We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. (2 Corinthians 1:8 ESV)
The Lord Jesus said "I am the true Vine," and
it was prophesied of Him that He would tread the winepress alone. The Cross was
His winepress. How He was pressed in the Cross! He was crushed and broken, but
out of that breaking has come the Life which you and I have, and which so many
in all the nations have received. That is true, in a measure, of His Church. It
was out of the breaking and crushing of the Church that the Life came to the
world. And that is true of every member, every branch of the vine. If we are to fulfill this true, living ministry, it will only be through suffering, through
the winepress, through pressure and through breaking. Paul said: "We
were pressed out of measure, above strength" (2 Corinthians 1:8 – A.V.) –
but what Life has come out of that man's pressure! It is like that. We are not
talking about preaching and Bible teaching, but about this great ministry of
Christ giving His Life through us. It may be passed on to others through
preaching, or through teaching, or through living, but if it is His Life it will
come out of experiences of suffering. A preacher or a teacher who has never
suffered will never minister Life.
Well, this may not seem a very pleasant
outlook, but it is true. The best doctors and nurses are those who know
something about suffering themselves. Some are just professional, treating you
as a case – you are just case number blank. But, ah! there are others who treat you as
a person, a human being, who care for you. If you ask why, you may find that
they have a background of suffering themselves. They know just a little of what
you are going through. We have read in the Letter to the Hebrews: "We have
not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities;
but one that hath been in all points tempted like as we are... He is able to
succor them that are tempted" (Hebrews 4:15, 2:18). He has been the
way of the winepress and we have received the benefit.