11: What is Lacking in the Afflictions of Christ

“The saints,” says St. Silouan the Athonite, “were people like all of us. Many of them came out of great sins, but by repentance, they attained the Kingdom of Heaven. And everyone who comes there comes through repentance, which the merciful Lord has given us through His sufferings.” This is but an echo of Our Lord’s answer when asked if few will be saved. He said: “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. Luke 13:24 The Greek word translated "strive" here is "agōnizomai." It means to struggle. Thus, its semantic range encompasses athletic struggle, military combat, and perseverance in the midst of danger to obtain that which is sought. It is the word from which our English word “agony” is derived. Knowing the word evokes a sense of competition, battle, or perilous undertaking, Our Lord attached it to the notion of salvation. So how can we agonize to enter by the narrow gate? St. John of Karpathos explains it this way: “My brethren, do all that is in your power not to fall, for the strong athlete should not fall, but, if you do fall, get up again at once, and continue the contest. Even if you fall a thousand times, because of the withdrawal of God’s grace, rise up again at each time, and keep on doing so until the day of your death. For it is written: ‘If a righteous man falls seven times,’ that is, repeatedly throughout his life, ‘seven times shall he rise again’ [Proverbs 24:16].” But also, Remember the words of Elder Saphrony of Essex: “Holiness is not an ethical but an ontological concept. A man is not holy because his morals or conduct are good, or even because he leads a righteous life in the sense of devoting himself to spiritual endeavor and prayer – indeed, the Pharisees kept the fasts and made ‘long’ prayers. But that man is holy who bears within himself the Holy Spirit.” In His Epistle to the Collossians, St. Paul says: “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church…. To this end, I also labor, striving (agonizing) according to His working which works in me mightily.” Colossians 1:24, 29. St. Agustine of Hioppo says of this passage that St. Paul is “showing that what he was suffering was part and parcel of the afflictions of Christ. That can’t be understood of the head, which now in heaven is not suffering any such thing; but of the body, that is, the church; the body, which with its head is the one Christ.[St. Paul] did not say “of the afflictions of me” but “of Christ,” because he was a member of Christ, and in his persecutions, such as it was necessary for Christ to suffer in his whole body, even Paul was filling up Christ’s afflictions in Paul’s own portion.” This is why the road to the Kingdom is marked by suffering. Not for the sake of punishment, or, as much of the West suggests, purgation; for the sacraments of baptism and confession accomplish the cleansing of soul and body. The Church’s heirship is not subordinate to that of Christ. The Church mystically comprises His holy body and is truly a joint heir with the Son of the Father, being indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Your suffering, dear Christian, if endured for Christ’s sake, become’s Christ’s suffering because you are truly members of His body. So don’t lose heart, and don’t fail to get back up. Feel free to reach out to me: thepodvig@gmail.com