“If we are ‘out of our mind,’ as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
2 Corinthians 5:13-15 NIVUK
That was a bit harsh, calling Paul mad. Well, isn’t that what “out of your mind” means? Apparently, some in Corinth thought Paul was mad, and they were members of the Corinthian church. What must the unbelievers have thought? Those outside the church who knew Paul, perhaps the local Jews, were intent on doing him harm, as we read in the first chapter of Paul’s first letter, treating him as being mad because of his alleged blasphemy. Paul didn’t have much going for him in Corinth. But Paul certainly wasn’t mad. In fact, he was arguably more sane than any of them in Corinth, because he had discovered the truth. The truth about Jesus being the Son of God. The truth that Jesus left Heaven and came to this world to die on a cross so that mankind could be saved from the consequences of their sin. The truth that he shared at every opportunity with a passion that some considered irrational. Paul wrote that his apparent madness was proclaiming truth for the benefit of the Corinthian church, because if they hadn’t believed it, they were heading to a lost eternity.
Today, we pilgrims might be considered a bit unhinged if we passionately promote the Good News about Jesus. Having strong opinions is something more associated with those on the fringes of society. Talking about Jesus is not the sort of conversation starter you find in a secular social gathering or in the office. The presence of a “dog collar” immediately puts someone in a box labelled “slightly mad”, but for those without ecclesiastical clothes, talking passionately about Jesus is not considered to be acceptable and good form. People will avoid us, talk disparagingly about us, even insult and abuse us, but as with Paul, we stand for the truth at every opportunity.
Why was Paul so passionate and fanatical about the Gospel? Well, verse 14 in our reading today provides an explanation. “For Christ’s love compels us” is why. Paul wrote in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. This can be difficult to fully understand because we are wired by sin for self-preservation, in a selfish way that puts our own safety and lives above those of others. And yet there are rare stories of people who, when faced with extreme danger, put aside their own lives to save another person. But we should note that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, chose to leave the comfort and glory of Heaven and become a human being, born into a peasant family. He became a man, although still God, and preached messages that opened the door into the Kingdom of Heaven for everyone. He provided the gift of salvation for all who believed in Him, through what was ultimately a humiliating and excruciatingly painful death. That’s love. That’s Christ’s love. We didn’t ask Him to die for us. In fact, in our sinful natures, we probably didn’t even give the Son of God any thought. He died for people who were shouting for His death. They abused Him, spat at Him, and rejected Him. And yet He still died for them. In Peter’s Acts 2 sermon, we see the people’s response as they finally understood the enormity of what they had done. We read, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” (Acts 2:37).
Paul was one of the Jews who actively tried to silence the new believers. Paul was there when Stephen became the first Christian martyr, holding the coats of those responsible for stoning Stephen to death. That obviously had a dramatic effect on Paul, because he next appears in Acts 9:1-2, “Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem”. But his encounter with the risen Jesus on the Damascus Road refocused his passion and fanaticism and we read, “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20). The present Labour government in the UK has been accused of many “U-turns” with regard to its policies, but Paul’s “U-turn” made them all pall into insignificance. So what caused Paul’s dramatic conversion? It was because Jesus loved and cared for him so much that He met Paul that day in an indisputable way. What else could Paul then do, other than be compelled and motivated to tell others about his Lord? This is not a guilt-driven ministry, pandering to an ego or a religious obligation. This was a ministry driven by love, God’s love, eternal love.
What about us pilgrims? Are we so sure and responsive to Jesus’ love that we, too, feel compelled to tell others what we have experienced? Or are we more blasé, paying lip service and no more? We need to remember that our pasts do not define us. Neither does our old life control us because we are no longer who we used to be. We may prove unpopular when we share our testimony and confront people with the truth about their future. But from the perspective of eternity, such fears are groundless and insignificant. The Lord loves us, and we love him. What more is there to consider?
Dear Lord Jesus. Thank You for Your love and grace. What else can we do other than share what You have done for us with others? Please help us, we pray. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 