Dearest e-votees-
For this week we’ll take a look at the epistle reading from 2 Corinthians.
Peace,
Karl
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2 I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. 3 And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— 4 was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. 5 On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6 But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, 7 even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. 8 Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, 9 but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
Three strands from this passage from 2 Corinthians:
What the world experiences of us is in our actions and our words
Perhaps the folks at Young Life said it best “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Paul was certainly speaking along the same lines when he wrote:
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
All people are want purpose and meaning in their lives. Often this comes through the lives of others. What makes the others persuasive isn’t their boasting or their great learning or their potent curriculum vitae or any other such qualifications. Paul had all that was required to make a case for himself from personal experience and training. But he got knocked of his high horse. He is now at the point in his journey where he will let what he does and what he says allow people to make their judgments—boasting is excluded. His life is an epistle to those who will read it.
People are looking for people to help them find purpose and meaning. They will experience others through what they see and what they hear. When actions and words have a deep resonance and are done in love then mountains can be moved. God can best speak through us when we let God transform our ways and our words in the world. It’s not about being perfect -- it’s about being people of honesty, integrity and humility.
Prayers that are answered “No.” are still answered prayers
Our lives are to be ones of prayer. We are invited to approach God boldly with the desires of our heart. There are some potent promises about the prayers of the faithful offered in Jesus’ name. Some want to oversell the case that God is inclined to grant the prayer requests lifted up. God is a loving God. God is experienced by what God does and what God says. Part of that love, as any parent knows, is not always giving your child what they want. Sometimes we attach to much meaning to the “yes” or “no” of the response to prayer and not enough meaning to the loving God who is answering our prayers.
Paul wanted this thorn of the flesh removed. And so he prayed. David wanted the sick child born of Bathsheba to be made well. And so he prayed for seven days to that end (2 Samuel 12:15-18). Jesus wanted the cup to pass from his lips in the garden of Gethsemane. And so he prayed with sweat like drops of blood revealing his agony. There are or will be times where we will pray with all we know and believe and feel for a desired outcome. We may sense a dispassionate silence in response. Our senses aren’t always reliable. God will indeed answer our prayers by declining our request at times but it is always much more of a “No, …” “No, my grace is sufficient for you” or “No, the suffering has gone on long enough” or “No, because I know you and love you” or some other reason.
God is not capricious. God does not take joy in our hearts being hurt through answering our prayers with a “No.” God know our feelings and our dreams and our hurts better than we ourselves. God’s intimacy with us allows God to know best and “No.” best. God answers our prayers even when it is not how we had hoped.
God’s grace is sufficient for us.
Our actions and our words won’t always line up well. We aren’t always the people of honesty, integrity and humility that God has called us to be. People may look at us and find anything but a source of purpose and meaning. Grace is here. Grace is now. God’s grace is sufficient for us.
People may not realize the depth of understanding or revelation that has been given to us. People who surround us may seem light years ahead in terms of their journey along the path of faith. We may look at our own lives and wonder what godly difference are we making. Grace is here. Grace is now. God’s grace is sufficient for us.
We may be in a spot like Paul or David or Jesus where we are threatened or hurting or grieving. We may be crying out with all that we have hoping against hope for a divine intervention. We may be hurting from the “No.” that clearly spoke against our hopes. We may feel like crying out with Jesus “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Grace is here. Grace is now. God’s grace is sufficient for us.
You have a whole day ahead of you. You have a life with all its adventures and pitfalls. You have things of which you are painfully aware and things of which you are completely oblivious. You have a cross that Jesus has invited you to carry. You have moments and decisions that will impact your future and cannot always be taken back. Grace is here. Grace is now. God’s grace is sufficient for you.
God, teach us to pray. God, help us to trust particularly when things don’t go as we had hoped. God, form us into a people of grace. Amen.
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