(REFLECTIONS ON Colossians 1:24-29)

Jesus was rejected, misunderstood, suffered on His way to the cross, and sacrificed life with His death on the cross. Paul writes that He rejoices in his sufferings for Christ’s body, which is the church. As Christians, we are taught to be like Jesus, which is to love like Jesus, and the ultimate form of love that Jesus showed us was suffering and sacrifice on the cross.

Paul, thus walked the path of Jesus, and suffered and sacrificed himself for the church as well, writing,

29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

However, many in the modern church reject suffering and only accept love. Have we forgotten that Jesus suffered because of His love? Do we forget that Paul suffered because of his love for God’s church? Do we only want the benefits of a sacrificial love, but not learn how to love others with this sacrificial love as well?

No, suffering is not for our salvation, for that is what Jesus fulfilled, but sacrificial love is the ultimate form of responding to what Jesus did for us, and the example that Paul set for the church.

That is why Paul rejoiced in his sufferings writing,

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

Paul rejoiced in his sufferings because that was his response to the sacrificial love of Christ. Paul rejoiced in his sufferings because it was for the church, that is Christ’s body, and in doing so filled up what was lacking in Christ’s afflictions.

What does that mean, “in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions”? No, not that Christ’s afflictions were lacking, for Jesus Christ fully accomplished the work of salvation on the cross.

Rather, Paul likely means that as he suffers for Christ and for His body, the church is being filled with the same sacrificial love that responds to what Christ first did for us. This sacrificial love is the proper response of the church to Jesus Christ.

It was lacking in Christ’s afflictions, because at the time only Christ suffered, and now is our opportunity to respond with the same sacrificial love.

May we as the body of Christ, the church, respond to Christ with a sacrificial love. No, not to fulfill Christ’s role of redemption for the church, but in response to His work, showing the world, that we are disciples following after Jesus in today’s world.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Colossians 1