November 29

The Perfect Sufferer

they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, He refused to drink it. — Matt 27:34 BSB

The offer of the drink was made with kindness. There was a group of compassionate women in Jerusalem whose mission was to provide stupefying drinks to those condemned to crucifixion. The goal was to numb the pain and make the suffering more bearable. It is touching to know that such kindness existed even in that day, especially among the Jewish people. True religion always bears such compassionate fruit. Throughout history, Christianity has produced similar ministries of mercy. Wherever there is suffering, Christian women and men go to bring comfort and relief.

However, Jesus did not accept the drink. He tasted it, showing His appreciation for the kindness, but He did not drink it. One reason was that He would not diminish in any way the bitterness of the cup His Father had given Him to drink. He chose to endure every part of the suffering, without dulling the pain or lessening the experience.

Another reason was that Jesus wanted to keep His mind fully clear and aware during these last moments of His life. He would not impair His communion with His Father by drinking something that would cloud His consciousness. While His example does not teach that it is wrong to use medicine to relieve pain in ordinary situations, there were specific reasons why Jesus chose to endure the full weight of His suffering. The invention of anesthetics like chloroform and ether has been a great blessing in reducing human suffering. But when it comes to dying, perhaps the example of Christ suggests that we should meet death with full awareness and not allow anything to cloud our minds as we pass from this life into God’s presence.