As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant,
will justify the many as He will bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53:11
The other day, I went for my morning walk at 5:30 AM in an attempt to beat the heat. But the temperature already hovered around 77 degrees, so my effort was in vain. By the time I’d walked a couple miles, my face was sweaty, and I asked myself why I engage in such torture. As if in answer, II Corinthians 4:17-18 came to mind.
For momentary light afflictions are producing in us an eternal weight of glory, far beyond all comparison, while we look not a the things that are seen, but at the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Now, walking in Iowa heat and humidity is the lightest of temporary, light afflictions. But, how could muggy weather possibly produce an eternal weight of glory? Well, sweet corn thrives on heat and humidity and tastes about as glorious as anything I’ve ever eaten. But since it’s seen and not unseen, I tossed the thought out on its ear.
But then I thought of how a corn kernel, planted in good soil and blessed with the ability to outgrow the weeds, produces a bountiful harvest. Kind of like Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seed. So sweet corn, though visible, illustrates an eternal, invisible truth. Pretty cool, I thought as my underarms dripped sweat.
Once home, I opened my Bible to Isaiah 52 – 54, the assigned chapters in my read-through-the-Bible plan. As I considered the prophet’s description of Christ’s future suffering, I wondered how my Savior endured such anguish.
Did He picture the eternal weight of glory which would be the harvest of His sacrifice? Could He envision and find satisfaction in the glory to come, the justification of His children which He made possible by bearing their iniquities?
Faced with the magnitude of Christ’s excruciating hours on the cross, all my past afflictions seemed both momentary and light. For a few brief seconds, I was grateful for the day’s heat and humidity. Because of the muggy weather, I’d gained a greater appreciation for two of God’s most glorious gifts: Iowa sweet corn in the summer and a heart humbled by Christ’s suffering on my behalf.
