Lacking?

The second part of Col 1.24 always leaves me scratching my curly white head:

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,

and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking

in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body,

that is, the church

Something is lacking.

Go figure.

Paul tells of some of his afflictions in 2 Cor 11.23-27

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—

with far greater labors, far more imprisonments,

with countless beatings, and often near death. 

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 

Three times I was beaten with rods.

Once I was stoned.

Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 

on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers,

danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles,

danger in the city, danger in the wilderness,

danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 

in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night,

in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure

And how ‘bout this:

From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

Gal 6.17

It’s good fodder to muse on