Bound By Your Neighbor's Affliction
Author: Pastor Mike Gutzler
Today we are going to start a deep dive into one of the most fascinating sections of the New Testament – Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, and more specifically his second letter.
No other relationship between Paul and one of his churches is better documented and described in detail than his communications with the Corinthians. Scholars believe he visited the community at least three times and could have written as many as five letters. More specifically, the letter we know as 2 Corinthians could be three letters cut and pasted together.
Scholars are certain that chapters 1-9 and 10-13 are two different letters. The 10-13 section came first and deals with a painful experience Paul had at his last visit to the church he started at Corinth. Chapters 1-9 address his attempts and advice to the community on how to heal from this “affliction” he experiences, and he offers proper consolation.
Paul talks about the affliction he experienced, but he further emphasizes the fact that in Christ we share in one another’s pain. He goes on to say that until a part of the community is made whole and the brokenness is healed – the same way we talk about kingdom life in the Lord’s prayer – we are to continually share in the suffering of others.
The world has the luxury to make generalizations and stereotypes without consequence. But for the community of faith, we are a people who proclaim the life and work of a God who knows full well the consequence of pain, suffering, violence, and affliction can have on life - most fully expressed in Jesus. This is the same God who does not let affliction, suffering, and death be the last word, but makes resurrection possible. We proclaim a God who brings new birth and life out of the pains of this world.
And thus the word “consolation” Paul uses here. Consolation is the comforting of those in pain, but in this context it also offers an element of encouragement. These words of comfort come with an element of hope that in this moment of pain God will bring new life and more.
Affliction is real, especially right now in ways that are seen and unseen. But it is our God’s work of love and consolation that offers rays of resurrection hope about what tomorrow could look like with God’s help. We may feel that comfort today, but we can never forget we are bound to our neighbor’s affliction. And until such a time when affliction is gone, we are all in this suffering together. And yet God walks with us every step of the way.