阅读经文 

耶稣为我们这个世界极大的罪恶而遭受了可怕的痛苦。苦难的最后，耶稣甚至为我们的罪钉死在十字架上。祂忍受痛苦和死亡是为了替我们的罪付上代价，使我们脱离死亡。第三天，耶稣从死里复活，胜过了死亡——然而，即便得胜，我们仍然不能忽略祂的受苦。

（希腊）非拉铁非教会的信徒们紧紧抓住了耶稣受苦的故事。这个故事激励着他们，使他们足以面对自己遭受的苦难和迫害。耶稣说他们将因着坚忍而得到奖赏。

在这段话中，所谓的“忍耐”更像是极度的忍受。这种忍耐需要你坚持做正确的事，以正确的方式生活，哪怕你看不到这样做的任何好处。它是一种坚持的美德，哪怕今生可能得不到奖赏。

耶稣的奖赏是透过祂的死打开了一扇门，使我们能够有机会与祂一起共度永生。而我们委身于耶稣的奖赏是，我们能够成功跨过那扇门，实现与祂共度永生。

耶稣相信，祂值得为你我而死，你我是祂的奖赏。我们是否对祂怀有同样的信念呢？

Jesus suffered terribly because of how sinful our world is. After suffering, Jesus even died because of our sins. He endured suffering and died so that our sins would be paid for and our deaths could be overcome. Then, on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead in triumph—yet we must not lose sight of his suffering.

The believers who made up the church in ancient Philadelphia (in Greece) held tightly to the story of Jesus’ suffering. It inspired them enough to face their own suffering and persecution. And Jesus said they would be rewarded for their steadfast endurance.

In this passage, what is called "patience" is more like extreme patience. It’s the kind of patience that is required to endure doing the right thing and living the right way even when you can’t see any benefit in doing so. It is the virtue of holding on even when the reward might not come in this life.

Jesus’ reward was that his death opened up a door to allow us to spend eternity with him. And our reward is that being devoted to Jesus allows us to step through that door and spend eternity with him.

He believed that you and I are a reward worth dying for. Do we believe the same about him?