Weakness?

Weakness?

2 Corinthians 12:2-10[1]

The ironic affirmation that “when I am weak, then I am strong” is the personal testimony of the Apostle Paul in our lesson from 2 Corinthians for today. It may be hard to understand that statement on its own. But when we put it into the context of Paul’s life, perhaps we can begin to make some sense of it. He wasn’t the only Christian teacher who had come to Corinth. There were many others, and some of them attacked Paul for his “weaknesses.” They claimed they were better speakers than Paul. They claimed to have supernatural visions and powers. In short, they claimed they were better apostles than St. Paul. In 2 Corinthians he even acknowledges that they claimed to be “super-apostles.” But he did not concede that they were truly superior to him.

Rather than trying to “out-boast” those other teachers, Paul took the opposite approach. His ministry followed the model of the Suffering Savior, and he demonstrated that by listing all the hardships he had endured in the service of Christ (2 Cor 11:23-30). He had been imprisoned, and he had been beaten “often near death.” He had been shipwrecked and spent a night and a day adrift on the open sea.  He had experienced dangers of all kinds: from rivers, from bandits, from his own people, from gentiles, “danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea.” His life as an “Apostle” was one defined by working “hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights,” going without food “often,” shivering in the cold without enough clothing to keep him warm. He concludes that list of his weaknesses by asking, “Who is weak without my feeling that weakness?” (2 Cor 11:29, NLT). That’s probably not the image of an “apostle” most of us have. I would say it’s certainly not the image of ministry that inspires people to serve!

As a part of his personal testimony, he tells the story of an unusual spiritual experience he had years earlier. Something about that experience was so extraordinary that St. Paul says he was afflicted by a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from boasting about it. Although there have been many guesses, nobody really knows what this “thorn” was. But it’s clear from Paul’s perspective that it weakened him. In a sense, it put him in a state of perpetual weakness. No wonder he says he asked to be relieved of that burden. Not once but three times. Most of us would do the same thing—except we wouldn’t stop after three times! In reply to his fervent prayer, the answer he received was “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9, NLT). I’m not sure that was the answer he was looking for. But by the time he recounts this experience in 2 Corinthians he had embraced it so much that he could affirm what seems absurd to us: “when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Let’s be honest: For most of us, the affirmation that “when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10, NLT) makes no sense. Weakness is something to be avoided at all costs. Besides beauty, youth, and wealth, we live in a society that values strength. Which explains why most of us do everything we can to avoid or hide our weaknesses. We’re afraid to let other people see our weaknesses. I think we’re afraid to admit our weaknesses even to ourselves. In our way of thinking, weakness makes us vulnerable. It puts us in a position where we may have to rely on others for help. Perhaps more importantly, weakness frightens us. After all, if we’re weak and vulnerable, someone can take advantage of us. We believe “when we’re weak, we can be hurt,” not that that “when we are weak, then we are strong”!

But the idea that God’s power works best through our weakness is a theme that runs throughout the New Testament, beginning with Jesus himself. In the apparent “weakness” of his humiliating death on the cross, Jesus demonstrated the true power of God’s love to change everything and everyone. In that same vein, St. Paul consistently “boasted” in his weaknesses. In fact, he insisted that his weaknesses were the very means by which the power of faith in Jesus Christ to change people’s lives shone most dramatically through him. And he insisted that his weaknesses were the very means through which Christ was working in and through him to bring new life to the people he served.

Again, all that can be hard for us to process. We’d much rather talk about how our faith helps us to find joy and peace and freedom in the midst of the hardships of life. We’re much more comfortable with affirming “faith is the victory that overcomes the world” than we are saying “when I am weak, then I am strong.” We have to find a balance between the two: between faith as victory and faith as surrender. That means embracing the “weakness” of faith. When we look at faith from this perspective, we’re talking about the “cost of discipleship.” And we shouldn’t underestimate that word “cost.” Our commitment to follow Christ will cost us. I’m not sure we enjoy talking about that aspect of faith.

