St. Paul’s letters to the community in Corinth, both the 1st and 2nd letters, are addressed to men and women who had accepted the good news of Christ and were now trying to live it – not always successfully and not without facing hardships and pushback from family and friends. Paul understands. There are parts of 2 Corinthians in which we can clearly see Paul’s frustrations with the community and also his genuine love and concern. One of the hallmarks of this letter is Paul’s ability to produce profound theological foundations for what may at first sight appear to be rather commonplace in life.
Paul begins by reminding the Corinthians, and by extension all of us, of the urgency of salvation. He says, “not to receive the grace of God in vain.” This is a call to action, a reminder that God’s grace is freely given, but it requires our response. We must actively embrace it and allow it to transform us from within – even in the face of hardships and challenges: “afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger.” Perhaps in our day we can add being ghosted, canceled or ignored. Paul reminds them (and us) that we are sustained by God’s grace – which comes in endless supply – and the power of the Holy Spirit – equally endless and ever present.
Our faith is not meant to shield us from hardships but to strengthen us in the face of them. We, too, may encounter difficulties in our lives — health problems, financial struggles, broken relationships, or the daily pressures of life. But just as Paul and his companions found solace in God’s grace, we too can find comfort and strength in our relationship with the Lord even as we embrace the paradoxes of Christian life.
Paul writes, “We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.” These paradoxes highlight the contrast between worldly standards and the values of the Kingdom of God. In our weakness, we find strength that we did not know we possessed. In our poverty, we experience true richness when we gain clarity about what truly matters to God and to us! And in our sorrows, we discover that no matter what we face, we are never alone. God is with us, walking alongside us in our journey providing His strength so that we are encouraged to persevere.
Let us receive the grace of God with open hearts and respond to it with faith and obedience.
Let us embrace the paradoxes of our Christian faith, trusting in God’s providence even in the midst of trials.
And let us find solace in the knowledge that we are never alone, for God is with us every step of the way.
Let us ask God for what we need to be faithful disciples. It is all there for the asking.
Amen.
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