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Romans 8:18-23

¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. ²³ And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

This text from Romans is intended to encourage us as we go through suffering. And these verses tell us where to set our eyes, where we are to focus, in the midst of suffering. It is very important that we focus on the right things when we suffer because, too often, we focus on the wrong things. Especially, we focus on the time when our suffering will end, and everything will be back to normal. But this is not where we should focus.

To get an understanding of this, we are going to start by considering what happened in our Old Testament text (Gen 50:15-21) where we heard about what happened between Joseph and his brothers after their father has died. Joseph’s brothers were afraid that Joseph would punish them because of all the wrong things they had done.

Joseph was the favorite son of his father Jacob (Gen. 37:3). Jacob had given Joseph that expensive, many-colored robe and made it clear that Joseph was his favorite son. Because of this, Joseph’s brothers hated him and could not speak peacefully to him (Gen. 37:4). Joseph would have dreams. One where he saw his brothers all bowing down to him and another one where he saw his whole family including his parents bowing down to him (Gen. 37:5-11). And his brothers hated him even more after he told them about these dreams.

One day, when he was seventeen years old (Gen. 37:2), Joseph was sent by Jacob to check on his brothers where were working the flocks a long way from home. Joseph’s brothers see him off in the distance and decide that now is their chance. They formulate a plan to kill Joseph and throw him in a pit. But instead of killing him, they figure it is more profitable for them to sell him to some slave-traders and earn some money (Gen. 37:18-28). So, Joseph gets taken to Egypt and is sold to a man named Potiphar who was a high-ranking officer of Pharaoh. And so, begins a roller coaster of ups and downs – of suffering and glory – for Joseph.

From depths of the waterless pit that his brothers had thrown him in, Joseph rises in prominence in Potiphar’s house so that Potiphar puts Joseph in charge of everything (Gen. 39:4-5). But then he gets thrown into prison after he is falsely accused of trying to sleep with Potiphar’s wife. While in prison, Joseph catches the eye of the jailor who put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners (Gen. 39:22-23). While God is granting Joseph this success, he correctly interprets the dreams of Pharaoh’s cupbearer and baker who had been thrown in prison. Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him and mention him to Pharaoh so that his unjust suffering can end (Gen. 40:14-15). But for two whole years, (40:23-41:1), the cupbearer forgot about Joseph.

Finally, the cupbearer does remember Joseph when Pharaoh has a dream that none of his wise men or magicians can interpret (Gen. 41:6). So, Joseph is called to Pharaoh’s palace where Joseph interprets his dreams to mean there will be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of severe famine. And Pharaoh decides to make Joseph the overseer of storing up enough grain in the years of plenty so that there will be food in the seven years of famine.

Finally, we get to our Old Testament text, and Jacob, Joseph’s father, dies. Joseph’s brothers figure their dad was the only buffer they had that prevented Joseph from getting vengeance on them. So, they make up this lie and tell Joseph, “Dad totally said that you have to forgive us.” But Joseph’s view of things has changed from the time he was in prison. While he was in prison, he was just looking for an end to his suffering. But now, he has the hindsight to see that God was working everything out to provide, not only for his family, but for many others to save them.

Now, there is no Scriptural promise that God will give you the clarity of why you experience suffering in this life like He gave to Joseph. No. Instead, God has given you something better. He has given you the promise of heavenly bliss and perfection. He has promised you a future that isn’t worth comparing to the suffering that you experience in this fallen creation. So, dear saints, don’t set your sights too low.

When your checking account gets below a comfortable level, you focus on your next payday. When you get sunburned, you focus on the time when it won’t hurt your shoulders to wear a shirt, and then you focus on the time when you will stop itching from your peeling skin. When your kids can’t sleep and need attention in the middle of the night, you look forward to the time when they calm down and you can put your head back on your pillow. When you are sick, you focus on when your cough will go away, your sinuses opened, or when your stomach will be able to hold down food. When you go through chemotherapy treatments, you look forward to when they are done. When you experience pain and loss because of broken relationships or when friends and relatives die, you yearn for enough time to pass so the ache and agony subsides. All of that is like Joseph, when he was in prison, wanted his story to be told to Pharaoh so that he could get out of that pit of suffering (Gen. 40:15).

But, Christian, this passage of Scripture is telling you that there is something even better in store for you than the end of your suffering – whatever has caused it. Paul writes in 1 Cor. 15:19, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Dear saint, when you suffer, you do not simply look to the end of your pain. Instead, you are to look to the glory that is to be revealed to you. And, in fact, all of creation is groaning for this as well.

All creation eagerly longs and desires for you to be revealed as God’s children. 1 John 3:1-2says something similar, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are…. Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” But here, Paul takes it one step further and says that the sun, moon, and stars, the trees, the grass, and the dirt can’t wait to see the glory that God has given to you – and which you have now – but the glory which will be revealed when Christ returns.

You have this promise, but you do not experience it yet. You have this glory by faith in Christ even while you experience suffering here and now.

Some of you know this suffering better than I and others do. And some of you are even now suffering in ways that are incredibly painful, and you don’t know how you can go on. Listen to the first verse of our text again because it is a promise to you. “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

Dear Christian, following Jesus means that you will endure suffering. But hold fast to this promise. You have been joined to Christ. In your Baptism, God joined you to Jesus’ death upon the cross (Ro. 6:3-5). There on the cross, Jesus cried out as He suffered God’s punishment for your sin, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”But God has joined you to Jesus’ death so that you would also be joined to Jesus’ resurrection.

Yes, you do suffer now. But that suffering is not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed in you. The time will come that the revelation that you are a child of God will be clear to all the world. Even when it doesn’t feel like you are a child of God, remember that, when Christ returns, all of creation will see that you have been redeemed by His blood. What a joy that will be.

I want to close with what is probably a silly illustration, but I hope it drives this home a little bit. When a mom decides to style her daughter’s hair, there are times of suffering. All the tangled snarls need to be brushed out, and the daughter isn’t her mom’s biggest fan. But the mom persists. She twists and braids and ties off the daughter’s hair. Finally, everything is finished. The mom steps back, looks at her daughter, and says, “Look how beautiful you are.”

And the daughter looks in the mirror and smiles because she looks just like a princess. The daughter knows, of course, that she had nothing to do with the hair styling other than she endured it. But she happily receives the praise and adoration of the glory that her mother has created.

Dear saints, the same is true of you. In Christ, God has done all the work required to give you your glory. And the day is coming when you will hear your heavenly Father’s voice, praising you for the work He has done in you (Mt. 25:21).

Until then, press on. Look to the promises of Scripture as you wait for the time when Christ returns, when your bodies will be redeemed, and your God-given glory will be revealed. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.