“You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”
2 Corinthians 4:5-6 NLT
Paul began our verses today with a low-key confession: “We don’t go around preaching about ourselves.” The culture in those days, much as it is today, was full of people obsessed with self‑promotion, personal branding, and presenting the perfect image, and Paul’s words feel almost countercultural. Implicit in his message was a reminder to the Corinthians that the Christian life wasn’t just a stage on which they performed to boost their personalities and achievements. The same message applies to us today. The message we carry is not our own greatness—it’s Christ’s lordship. This doesn’t mean our stories don’t matter. They do. God uses our testimonies, our journeys, our scars. But the purpose of sharing them is never to elevate ourselves. It’s to point to the One who heals, restores, and redeems. Paul’s humility wasn’t a weakness. It was clarity. He knew who the story was really about.
Paul continued: “We ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake”. This is a radical, countercultural statement, but it echoes what Jesus taught His disciples. We read in Matthew 20:25-28, “But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world Lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many”. In Philippians 2:6-7, Paul wrote about Jesus, “Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being”. If only we could get our minds around the enormity of what Jesus did, leaving the comforts of Heaven behind, and restricting Himself in a human body, being a servant and slave for the sake of our salvation. Even though Jesus was God, he chose not to use His divinity in His earthly ministry so that He could walk and talk with His generation as one of them. In fact, He was so much human that the religious leaders of His day accused Him of blasphemy when He spoke the truth about being God. In the kingdom of God, greatness is measured not by how many people serve you, but by how many people you serve. We pilgrims put others before ourselves. We give without expecting a return. We love without demanding recognition. This kind of servanthood is not natural. It’s supernatural. It flows from a heart that has been transformed by Christ’s own humility.
“The glory of God that is seen
in the face of Jesus Christ”
Paul continued with a reference to the Genesis account, “Let there be light”. We read it in Genesis 1:3, “Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light”. Was it a big leap from writing about preaching to then referring to the creation story? It may be that we don’t understand the power of God that exists in the Good News about Jesus. The God of creation who spoke light into effect can surely speak into the hearts and minds of human beings with the tremendous message of grace and hope. Paul continued that God “made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ”. Light in the world provided by the heavenly bodies is as nothing compared with the Light that illuminates our hearts and minds. But it gets better. The glory of God is not found in anything created. It is only found “in the face of Jesus Christ”. When God shines His light into our hearts, He is giving us the ability to see Jesus for who He truly is.
So we pilgrims do not promote ourselves, because the message we carry is all about Jesus. John the Baptist said, “He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less” (John 3:30). John “got it” because he went on to say to his disciples, “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment” (John 3:36). Our message is so important, and we have to present it in a way that exalts Jesus, and Him alone. We love Him. We worship Him. And we tell our friends and families about Him. One day we will truly see “God … in the face of Jesus Christ”.
Dear Lord Jesus. We look forward with eager anticipation to the day when we will see You face to face. As the Gaithers used to sing, “What a day that will be”. We worship You, Lord. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 