You yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. – Acts 10:37-38
“Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness.” That is how Ernest Shackleton’s classified ad began for his South Pole expedition more than 100 years ago. More than 5,000 candidates applied. The ones who went would know trauma.
You know about trauma because, for instance, you know what a strange and difficult time we had with the pandemic a few years ago. Maybe I should have begun that sentence with, “You yourselves know about trauma because, for instance, you yourselves know…”
“You yourselves” might seem redundant, like “Personally, I myself think ...”, but we sometimes emphasize the significance of something by being repetitive. If I say, “You know that life is brings challenges”, you might think that I am speaking too generally. In fact, “brings challenges” might sound so generic that it is boring, prompting you to think, “Yeah, sure, whatever.” But, if I say, “You yourselves know challenges”, then the emphasis helps you to recognize that I am acknowledging and emphasizing two things: 1) your personal encounter with trouble and 2) your shared encounter with trouble as part of a group of people facing difficulties. The focus on both of those is accomplished by my being repetitive: “you yourselves know.”
Focusing and emphasizing is what Peter is doing in his sermon in Acts 10:37 when he says, “You yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea.” The Jews and Gentiles who were gathered in Cornelius’ house had not read history books about what Jesus had done throughout the surrounding countryside. They themselves had seen it. It wasn’t that they had just read articles about a pandemic. They themselves had lived it. They knew people who had been healed and set free by what happened throughout all Judea. They themselves knew what had happened. This was not just head knowledge. It was embedded in their hearts and souls. They each knew it personally and they were living it together. So, Peter says, “You yourselves know.”
You yourselves know that life is difficult. You yourselves know that this is a fallen and broken world. You yourselves know that Jesus Christ is the only way of salvation from sin and death. You yourselves know that His bride, the church, is His plan for bringing comfort in the midst of suffering. You yourselves know that you yourselves are called to worship and work together to bring the Good News to many. By the power of the Holy Spirit, let us go about doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil. Let’s do this because you yourselves know what happened throughout all of Judea and has been happening around the world ever since.
In his book on Suffering, Paul Tripp repeatedly says, “We never just suffer just what we’re suffering, but we also suffer the way that we are suffering.” When we suffer, we learn about 1) what suffering feels like, 2) how others might feel, 3) what results from suffering, and 4) the effectiveness of our reaction to the pain. The blind and lame knew trauma. When Jesus healed them, they themselves knew His grace and mercy. Once healed, the greater their suffering had been, the greater became their view of His grace and mercy – and the greater became their view of the need for others to be healed and redeemed. Their trauma was beneficial. Any trauma that gives you a greater view of Jesus as Savior is good trauma. Trauma is an opportunity to grow.
Why would more than 5,000 people want to suffer a cold, dark trip to the South Pole? Because in this broken world, there is plenty of suffering. We might as well face the darkness together. You yourselves ARE going to suffer pain and loss. How will you face suffering? Will you learn from it or just complain? Will you stand up to disappointment? Will you trust that God gives you good trauma? Others face suffering, too. Will you yourselves trust and rest in Christ alone? You yourselves know about trauma. In faith, will you yourselves believe that there is good trauma?
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. – Revelation 14:12
