Pilgrim Soldier

Over the last 2 days I’ve had two different encounters with the verse 2 Corinthians 5:16. The version that appears when you ‘mouseover’ the verse is not the one I read, so instead the New International Version says:

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.

What a wonderful verse this is. Firstly, and this is the point that Sarah picked up on in her sermon this morning, we do not see Jesus as the world sees him. The world looks at him and sees a moral teacher who managed to get himself killed, or as a mythical character, or as someone to be ridiculed and proved false.

The second thing, which I think I read in the book I’m trying to read at the moment (see the sidebar) but can’t find the bit right now, was about the first sentence of the verse. “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” How liberating is this verse?

According to Paul we no longer have to see people as the world sees them. This means that we see everyone as our Lord sees them, which is as people who need to be loved. What’s more this does not only refer to those people who society looks down upon, but also those who are looked up to.

Anyone who has read this blog for a while knows where I stand on God’s option for the poor. I believe wholeheartedly that God, whilst loving all people, has a special regard for those who the world rejects. However, this verse has challenged me to think again about those who the world reveres.

Talent, wealth and success are the worlds indicators of value and worth. However, God sees us all equally. Those who are successful are loved just as much, yet it is all too easy to ignore this value in the successful!

This verse challenges us to see everyone as God sees them, not just the poor and needy who have no value in the world’s eyes. Whilst the rich and successful are accepted by the world, we need to see beyond the trappings of the world’s value system and see them as God sees them.