In case you’ve been wondering about the absence of the Morning Devotion posts on Mondays and Tuesdays, you should know that it’s a very busy season for me involving responsibilities keeping me away from the computer on those days.
Fortunately, it is a season that will be measured in weeks, not months.
I miss my time writing and sending out the posts.
I am grateful for the brief time I have today to share something with you.
In Galatians 4:15, the Apostle Paul writes of the deep Christian love that the believers in Galatia had shown to him during an earlier visit.
Paul never specified the nature of his “thorn in the flesh,” but this verse gives a very distinctive clue.
The fact that the region of Galatia was not far from the city of Laodicea — known as THE place for medicinal salve for vision maladies — is also a clue.
By all indications, Paul went to Galatia to preach the Gospel, but while he was there, an eye condition worsened to the point that he had to stop travelling for a bit to seek medicinal care for his eyes.
“You did not mistreat me when I first preached to you. Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News. But even though my condition tempted you to reject me, you did not despise me or turn me away. No, you took me in and cared for me as though I were an angel from God or even Christ Jesus himself. ….. I am sure you would have taken out your own eyes and given them to me if it had been possible” (vv. 11-15)
The Galatians saw the person of Paul when he walked into their lives, rather than the crud or bandages on his eyes.
For Paul to have suggested that some people would have despised his appearance can only mean that he was a visually offensive sight.
But the Galatians didn’t look at the external.
They looked at the internal.
And because of that, their eyes and ears were opened to the eternal.
Consider how the warm welcome of a visually offensive person must have encouraged Paul.
He was likely relaxed even in the midst of his physical discomfort and the Gospel message flowed.
Lives were changed.
Though the circumstances will be different in our lives, let’s strive to have the degree of Christian love that focuses on the hearts of people, not their flaws or maladies.
Whether we are taking the Gospel to them or they are boasting in the Cross to us, the display of unconditional love will only lead to good things.
Perhaps even to somebody’s salvation.
Now that will be quite a sight for sore eyes.
As always, I love you
Martin
