A Futile Comparison
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:18
The apostle Paul suffered deeply. He knew the anguish of sleepless nights without food or water in the winter cold, the fear as a ship sinks, the despair of aimless drifting in the ocean, the loneliness of prison, the agony of being beaten within a short distance from death’s door. As a missionary, he was a mother in childbirth, and once churches were born, he was a worried parent, with frequent heartbreaks from his spiritual children (2 Cor. 11:23-28). Do you want to read the thoughts of someone who knows pain? Read his letters. But don’t miss this one glaring little detail, sparkling like the corner of a diamond almost buried in the dirt. That glaring, beautiful little detail is Romans 8:18.
“…the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” That means you can take your deepest pains, add them together, and their height won’t be comparable to the joy of eternal life with Christ. Comparing your suffering to the joy of heaven would be as futile as comparing a gnat to an elephant. You wouldn’t need a scale to know which one is bigger.
Yet, don’t we often make these futile comparisons? We think about heaven and wonder how it could possibly be wonderful enough to make up for life’s pain. We ask God what kind of salve could ever heal these wounds. It can be easier to imagine his hands fashioning galaxies than it is to imagine his hands wiping tears from our eyes. Atheists believe there is no creator, yet hopeless Christians believe there is no comforter. I’m not sure which is less rational. But there is a creator, and he created you, so he knows how to perfectly comfort you.
And this is not to minimize your suffering. Your suffering is true. It is deep, and it is weighty. But when the glory of heaven is revealed to us, it will all seem light and momentary (2 Cor. 4:17). Unimaginable, I know. Your suffering may be as tall as a skyscraper, but the glory of heaven will reach higher than the sun above your head. So you don’t have to look away from your suffering, as long as you look above it.
All this for sinners. That’s who Paul was, and that’s who Paul wrote to—sinners saved by grace. That’s truly the most precious fact here. On the cross, Jesus experienced the ultimate height of suffering so we could experience the ultimate height of glory. The wrath of God against sinners was poured out on him (Isa. 53). He drank the foaming cup of cursed wine to the dregs (Psalm 75:8, Matt. 26:39) all so we could drink the choicest fruit of the vine at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Matt. 26:29, Mark 14:25, Luke 22:18, Rev. 19:19). If you’ve repented and made the hope of Christ your own, your hope extends to the height of heaven. If your hope is in Christ, this little sentence written by Paul is written for you. It’s a little diamond nearly covered by the dirt of this earth, but the shining sun of heaven’s hope makes it glimmer. So please, pick it up.
