Romans 8:18 teaches that present sufferings, no matter how intense, are temporary and insignificant when compared to the eternal glory God has prepared for believers, offering a powerful message of hope and an eternal perspective to endure hardship. It encourages Christians to weigh their current pain against future joy, viewing their trials as temporary and part of a greater divine plan for future revelation and redemption, as described in the surrounding verses (Romans 8:18-25).
In Mark 2:27, "the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" means the Sabbath is a divine gift for human benefit—a day of rest, spiritual rejuvenation, and connecting with God—rather than a rigid set of rules that oppresses people, emphasizing mercy and human need over legalistic observance. Jesus used this to teach that religious rules, including Sabbath laws, should serve humanity's well-being (doing good, saving life) and not become a burden, highlighting that the Son of Man (Jesus) is Lord over the Sabbath.
The holy things and the pearls represent the things of God, perhaps the gospel itself. The dogs and pigs represent hostile, unworthy people. And so the statement translates into something like this: Do not preach the things of God to hostile, unworthy people.
Yet what does Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, write in Romans 8:18? He writes that the sufferings of this present time are not even worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed to believers when this body dies and God, in eternity, gives us a new, sinless body that will never die.
In Romans 8:18, Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.” Notice the words “suffering” and “present time.” Christianity does not give us a free pass from suffering. Knowing Jesus is not a “get out of suffering” card.
Romans 8:18–30 talks about the participation of Christians in the everyday suffering experienced by all of creation. We all groan together as a woman in labor while we wait for God to reveal His children.
During this time now, we suffer. But one day God will show us all the great things he has prepared for us. That will make the trouble that we have now seem very small.
Romans 8:18 – The pain that you have been feeling can't be compared to the joy that is coming!
I ask that you take away sickness, infirmity and pain from me and restore me to health (Psalm 103:2-3). I thank you for sending your Son into the world, who drove out evil spirits with a command and cured all who were sick (Matthew 8:16-17). Your love and compassion have not changed (Lamentations 3:22-23).
The woman with the issue of blood was trapped in the promise of healing. She went to what many call “ground level” to receive the promise of healing. That is a lesson for the Christian believer about the healing God offers each one of us.
Pearls: The OG Symbol of Purity and Wisdom
In Revelation 21:21, the gates of the New Jerusalem are described as "twelve pearls," each gate a single pearl.
So, where was Jesus for the three days in between His death and resurrection? For a time, He was in Hades, preaching to the spirits in prison (whoever they were). Then, He released all of the righteous dead of Sheol/Hades and took them with Him to heaven. But, again, there is controversy on virtually every point.
On the Sabbath (Shabbat), observant Jews traditionally refrain from "work" (melacha), which includes activities like driving or using electricity, cooking or kindling fires, writing or erasing, shopping or conducting business, and doing household chores like laundry or cleaning; these prohibitions stem from the 39 creative labors involved in building the Tabernacle, aiming to create a day of rest and spiritual focus, not a normal weekday.
The Sabbath was the sign of the Mosaic covenant. The Mosaic covenant and the Sabbath as the covenant sign are no longer applicable now that the new covenant of Jesus Christ has come. Believers are called upon to honor and respect those who think the Sabbath is still mandatory for believers.
God knew we needed it. And He knew we needed dedicated time to stop, reflect, and acknowledge Him as the Creator and sustainer of life. Each week, Sabbath frees us from the constant rat race of a world that expects so much from us. It's a gift that keeps on giving.
How To Receive Your Healing
In Apostolic Tradition, Hippolytus instructed Christians to pray seven times a day, "on rising, at the lighting of the evening lamp, at bedtime, at midnight" and "the third, sixth and ninth hours of the day, being hours associated with Christ's Passion (i.e. 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m.)."
Psalm 103:3-5 --- 3 He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. 4 He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. 5 He fills my life with good things.
Romans 8:18 reminds us that our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us. This verse serves as a powerful reminder that there is a greater purpose and plan at work, even in the midst of our pain.
God allows suffering because He is loving, powerful and wise. People suffer because it is the path that we chose. God provided us the freedom to choose and that includes choosing rightly and wrongly. Every time we choose wrongly, there is some form of pain and suffering.
The most direct Bible verse (KJV) addressing a man failing to care for his family, including children, is 1 Timothy 5:8: "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel". This verse emphasizes that neglecting one's family is a grave spiritual failure, even worse than unbelievers who often still care for their kin.
When Jesus asked, "Can you drink the cup I will drink?" he was asking his disciples, James and John, if they could share in his coming suffering, persecution, and death, symbolized by the "cup" as God's wrath and judgment for sin, which he was taking upon himself, leading to his crucifixion, while they would face lesser, but still significant, persecution as followers, all to fulfill God's plan.
18I consider that what we suffer at this present time cannot be compared at all with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. 19All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children. 20For creation was condemned to lose its purpose, not of its own will, but because God willed it to be so.
Themes: Suffering, Glory, Hope. Dear Lord, I come before you today with a heart full of gratitude and hope. I thank you for the promise that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us.