#DailyDevotion Would You Follow Someone Who Boasts Of His Weaknesses?
2 Cor. 11:21-31 /21I’m ashamed to admit it: As you say, we have been too weak. But what anyone else dares to claim – I’m talking like a fool – I can claim, too. 22Are they Jews? So am I! Do they belong to the people of Israel? So do I! Are they descended from Abraham? So am I! 23 Are they servants of Christ? I’m insane to talk like this, but I’m a better one! I’ve done much more hard work, been in prison much more, been beaten very much more, and often faced death. 24Five times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes, three times I was beaten with a stick, once I was stoned, 25three times I was in a shipwreck, a night and a day I drifted on the sea… 28Besides everything else, I have a daily burden – I’m anxiously concerned about all the churches. 29When anyone is weak, am I not weak, too? When anyone is led into sin, don’t I burn with pain and grief? 30If I have to boast, I’ll boast of the things that show how weak I am. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, Who is blessed forever, knows I’m not lying.
Paul apparently was having to deal with some “super apostles” who are causing trouble for him in the Corinthian congregation. They, from Paul’s words here are making a big deal that they are Jews, Hebrews, descendants of Abraham and servants of Christ. Paul first makes the claim, whatever they can claim about themselves he also can claim. He indeed is all those things. I’m surprised he didn’t bring up his diploma from the school of Gamaliel, it’s like claiming you’re a Harvard or an Oxford man.
Yet Paul dismisses those creditials and brings up his weaknesses. After all, they have been claiming he is too weak. We may think his weaknesses are something big but in his world the things he went through were shameful. He was imprisoned a number of times. He was beaten often and face death. He was lashed by the Jews 5 times and three times beaten with a stick. He was stoned. He was shipwrecked three times and adrift at sea. He was faced with numerous dangers and false friends. He even had to escape Damascus by being let out a window in a basket. People would have thought Paul was cursed. In a way he was. Our LORD Jesus told pastor Ananias, “16I will show him how much he has to suffer for Me.”(Act 9) Paul would gladly and joyfully suffer it all for the privileged of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ and being counted worthy to inherit his kingdom.
Paul describes his great concern for all the churches, his being weak when other are weak, his pain of grief when others sin, as his weaknesses, something the super apostles no doubt did not do or share in. He invokes the name of the God and Father of our LORD Jesus Christ he is telling the truth here. So what should we make of all this? That we as Christians should not be taken in by smooth talk, big cars, houses, beautiful wives and promises of the same if we just do what those pastors do. We should not listen to those who say we will not suffer as Christians or if we do suffer we’ll be blessed with great things in this life. We didn’t become Christians to be blessed in this life. We have faith in the crucified and risen one, Jesus Christ, to inherit a New Heavens and New Earth in the world to come. We suffer all and appear a one cursed by God to be partakers of Jesus’ kingdom for that is what Jesus became for us so we could enter his kingdom.
Heavenly Father, give us faith in Christ so we make boast of our weaknesses like Paul and suffer all so we may enter his eternal kingdom when he returns. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.