How, then does our “weakness” become our “strength”? As many spiritual guides have taught us, it’s precisely through the “broken places” of our weakness that God is able to come into our lives and bring new life through his grace, mercy, and love. And it’s through our weakness that God does his most powerful work in the lives of those around us. As Paul recounted, the answer to his prayer to have his weakness taken from him was, “My power works best in weakness.” That means then that the “strength” we find in our weakness is not ours, but God’s! It’s the strength that Jesus demonstrated by obeying God’s will for his life, even to the point of his death on a cross. If that’s not strength, I don’t know what is!

Learning to affirm with Paul, “when I am weak, then I am strong” is an essential part of the Christian life.[2] That may sound strange to us, or it may be uncomfortable, but it is the direct result of the fact that God was working most powerfully in this world when he entered it in the weakness of a newborn baby, who couldn’t speak, couldn’t walk, couldn’t do anything for himself.[3] Learning to affirm, “when I am weak, then I am strong” is also a direct result of our commitment to follow a Savior who gave his life in the weakness and humiliation of the cross. If we believe in a God whose power works best in our weakness, if we follow a Savior who “emptied” himself on the cross, we are going to have to learn what it means to say with Paul, “when I am weak, then I am strong”!

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[1] ©2024 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Alan Brehm PhD on 7/7/2024 for Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.

[2] Cf. Luke Johnson, Learning Jesus, 201: “The imitation of Christ in his life of service and suffering … is not an optional version of the Christian identity.  It is the very essence of Christian identity.”

[3] Cf. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics 4.1:191: God “Most High” is all-powerful and majestic “precisely in His lowliness” as we see it in the birth, life, and death of Jesus.

In the Power of God

In the Power of God

2 Timothy 1:1-14[1]

  One of the great challenges of life is what to do when it feels like your values are under attack. For most of my life, I have heard people say that the Christian faith is under attack in our country. I’m not so sure I would agree with that sentiment. I know that there are some who speak against religion in general. Ironically, I would say Jesus echoed some of their criticisms of religion. In our day, it seems to me that the greater problem is that the Christian faith has become irrelevant. I don’t think that’s the fault of the faith, mind you. I think that’s because of the way “church people” like us represent the Christian faith. Or perhaps it would be better to say that we fail to represent the faith.

  Unfortunately, part of what happens when we think of ourselves as under attack is that we go into a “defensive” mode. When we see ourselves as the victims of attack, it’s easy to see threats where none exist. When we go into this “defensive” mode, one thing we do is pull back from engaging people who are “other.” We retreat to the safety of our “own” group. And we have certain “litmus tests” to be able to make sure someone really is a part of our group. Whether it’s a list of beliefs, or certain stances on social issues, or sheer tribalism (where we trust only those of our own race, creed, and nation), this kind of stance makes it hard to live out our faith in the world.

  That was the situation to which 2 Timothy was addressed. Timothy and the believers in his care were discouraged. It would seem that they found themselves in a setting where the challenge of living the Christian life was getting them down. As a result, they were retreating into a mode of “guarding” themselves, of “avoiding” those who were perceived to be a threat, and of drawing lines to keep out those who were on the “outside.” It’s hard to understand why they turned in on themselves this way, but it would seem that the underlying problem was that they were struggling with a sense of being ashamed of their faith (2 Tim. 1:8).

  This may seem strange to us. Apparently Timothy and the band of struggling believers he was serving were feeling ashamed because they were losing out to competitors preaching a different gospel. We don’t know all that these “impostors” stood for, but what we do know is that they imposed strict demands on their converts’ behavior, while indulging their own desires to do whatever they pleased. They wormed their way into congregations, and then milked the people for money. It would seem Timothy and his flock felt ashamed of the gospel because these “impostors” were so successful at gaining converts, while they were struggling to survive. As a result, they had gone into a “defensive” mode.

  Unfortunately, there are aspects of 2 Timothy that seem to positively encourage this retreat into a “defensive” mode. The Scripture actually uses language that I would say only reinforced their natural inclination to withdraw from perceived threats. It advises the believers to “guard” themselves, to “avoid” and “shun” others, to mark off those who are not a part of the “chosen,” and to effectively “consign” others to their fate. Much of this language is reactive, not proactive. It doesn’t sound very much like Jesus’ challenge to courageous discipleship!

