The Sunday of The Prophet Daniel (NT)

2 Corinthians 10:1-18

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!— ² I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh. ³ For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵ We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, ⁶ being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

⁷ Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we. ⁸ For even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you, I will not be ashamed. ⁹ I do not want to appear to be frightening you with my letters. ¹⁰ For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.” ¹¹ Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present. ¹² Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

¹³ But we will not boast beyond limits, but will boast only with regard to the area of influence God assigned to us, to reach even to you. ¹⁴ For we are not overextending ourselves, as though we did not reach you. For we were the first to come all the way to you with the gospel of Christ. ¹⁵ We do not boast beyond limit in the labors of others. But our hope is that as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, ¹⁶ so that we may preach the gospel in lands beyond you, without boasting of work already done in another’s area of influence. ¹⁷ “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” ¹⁸ For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

I recently did a video taping of a sermon. Once about every other year, we get invited to film a Sermon to be aired on television locally and can be found on youtube also (Main Street Living). I felt as I had written out my sermon ahead of time and was running through it, how harsh it my be. I thought to myself I don’t know if I would have really preached this way this coming Sunday. Now I will preach this same sermon in my own congregation when the time comes.

Let not anyone think that I am not willing to say publicly, privately, or on Television the same message. But it is easier to write a hateful email, or rant over the phone than it is to do it out load in front of that person. Is this not the same problem we have with gossip? I remember a Friends episode where Chandler had kissed Joey’s girlfriend. And everyone else had told each other that all he should do was ask Joey and he would have stepped aside. But they never told Chandler.

It is easy to boast from a distance. It is easy to write these blog posts rather than stand on the street corner and shout it. (I would probably get just as much response.) St Paul does sound harsh sometimes in his letters, but he is also truthful. St Paul illustrates that he is hopefully not so harsh in person because they are on a better track.

God likewise sounds very harsh as he speaks to us through his word. He condemns our lifestyles and actions. He desires us to turn from our deeds of darkness. But if he was here in person it would be much worse. So he does speak to us from a distance. He even speaks to us words of hope and forgiveness. He speaks to us about being thrown into a lion’s den, but also about being rescued and saved.

God’s word from afar is that he is bringing you closer to himself. He is breaking down the dividing walls. He is calling you into his light. God is forgiving you of your sins.