“A single-mindedness”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, February 22, 2023
2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 (Forward, p. 24) CEV p. 1208
I think that it would be fair to say that those who are single-minded, who are utterly and fully devoted to particular cause or project, will almost universally be found to be successful in that particular endeavour. Dedication, devotion and single-mindedness have their results—and their rewards.
In today’s passage we have two instances of single-mindedness. The first is Jesus Himself, who suffered the shame, the insult, of being treated as a sinner, in order that we ourselves might be saved and freed from sin.
And, the second is the apostle Paul, who has put up with incredible dangers and hardships in order to bring the gospel to his hearers. In today’s passage there is an incredible litany of the things he has endured for their sakes. There were the physical things he put up with, troubles, hardships and dangers of various sorts (beatings, imprisonment, mob scenes, overwork, starvation and sleeplessness, to name a few). And then there were the social flak he had to face, disgrace, insult, lies, slander, and rejection, not to mention the material deprivation, the poverty that was often his lot in life.
So, did he deal with this? By patient endurance, and by the kindness, purity and knowledge that he exhibited in this life. All this, plus his message of truth, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the power of God shown throughout his life provided evidence of who he was, a servant of God. And all of this had one purpose and one purpose only.
So then why were both Jesus and Paul so single-minded in their actions? It was simply to share the gospel with them and make it available—all for the single purpose that they, their hearers, might be saved. Both of them wanted their listeners, sinners every one of them, to be reconciled to God. Or, put another way, they wanted God to be able to change them from being His enemies into being His friends.
And that was the reality of their lives up until then. They, and indeed all of us, were God’s enemies, rebels in a very real sense of the word. We were committed, ‘hell-bent’ you might say, in being lords of their own lives—even when done in the worthwhile or beneficial cause! They, and we, were ‘doing it my way’, as the famous singer once crooned.
In essence, they, and we, had turned our backs on God and on His way, and had decided to ‘do it all’ in our own strength and wisdom. All of us had rejected His offer of grace and help, so freely given and there for the asking. And so Paul is pleading with his hearers—and us—that this grace not be in vain, not be wasted.
So there is nothing of personal ambition or praise or credit involved here: these actions, whether it be Jesus or Paul, are simply for their benefit of those they are pleading with, for their ultimate good. And as far as both of them are concerned, there could be nothing better than to come to Jesus Christ and find salvation in Him. That is what both of them want in their single-mindedness, and in reality, that is what all of us should want, for ourselves, for those that we rub shoulders with, and indeed, for everyone in the world.
Forward notes: “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything” (chapter 6, verse 10).
“Sometimes the way of life of a Christian may seem odd to others. Certainly Paul doesn’t fit the image of a suitable teacher. Paul is a wanderer. He doesn’t seem to have a steady job or nice clothes. He is in and out of prison and is beaten up quite a bit. It’s understandable that the Corinthians have a hard time accepting what Paul is telling them. They want everything to look nice and go smoothly.
“But Paul is speaking hard truths about the cost of discipleship: the afflictions, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, and hunger. And yet, even after all of these hardships, his purpose is steadfast and his heart is wide open to the Corinthians and anyone else who will listen and work with him in mission.
“This type of community lives into the way of Jesus. When we are in sorrow, others offer comfort and can even help us rejoice. When we are poor, we are still rich in spirit together. As servants of God, let us remember this Lenten season to open our hearts wide to one another.”
Moving Forward: “Give thanks for those who walk with you in all times.”