Curly
2 Corinthians 13:8-10
He does not, in truth, look like much of an evangelist. Indeed, if your view of the evangelist is that of a silver tongued and broadly traveled speaker, he appears to be most unlikely.
First, he is confined to a wheelchair. Not the ordinary kind; the electric sort, for he is not strong enough to handle the propulsion by his arms. His speech is slurred; if you did not know that he has epilepsy and has had several strokes, you might think him drunk. There are boils all over his body; his body is thin and frail. Lately he is recovering (slowly) from blindness in his right eye. The doctors had to go in from the top of the skull and from underneath, through the sinus cavities, to get the tumor.
He is the greatest evangelist I know.
God perfects his strength in weakness. Indeed, Paul here boasts of his weakness, that it might prove to be the strength of God. His desire is not for his own authority as an Apostle. You can see his reluctance to use that authority. Rather, his prayer is for the perfection of these Corinthians.
Perfection. In the Scriptures, the word does not mean beautiful or handsome, strong or smart. It means "perfectly suited to a task." It is God's habit that he will take the weak and the insignificant and turn them into the champions of his kingdom.
Need an example? Remember King David? When Samuel came to anoint the new king, he told Jesse (David's father) to line up his sons so he could select the one the Lord had chosen. Jesse had eight kids. He was so sure that David was not the one that he set him to watch the sheep.
See how those of great authority deal with this. Paul knows his purpose, the building up of this church body. Therefore, whether the exercise of authority or the pleading of a brother, he is prepared to do whatever he needs to do—to accomplish the will of God. He is not harsh and autocratic, but tender and kind. It's amazing what we can do together when God gets the glory.
As you pass by Curly's wheelchair, often you will hear him cry out, "Jesus, the Messiah, loves you." For some, this is the only gospel they will hear. God has chosen the weak to tear down the strongholds of this world.
Lord, how we mistake your power! We see everything in terms of our own capability. Teach us to see your power and glory. :angel:
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