Paul makes himself vulnerable.

When I was a kid, we made an annual trip to Clear Lake (California)—honestly, all my best memories from childhood go back to that lake.  It wasn’t just the waterskiing with my family, though I LOVED that, it was all the other stuff like fishing, clamming, jumping off the pier, and trying to get so many people on the dock that we would sink it.  I also remember the lizards.  My cousins would catch them, name them, and even bring them home.  They would turn the lizards on to their backs, so we could see the cool-looking bluebellies they sported.  Their backs were thick-skinned and rough, but their bellies were just the opposite.  Today, Paul shows us his under belly.

You will recall that the Corinthian church was split into various factions, and some were denying Paul’s calling and authority. (can you imagine??)  In his desire to fix things, Paul had made a quick trip to set things straight; instead, the visit seemed to make things worse, and brought him great emotional pain. 

Paul addresses why he chose not to return to Corinth—in his explanation, he gives us a real glimpse into his heart and mind.   “I call God as my witness that it was in order to spare you that I did not return to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but, because it is by faith you stand firm.     So I made up my mind that I would not make another painful visit to you. For if I grieve you, who is left to make me glad but you whom I have grieved? I wrote as I did so that when I came I should not be distressed by those who ought to make me rejoice. For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.”                                                                                           2 Corinthians 1.23-24

Paul exercised keen judgment in not returning to Corinth at this time, citing that it would not be the right thing to do for him or them.  It is clear that Paul sought the Lord for wisdom, and then acted on it.  “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.”1  Don’t forget to ask God for wisdom, Friends—and expect that he will direct your footsteps.  He is trustworthy, and he sees around corners that you can’t.  Then, act on the wisdom God gives you. 

“It is by faith that you stand firm,” Paul said.  What a simple, powerful notion!  It is our faith in Christ that sustains us. Faith?  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.2 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.3

What is this faith Paul is talking about? The substance we have in our relationship with God, which is based on the work of Christ, sealed by the filling of the Holy Spirit.  It is that on which we stand firm—the life-giving entity of our salvation.  If we choose to stand on that, we have the courage to face life squarely, to live abundantly, and to love with abandon.

Paul again showed his underbelly by telling the Corinthians how much he loved them, even showing them his tears.  Tears reveal depth of emotion.  Three times, Scripture noted that Jesus was moved to tears--when Lazarus died, (just before Jesus resurrected him); when he looked out on Jerusalem, and her hardness of heart, and in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus cried in anguish, ‘if it be possible, Father, let this cup pass from me.’  It wasn’t.  Tears are revealing.

Paul punctuates his sentiments for the people by admitting his tears, falling because of his great love and concern for them. 

Thank you, Paul, for your humble vulnerability in showing your great love and concern for those you led.  Thank you for standing firm in your faith, no matter what you faced, so that we are able to stand firm in ours.

Christine