Earning A Reprieve

“From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” (Ga 6:17 AV)

 

A lot of good this statement did!  LOL.  Galatians was the first inspired letter Paul wrote.  It would precede the last of his inspired letters by twenty years.  This letter to the Galatians was written as Paul was verifying his calling to the Gentiles and the authenticity of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles.  He went to Jerusalem during the council of Acts 15 to dispute the place of the Gentiles in the church of Jesus Christ and the obligation of the Gentiles to the Old Testament laws and traditions of the Jews.  The trouble of which Paul speaks is the trouble he has received from his fellow saints in questioning his credibility as an Apostle to the Gentiles.  His trouble was also at the hand of the lost Jews who gave him grief over his credibility as a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  His trouble included the trouble received because he accepted Christ and fled to Tarsus.  However, compared to the trouble that was coming, “he ain’t seen nothing, yet.”  What I particularly enjoy is Paul’s qualifications, to tell the truth, and minister without receiving flack for it.  It wasn’t all his training as a Pharisee of the Pharisees.  It wasn’t his call on the road to Damascus.  Paul’s credibility was bought and sold at the altar of hardships.  Even if he wasn’t the brightest bulb on the tree, he paid the price for his service and sacrifice.  Therefore, no one had the right to question his call and credibility.  Even if Paul was not trained at the feet of Gamaliel, he did what others would not do.  He paid a price that few would even consider.  It is the marks of his service for the LORD Jesus Christ that won him credibility.  So everyone back off!

Years ago, I worked with a man who was a veteran of WWII.  He had fought on the beaches of Normandy.  His name was Rudy.  After his service, Rudy worked as a landscaper.  Rudy was well up in his years and could not afford to retire, so our company kept him on to do odd jobs with me.  We took care of an office building.   We did odd jobs.  Mostly janitorial or maintenance.  Rudy and I would spend a lot of time together.  I would ask him many questions regarding his military service.  I don’t remember a whole lot of his life.  But what I do remember is his weathered face.  When looking at him, you could tell he lived a hard life of labor.  His hands were crinkled with arthritis.  His face was as tough as leather.  We walked with a shuffling gait.  Everything about Rudy said that he worked decades doing hard work after he fought a hard war.  The thing was, I was instructed to require nothing of Rudy.  He was to do what he could and I was to leave him to himself.  I wasn’t to supervise him.  I wasn’t to boss him around.  My job was to honor Rudy by letting him work as he could.  If he completed a task a bit differently than I would, or took more time than I would, or carried it over to the next day, the way my company saw it, he was entitled to live the rest of his life trouble-free and honored for all of his sacrifices.

As I thought about what Paul said, I asked myself if I could repeat his words.  Have I done enough to say that cost that I have paid entitles me to a little peace from trouble?  I am no Paul.  And never will be.  But I wonder, have I done enough to get to a place where those with whom I have to do would cut me a little slack?  Have I faced down the enemy enough that others will recognize the courage and faith it requires to do so?  Have I taken enough arrows to afford a breather?  I don’t ask these questions as though I have. Because I know I have not.  And that is the point of our study.  Paul was able to ask for a bit of reprieve because early on, he paid a price that afforded him one.  He was willing to go where no one else would.  He was willing to face down enemies that no one else dared to do.  Paul is our role model.  He earned a bit of slack. Our ambition should be to do the same.