March 17, 2015
Gray
Southern
I
Corinthians 10:6-13
Now these things occurred as examples for us, so that we
might not desire evil as they did. Do not become idolaters as some of them
did; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and they rose up
to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did,
and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to
the test, as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. And do not complain as some
of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These things happened to
them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us, on whom
the ends of the ages have come. So if you think you are standing, watch
out that you do not fall. No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone.
God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but
with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to
endure it.
My
aunt and my uncle lived out an interesting life-long theological debate. Every time something bad happened he
would say, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” She would counter that audacious claim
with the response, “But stronger is not better; I’d just as soon stay as I am.”
Lots
of people quote the latter part of I Corinthians 10:13: “You aren’t going to be tested beyond
your strength.” The most honest
reply most of us can make to that promise is that while it may be true we won’t
be crushed; it does often feel like we about to be overwhelmed.
During
the time my family and I were blessed to worship at Mt. Sylvan we heard lots of
stories of folks being overwhelmed.
And we heard about overwhelming circumstances around us in and around
northern Durham and in the various friendship circles we heard folks
discussing. Life often does seem
as if it is collapsing.
The
witness of Jesus, however, is neither a glib assurance that we’re not going to
be pushed beyond our strength nor a surrender to the pain around us. Jesus offers us the life that goes
through pain, at times endures suffering, and then receives an Easter joy. That is the point of our reflection
this Lent for many of us: we do
not always know the fullness of life as we wish it were and lots of us mourn
for what isn’t that should be and what is that shouldn’t. But, we have the gift of Jesus
who showed us that life’s joy and pain can be surrendered to the love of God
who makes us “more than a conqueror” when it comes to life’s sorrows.
My
uncle was right in his partial repetition of the Apostle Paul’s reminder that
we are not destroyed by life’s pain.
My aunt was right in her partial reply that life, however, often feels
out of control and dangerously scary.
But Jesus, who knit together human pain and hope, shows us by his dying
and rising that it is hope and life that will triumph. Thanks be to God.
No comments:
Post a Comment