Two Views of Life
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 2:12-17
There is more than one way of looking at life. There can be two different ways to interpret our experiences and both of them are true at the same time. They do not contradict each other but, instead, work in harmony. We see this in the way Paul writes about his decision making process about whether or not to linger longer in Troas.
He came to Troas with the intention of preaching the gospel and doing apostolic ministry there. In fact, what he found was, Troas was, as he called it, “a door opened for him in the Lord.” The problem was he had expected to find Titus in Troas but he wasn’t there. This became a point of concern for Paul. As a consequence he decided to leave and go to Macedonia to see if Titus might be there and discover what had become of his young protégé.
That is the human side of things. It is very down to earth. It involves the decisions of a man that were based on his expectations, plans, and concerns for a friend. But there is another way of looking at it. To that Paul turns in the next paragraph.
Paul says that they are always being led by Christ in triumphal procession. They are men who spread the fragrance of Christ wherever they go. They are commissioned by God. The greatness of the ministry to which he has been called provokes him to wonder, “who is sufficient for these things?”
Both of these ways of speaking about going from Troas to Macedonia were true. He was a man deciding to move from one city to another because a friend was missing and he was concerned about him. If we happened upon Paul at that time, we would see a man walking with a few of his companions, stopping at night for sleep, washing up when he was able, eating meals, and doing the normal things a man would be expected to do.
While all that is a true way to speak about his life, it is also true that as he went from place to place, he was being led by Christ. He was walking in a triumphal procession, taking captives for Christ along the way through the preaching of the gospel, and spreading the fragrance of Christ everywhere he went.
Most people only have the ability to see the first way of looking at life. Only the earthly, obvious, material, and human is seen. It is the only frame of reference most people have for their or other people’s experiences. But those who know Christ, should know better. There is another reality, another plane of life that works and moves in parallel and harmony with the one that everyone can easily see. It is the reality of God in Christ working, leading, and blessing His pilgrim children as they travel through this world.
Amen!!!