Help Wanted

quote-costly-grace-is-the-treasure-hidden-in-the-field-for-the-sake-of-it-a-man-will-gladly-go-and-sell-dietrich-bonhoeffer-212186Living in the Spirit
June 19, 2015

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

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 impostors, 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. – 2 Corinthians 6:3-10

Help wanted: We are looking for a few select people who possess purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God which at all times manifests itself in righteousness.  Persons applying must possess great endurance as the job may entail afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger. All interested applicants please contact your local church.

I laugh sometimes when I hear the TV advertisements for drugs. They usually illustrate the ads with idyllic scenes of attractive, healthy people enjoying life at its fullness as the voice over disclosures sound out a horrifying list of side effects often ending in the possibility of death. Perhaps the pharmaceutical companies used Paul’s letter to the Corinthians as their template. If Paul is using his personal experience as encouragement to sign up for the life of Christ, it might give some reason for pause.

The real question in any task we undertake comes down to: Is the end result worth the investment of our time, energy, hardships, and even death? Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is worth everything and gave his life in pursuit of realizing the Kingdom.  So did Paul.

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-45)

Prayer: Lord, we long for your kingdom of justice and love. Equip us for the journey as we work toward its fulfillment. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.