THE UNFINISHED SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST

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A few years ago, I was watching an interview between an anchorman and a priest on Fox News. It seems Pope John Paul II had just died, and the kindly minister described the things with which he contended.

 

“Of course, an assassination attempt was perpetrated on Pope John Paul from which he never fully recovered, and from which he suffered much. And in the past few years, he struggled with Parkinson’s Disease. However, in spite of his physical challenges, he continued to travel the world and minister to his people.”

 

And with this, the priest concluded his statement with,

“So much like the verse,

 

‘Filling up in my own body the unfinished sufferings of Christ.’” (Col. 1:24)

 

At this juncture, the anchorman responded.

 

“I don’t understand. What is unfinished about Christ’ sufferings?”

 

To which the priest replied,

 

“Our participation.”

 

Such an interesting scripture the context of which, to my knowledge, is only found in a couple of other places in the holy writ.

 

“Filling up in my own body the unfinished sufferings of Christ.” (1:24)

by William McDonald, PhD