by Pastor
Jim Beilstein
Peace Lutheran Church

“Your sufferings are the kisses of Jesus”
Mother Teresa

If what Mother Teresa said is true, then I believe that many of us would be hesitant about getting kisses from Jesus. It is human nature that in every way we will try not to suffer. But what exactly is suffering? This may be a discussion like the one we are having in our society about what is torture? Suffering or torture as defined by one person may be totally different than suffering or torture as defined by another person. What we do know however is that sometimes we just hurt; physically, mentally, emotionally or even spiritually and I would define that as suffering.
We know that suffering is part of life but author Patrick Morley asks the question, why does there have to be suffering at all? If God is good then why doesn’t He remove all suffering?
We do know from the Bible that God is good, He is in control of all things and that He is committed to our good. But how can He be committed to our good if He allows us to suffer?
I feel an analogy may help us understand that God indeed is committed to our good but still allows us to suffer. I love my daughter Charla and I am committed to her good. When Mary, Josh and I went back to the seminary in St. Louis we left our eighteen year old dog Shelly with Charla in Sacramento. Charla was raised with Shelly and had grown to love her very much. One day Charla informed me that Shelly was very ill and the vet did not hold out much hope. Charla was hurting but she was not ready to let Shelly go. I could have flown back to Sacramento and had Shelly put to sleep. But I knew that Charla needed to work through the death of Shelly even though she suffered. I believed Charla learned about suffering and life and death through the death process of Shelly. I could have alleviated Charla’s suffering but then her learning process would not have taken place.
I believe in the same way God allows you and me to suffer in order for us to learn something about life on earth and maybe even something about life in heaven. Do we not learn more through our suffering than through our good times?
When Mother Teresa talked about our suffering being the kisses of Jesus, I believe she was speaking in reference to the Bible as St. Paul writes.
"…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5, ESV)
So I say bring on the kisses of Jesus because no matter how difficult my situation or your situation the promise of God through Paul’s writing is that hope will be produced in us and I feel all of us can use a little hope right now.