But incarnational living is even deeper than accurate identification with people or profound understanding of their world. At its very center, incarnation is sacrificial. It cost Jesus everything to be our Savior. Finally, it cost him his life. Pastoral ministry costs us our lives too. While few, if any, of us will be martyrs, all of us are called to give our lives to Christ and his church. I think that is why ministry is inherently painful. The gift of a life is a matter of the heart. We give our lives and our hearts to people, and that gift is more often than not, unappreciated or even rejected. It hurts. It also hurts to live oneself into people’s lives. There we stand between God and people bearing the Word of God on one hand and the burdens, pain, and sorrow of people on the other. This no-man’s-land cannot be comfortable. Yet it is our calling.
One of the most astonishing texts in the New Testament is Romans 9:3, in which Paul says that he is willing to be cursed if it means the salvation of Israel. Think about it: Paul was willing to be damned if it meant the salvation of Israel. Think about it: Paul was willing to be damned if it meant salvation for those he loved. Paul was making the boldest missionary decision humanly possible, and it is the heart of a Christological and apostolic pastoral ministry.