2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10
(Additional Readings: Joel 2:1-2, 12-17; Psalm 51:1-17; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21)
"We entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. As we work together with him, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, "At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you." See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation! We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute. We are treated as imposters, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see--we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything."THOUGHTS:
Throughout my life I have experienced "afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, and hunger." Not just figuratively, but I experienced these things in the most literal of ways. They were devastating. Before I began to run desperately towards G-d, more often than not, when left with the natural reflex of fight or flight, I fought and it was ugly. Very rarely did I take flight and run. I fought or I laid down and gave in - crushed in spirit. These things are REAL in our life - not just in the huge things like the ISIS beheading of 21 Christians, but these afflictions, hardships and such happen in seemingly small ways in our daily lives that crush and seek to destroy as well. The hard part is they happen among the fellowship of believers. The author of this piece of scripture, Paul is speaking to fellow believers and how they are to live together.
We must not think that our turning towards G-d removes the pain or the hurt of life. Over and over in scripture the case could be made for the exact opposite. As a member of the fellowship of Christ, I have experienced these very things and I have experienced them of not only the world, but also at the hands of my brothers and sisters. I believe that each of us in the body could say this is true. For me, the beatings in this context have never been literal; however, I have taken a good figurative beating or two in my years. The response has been different though. Years ago, I surrendered to the One who became like me so that I "might become the righteousness of G-d." And with that "purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech and the power of G-d" have become front and center in the response to the onslaught when it comes (not perfectly, I'm in process, as we all are).
The shepherd of a flock--carries the weight of the sheep on their shoulders. Carrying weight hurts. It brings afflictions. Occasionally, as that sheep is on your shoulder, it's hoof collides with your cheek. It cuts. It bleeds. It hurts. It brings sleepless nights. It brings hardships. Not necessarily intentionally but these sheep are people and all people experience these things. (Please hear this: There is beauty in feeling the wool of the sheep brush your nape of your neck. There is joy in the closeness of sheep to your heart and mind. Not all is grim. I am speaking simply in the context of this brief text.) Also, the sheep of the flock brush up against one another and often times move tightly along--rightly so. We were created to be together, to impact one another, to walk together.This text has reminded me that we are human. We often times treat others as imposters, yet they are true. We treat them as unknown, yet we know them well. We forget that they are living, breathing and treat them as if they are dead or dying. We punish and accuse unjustly, just enough to shame or destroy but not to kill. We speak down to one another as if something is wrong with them, as if they are sorrowful, poor and have nothing. And we forget that they rejoice, make many spiritually rich and that they possess everything, simply because they possess the very image of our Creator and his righteousness through Christ.
We are often our own worst enemies in the body of Christ.
"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me....Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."ACTION:
Lord, make this my heart's cry, my prayer. All I can do is be myself totally surrendered to you. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am worthy of love, respect, honor, but I acknowledge that I cannot demand those things from others. And when they cannot give those things to me or to others, the issue is not mine, but theirs and yours. I cannot withhold my affection in any circumstance. I must speak freely and open wide my heart to ALL even in the deepest of afflictions. "Now is the acceptable time, see, now is the day of salvation" and I commend myself to the One who loves me unconditionally.
