Galatians 4:12-16 I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong. As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you. Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself. What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?
In our last breakfast, we read Paul's words of concern for the church at Galatia that they were turning back to the law, turning back to those weak and miserable principles that would enslave them. (See Galatians 4:8-11) Now we see Paul telling them he wants them to be free in the Lord as he is. He says when he came to them he identified with them as Gentiles and did not ask them to become Jews or to take on his ways as he shared the Good News. He was a witness to them and allowed them to see Christ in him. He goes on to mention that he was sick during his visit, and they showed him kindness and treated him as an angel of God, even as if he were Christ Jesus himself. Many Bible scholars have studied to identify Paul's illness. According to the NIV Commentary, he may have had malaria or he had been suffering from his continued physical abuse or he was recovering from when he was stoned and left for dead outside the city of Lystra. (See Acts 19) Others believe he is referring to problems with his eyes, his thorn in the flesh, mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12:7. Whatever his disability, it was serious enough for him to mention in this letter, and Paul considered his condition was a trial to them during his former visit that could have elicited scorn or contempt from the people.
While Paul compliments the Galatians for their former treatment of him, he now asks them: What has happened to all your joy? In this instance, the word joy means a state of blessedness or being blessed. His next remark that they would have torn out their eyes and given them to him, leads us to believe Paul may, indeed, have been suffering from an eye problem while he was with them. He infers they were so full of love they would have done anything within their power to help him, to serve his needs. Their hearts were servants' hearts of love. We are reminded of Jesus' words, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35) Paul recognizes their love for him as the fruit of his ministry among them. They were evidencing the love of God toward Paul, the same love he had brought to them in the name of the Lord. He says I came to you while I was sick, preaching a gospel of faith; and you accepted that gospel, turned it around, and showed the love I brought to you back to me. This is the fruit of the Spirit in action, the love of God going full circle. When we invest in people's lives, we see a return. Sometimes the word is rejected, but many times we reap a harvest for the Lord and see a great reward for the kingdom of God. The scripture says, Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6) This is true with our giving of tithes and offerings, but it is also true in every area of our lives: our time, our spiritual gifts, our passion, our energy, and the like. Many times Christians sit in a church service singing, "I surrender all," when what they really mean is, "I surrender ten percent." We let our flesh rule our choices rather than the Spirit. As Paul will tell the church later in this letter, if we sow to the flesh, we will reap what we sow.
As we look at our own lives, we easily see places where the world creeps in, situations where we take the easy way out, rather than standing up for the truth of Christ. We sometimes reveal an outward show of piety rather than an inward change of the heart. Christ wants to set us free from the bondage of ritual, going through the motions of faith, instead of truly putting our hope and trust in our Lord. Simply going to church or reading the Bible once in a while is not enough to have the joy Paul was referring to when he questioned the Galatians about their joy. They had welcomed him at one point, but in this letter he had to ask them whether he had become their enemy because he was telling them the truth. Yes, sometimes the truth does hurt, but it also helps. The truth sets us free to remember who we are in Christ and who He is in us! So many scriptures tell us who we are, opening our eyes to the glorious truth of our victory in Christ. Paul told the church in Rome: And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation — but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. (Romans 8:11-14) This is our hope, our freedom, the glorious Good News. The Holy Spirit who raised Christ from the dead lives in us. Therefore, we are no longer slaves to the sinful nature: we are alive in the Spirit, so we can put to death the misdeeds of the fleshly nature. We are led by the Holy Spirit of God as his sons and daughters to do his will. Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him forever, children of the Most High God!
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