Life is hard, and for many, it is
challenging. "No
matter what job or industry you're in, life is hard, but we're all going
through a difficult time, and the best thing we can do is pick each other up
and move on together," said Eric Nam, the Korean American young singer.[1]
Undoubtedly there is trouble
everywhere. If you think you are having a hard time, someone may be having a
much harder time than you. We all need comfort, but where to find it? In II
Corinthians 1:1-11, the apostle Paul talks about his troubles and the comfort
he received. Then he points the Corinthian believers to the source of all comfort.
We have worked through the first
letter of Paul to the Corinthian Church. Soon after Paul wrote I Corinthians
from Ephesus, there was a riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41). After that incident,
Paul had not been to Corinth for three years. The relationship between Paul and
Corinthian believers was strained during that time. It was a difficult period
for both of them.
During Paul's third missionary
journey, while traveling to Macedonia on his way to Corinth, he learned from
Titus that his letter to the Corinthian believers accomplished much good.
However, some in Corinth still denied that Paul was a true Apostle of Jesus.
So, Paul decided to write the second letter and send it ahead with Titus before
arriving in Corinth.
He explains why the first letter had
to be severe in the second letter. He suffered much as he waited for their
reaction to the letter. He truly loved and cared for them, but he was not going
to allow his Apostolic credentials to be questioned by them. In the second
letter, he confronted his accusers while appealing to the brethren to help the
starving Jewish Christians in Judea. The real watchword of II Corinthians is
that we must all be loyal to Christ, not to human personalities. The main Word
in our passage is comfort, also translated as encouragement.
What comes to your mind when you
think of comfort? How do you picture comfort? We often associate comfort with
luxury, ease, and trouble-free and fun-filled existence. That may be for some,
but life is generally complex and full of challenges and difficulties for many.
I.
How do we define comfort, and what do the scriptures say about comfort?
The dictionary defines comfort as: "A state of
physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint—the easing or alleviation of
a person's feelings of grief or distress. What is Biblical
comfort? In the Old Testament, naham is often translated as "to
comfort."
When we think of God, we generally view Him as an
angry, holy, and just God who is out there to punish the wrongdoers. That
perception is accurate, but another side of God is very loving, caring, and
tender, especially when comforting his children. God is like a mother who picks
up a hurting and crying child into her lap and comforts her with her tender
love.
God punished Israelites for their
sins and rebellion but also comforted them with tenderness and care. Isaiah
66:12-13, "This is what the Lord says: "I will give Jerusalem a river
of peace and prosperity. The wealth of the nations will flow to her.
Her children will be nursed at her breasts, carried in
her arms, and held on her lap. I will comfort you there in Jerusalem as a
mother comforts her child." In the N.T, the words parakaleo and paraklesis
mean to call or summon to one's aid, call for help, stand alongside, comfort,
and encourage. The word comfort appears nine times in our passage to emphasize
its importance.
II.
Comfort in the midst of trouble. Vs. 8-9
In verses 8-9, Paul reminded the Corinthian believers
of the trouble he and other disciples went through in the province of Asia,
probably referring to the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19). It was crushing,
overwhelming, and beyond their ability to endure. They felt like they were
going to die. They stopped relying upon themselves and learned to rely upon
God, who raises the dead.
Some principles we can glean from these two verses. Firstly,
our troubled situations are divine opportunities to draw near and trust God.
Secondly, when we go through troubles, God is right with us in the midst of our
troubles to aid and deliver us. Thirdly, God uses crisis to bring us to our end
so that we stop relying on ourselves and start depending on Him.
David learned to trust God in the midst of his
troubles. Psalm 23:4"Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will
not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and
comfort me." How can a rod and staff comfort us?
Shepherds in ancient times carried a rod and staff
while tending their flocks. Keller explains the functions of a rod and staff
and how they apply in the life of a believer. "The rod speaks of the
spoken Word, the expressed intent, the extended activity of God's mind and will
in dealing with men. Just as for the sheep of David's day, there was comfort
and consolation in seeing the rod in the shepherd's skillful hands, so in our
day, there is great assurance in our hearts as we contemplate the power,
integrity, and authority vested in God's Word."
How about the staff? The staff is a symbol of the concern
the compassion that a shepherd has for his flock. No other single word can
better describe its function on behalf of the flock than that is for their
comfort. Just as the rod of God is symbolic of the Word of God, the staff of
God is symbolic of the Spirit of God. In Christ's dealings with us, there is
the essence of comfort, consolation, and gentle correction brought about by the
work of His gracious Spirit."[2]
III.
God is the source of all comfort.
When people are discouraged, they often turn to excessive
food, alcohol, or drugs for comfort. They may offer some solace momentarily,
but in the long run, they damage us physically and ruin relationships. So,
where do we go for comfort? Paul has some advice for us.
Vs. 3. "All praise to God, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort."
As Paul and other disciples turned to God for comfort, let's also turn to God,
who can comfort us in our troubles. Jesus predicted we would have many
problems.
John 16:33, "I have told you all this so that you
may have peace in me. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But
take heart because I have overcome the world." What did Jesus leave behind
for us to endure our troubles? He left His Holy Spirit and His Church
John 14:16 "And I will ask the Father, and he
will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you." The Holy Spirit
is our Comforter. He comes alongside us when we are hurting. Not only the Holy
Spirit but Jesus left His Church in this world to comfort us in our times of
trouble. Hebrews 3:13, "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is
called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."
We are to encourage each other daily.
That is why it is so important you are committed to a
Church and attend regularly. We can encourage one another when we gather on
Sunday for worship, the Word, and fellowship. One of the things that helped
Paul during his trouble was the prayers of many Corinthian believers. That is
why we pray for one another and our missionaries' safety.
We not only pray and offer words of comfort and
consolation but also practically show our care and concern. We share our
resources with struggling people and offer physical and materially physical
assistance. When someone is hurting emotionally, they need not another lecture
or rebuke but a big hug and assurance from us to know that we are there for
them.
The Holy Spirit, the great Comforter, comes alongside
us to heal our broken hearts. None of us gets excited about facing troubles,
but as we see from the life of Paul, there is a sort of divine paradox at play
in the midst of troubles. We get to know the Lord, experience his comfort in a
way we may not otherwise, and become agents of comfort for others. Amen!