  But there are other ideas here that are more helpful. First, Timothy is encouraged to “rekindle the gift of God” (2 Tim. 1:6). The image here is of fanning the embers of a fire that is no longer burning. There is still heat in the coals, but they have to be coaxed into actively burning again. In the face of discouragement, Timothy was challenged to “tend the fire” of his calling and gifts. I think at least a part of that meant for him to remind himself who it was who called and gifted him in the first place.

  Second, Timothy is reminded that “God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:7). This is one of those passages where I think the King James translators got it right: the spirit God has given us is one of “power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” In other words, the charge to Timothy was to recognize that it was the Spirit of God who gave him the power and love and good sense to be able to face the challenges that came his way. He didn’t face these hardships alone, but rather the way for him to fulfill his life and his service was by “relying on the power of God” (2 Tim. 1:8).

  I think that this advice to Timothy can help us as well. The Bible tells us that each and every one of us has been given a “gift of God” with which to serve others. That means that living a life of faith and service is not a “self-help” project. Rather, we live and serve through the gifts God has given us. And sometimes we have to “tend the fire” of our calling and gifts. More than that, however, we do not fulfill the life of discipleship to Christ in our own strength alone. Rather, the Scriptures make it clear that we have all received the Spirit of God, who gives us more than enough power and love and good sense to be able to follow the path of faith no matter what we may face along the way.

  While I don’t believe it’s helpful for us to think of ourselves as “under attack,” it’s clearly the case that striving to live the Christian life and to give of ourselves in service to Christ is a path that can be discouraging at times. It can feel as if we’re constantly swimming against the stream, and we can grow weary with fatigue. But the Scriptures continually remind us that we don’t serve in our own strength alone. We serve with the power and love and good sense that God gives us. We fulfill our calling to live for Christ and to serve others by “relying on the power of God.”

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[1] © 2019 Alan Brehm. A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm on 10/6/2019 at Hickman Presbyterian Church, Hickman, NE.

Strength in Weakness

Strength in Weakness

2 Cor. 12:2-10; Mk. 6:1-13[1]

For most of us, the idea of strength in weakness makes no sense.  After all, strength and weakness are opposites.  Logically, they don’t go together at all.  Weakness is bad, and to be avoided at all costs.  Strength is good, and something we all want.  Which explains why most of us do everything we can to avoid or overcome or conceal our weaknesses.  They make us feel vulnerable.  Perhaps more importantly, they frighten us.  After all, if we’re weak and vulnerable, someone can take advantage of us.  If we’re weak and vulnerable, we can be hurt.  As a result, we adopt all kinds of strategies to try to protect ourselves from our weaknesses and the vulnerability we feel.  We try to control our lives.  We hide our true thoughts and feelings for fear of betrayal.  We do anything we possibly can to avoid or overcome being weak or vulnerable in any way, shape, or form.  From our perspective, “When I am weak, then I am strong,” makes no sense.[2]

But with all that protecting, and controlling, and hiding going on, in the process, we close ourselves off from life! [3]  In fact, most of the spiritual leaders through the ages recommend the opposite approach.  Some of the greatest sages have made it clear that their deepest spiritual insights came precisely through their vulnerability, through their suffering, through their pain.  They virtually unanimously attest that they found peace, happiness, and strength through the full experience of their weakness. 

I think the Apostle Paul adds his personal testimony to this ironic truth in our lesson for today.  We have to remember that St. Paul was under attack at Corinth by so-called “super-apostles.”  They claimed they were better speakers, they claimed to have supernatural visions and powers, in short, they were better apostles than St. Paul.  Rather than engage in one-upmanship with them, Paul takes the opposite approach.  He claimed that his ministry followed the model of the Suffering Savior, and backed it up by listing all the hardships he had endured in the service of Christ (2 Cor. 11:23-30).[4] 

At the same time, he also tells the story of an unusual spiritual experience he had years earlier.  For some reason, something about this particular spiritual vision was so extraordinary that St. Paul says he was afflicted by a “thorn in the flesh” to keep him from boasting about it.  Nobody really knows what this “thorn” was, but it’s clear that from Paul’s perspective it weakened him.  In a sense, it put him in a state of perpetual weakness.  No wonder he says he asked to be relieved of this burden.  Not once but three times.  Most of us would do the same thing—except I wouldn’t stop at three! 

