Saturday, March 2, 2019              

Today’s Scripture Reading | 2 Corinthians 3:12—4:18
Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside. But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds; but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

Therefore, since it is by God’s mercy that we are engaged in this ministry, we do not lose heart. We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or to falsify God’s word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. But just as we have the same spirit of faith that is in accordance with scripture—“I believed, and so I spoke” —we also believe, and so we speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus, and will bring us with you into his presence. Yes, everything is for your sake, so that grace, as it extends to more and more people, may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. (NRSV)

Reflection
To be honest, I stalled out with this at first. And then every commentary I read had a completely different focus. But that is the nature of trying to know God. Any view we have is incomplete. We see God’s glory as though in a mirror, and looking at something in a mirror is worlds away from seeing it directly. And even directly we can only ever see a part.

Any view we have is going to be partial and uniquely our own, formed by our history, our relationships, our bodies. A fragment of a fragment. And a flawed one at that: we are fragile vessels, broken in many ways, tender and temporary.

But we do know a couple of things. For one, while we can only ever offer our own view, when that is put together with the views of others a fuller picture can become clear. In 1 Corinthians Paul writes how we are together “the body of Christ and individual members of it,” every piece essential. So there is to be no shame in our weakness, no hiding, no losing heart. All of us are needed, all of us in full, all our light shining together.

It is God who gives this to us. Who gives us our light, who gives us the desire to know God, who gives us each other that we may see different facets of God. And it is God who transforms us, in part through that desire and that process of looking for God. We are lifted up and transformed, weak and imperfect as we are, made into something new together.

Prayer
Lord, may our fragile places be where our light shines most brightly, that together we may be shining fragments reflecting your light into the world. Amen.

Written by Anne Ellis, Program Manager for Congregational Life

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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