we suffer in spirit or in our flesh, dear Jesus, help us to see how closely you identify with us and stay with us in all things. Amen.
诵读: 楚云
片头: 张妙阳