In reply to his fervent prayer, the answer he received was “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”  This is a theme that runs throughout the New Testament, beginning with Jesus himself.  In the apparent “weakness” of his humiliating death on the cross, Jesus demonstrated the true power of God’s love to change everything and everyone.[5]  In that same vein, St. Paul consistently “boasts” in his weaknesses.  In fact, he insists that his weaknesses are the very means by which the transforming power of faith in Jesus Christ shines most dramatically.[6]

When you look closely at life, there really seems to be a correlation between weakness and spirituality.  It seems the more vulnerable we realize that we really are, the more open we make ourselves to the presence of God, and the deeper our faith and our spirituality. On the contrary, the more we try to protect ourselves, to control our lives, and to avoid pain and weakness, the more we cut ourselves off from the presence of God, and the weaker our faith and spirituality.  That means the very path to discovering new strength is through embracing and facing our weaknesses.[7]  But in order to do that, we have to take the step of faith that God’s grace truly is sufficient for us in any and every crisis we find ourselves.  We can only discover that strength if we entrust ourselves into God’s hands.[8]

Taking the step of faith is a risk that opens us up, that can make us feel vulnerable to all our personal weaknesses.[9]  That can be a scary thing for most of us. Like the people at Nazareth, we feel safer with our doubts than taking the risk of faith (Mk. 6:2-6).  But the only way we can truly experience the sustaining grace of God is to take that risk.  It is the only way we can experience new levels of personal strength that we may never have suspected we have.  It is the only way we can find the courage to face the sometimes frightening and always challenging ebb and flow of life.  When we take that step of faith, we discover the truth in Paul’s affirmation that “when I am weak, then am I strong.”

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[1] © 2012 Alan Brehm. A sermon preached by Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm on 7/8/12 at First Presbyterian Church, Dickinson, TX and at A Community of the Servant-Savior Presbyterian Church, Houston, TX.

[2] Cf. Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung, “Power Made Perfect in Weakness,” in  “Suffering,” Christian Reflection, 2005, 12, where she says, “In America we value independence, being able to take care of ourselves. As a result, we treat weakness, vulnerability, and suffering as evils to be avoided, prevented, and overcome.”  Cf. also Jon M. Walton, “2 Corinthians 12:1-10,” Interpretation 52 (July, 1998): 295, where he admits that “On the face of it, it is patently absurd.”

[3] Cf. C. S. Lewis, The Four Loves, 121, “to love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one …. Wrap it carefully around with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; …. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

[4] Cf. Walton, “2 Corinthians 12:1-10,” 293-94.

[5] Cf. DeYoung, “Power Made Perfect in Weakness,” 15.

[6] Cf. David E. Garland, “Paul’s Apostolic Authority: The Power of Christ Sustaining Weakness (2 Cor 10-13),” Review & Expositor 86 (Summer 1989):381, where he says that “Paul embodies the folly of the cross of Christ which reveals the power of God (1 Cor. 1:18-31; 2 Cor. 4:7-12).”  Cf. also Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics 4.1:189.

[7] Cf. Pema Chödrön, When Things Fall Apart, 12.  She says,“The most precious opportunity presents itself when we come to the place where we think we can’t handle whatever is happening.”

[8] Cf. Barth, Church Dogmatics IV.3:750: “in all its weakness [the church] is sustained by a strength compared with which all other strength is really weakness.”

[9] Cf. Walton, “2 Corinthians 12:1-10,” 296, where he cites the contemporary example of twelve-step programs with their “rituals of vulnerability and weakness they have established in making confession to one another” that “give them the strength they need.”