St. James, Apostle
2 Corinthians 4:7-15 | Psalm 125:1-6 | Matthew 20:20-28
We are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. (2 Corinthians 4:7)
We like to think of St. Paul as tireless and fearless, bounding from town to town like the Energizer Bunny, spreading the Gospel message despite heavy opposition from almost every quarter.
But St. Paul was man, neither God nor machine. He got tired, got hungry, got stoned (and not on marijuana – see Acts 14:19). Yet he carried on preaching the Word of God till the end of his life, under conditions that would’ve made most other men give up in short order.
God chose beings of dust like St. Paul, the prophets and the apostles, to house the Light of Truth to be given to all. Unlike kings and millionaires who lock their treasures away in impenetrable steel vaults, God proves that He is God by entrusting the awesome power of the Gospel to weak bags of blood and bones. He does not desire that it be hidden away, but that it be shared, and thus multiplied across the face of the earth, “so that the more grace is multiplied among people, the more thanksgiving there will be, to the glory of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:15)
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As I write this in the dead of yesterday night, I feel some share of the fatigue that St. Paul must have experienced in his missionary journey. My eyelids are drooping, my blood pressure and heart rate are declining in preparation for the “little death” that comes with sleep. If it were up to me, I would’ve just shut down an hour ago.
But I can’t stop. I believe that it’s the Spirit at work within, pushing forth enough energy to my brain to string words together, my fingers to type them out and my eyes to proofread them…and my soul to pour forth the thoughts that make this blog a quirky testament to my journey in faith.
The power within is indeed not my own, and thanks be to God for that. Amen.