Sorrow and Comfort in Equal Measure (Thursday, August 29)

The Word of the Day is "comfort." Who does not need comfort amid grief and hardships? But where do we find it? Today, with 2 Corinthians 1-17, we begin our scripture study of Paul's second letter to the church at Corinth. In our reading, Paul starts with his salutation and immediately goes on to bless God for His mercies and the "comfort" He gives in "tribulation" (vs. 4). Today, we explore Paul's trials and how he receives comfort from God as he faces them. Thus, he is a suburb example of finding solace amid loss and difficulty.

PAUL'S SORROW OVER THE TROUBLE IN CORINTH

Paul wrote our passage at a low point in his ministry. He had endured such 'trouble' in Ephesus that he feared for his life (vs. 8). Now, Paul grieved over the rebelliousness of his congregation at Corinth. This rebellion was not just a personal challenge for Paul but a significant trial for the church at Corinth, which was struggling with internal conflicts. 

Paul had planned to visit Corinth later in the year. But when the apostle learned how extreme the disorder was in Corinth, he hurried to Corinth to set things straight. 

But the visit could have gone better. Paul left as quickly as he arrived. Back in Ephesus, the apostle grieved for his flock. From there, he wrote that he had changed his plans again (vs. 16). To "spare" his flock another ugly confrontation (vs. 23), he would not return to Corinth.

Thus, Paul had more than his share of "tribulation." The root of the Greek word has to do with "pressure" that presses us down. Those who endure tribulation are "burdened" (Strong's #2347). Later in his epistle, Paul refers to the burdens he carries when he speaks of all the sufferings that his opponents have piled on him (vs. 11:29). He writes that besides these "abuses …what comes upon me daily [is] my deep concern for all the churches" (vs. 11:28).

COMFORTED WHILE ENDURING

Yet even while enduring all these "pressures," Paul affirms that he is "comforted." He refers to comfort four times in two verses. The sense here combines profound pity, compassion, encouragement, and consolation (Strong's #3870). The term "comfort" in English is a good translation of this easing of grief, soothing of sorrow, and solace of sharing.

Paul does not look to his friends and supporters for comfort. He finds it in "God, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ" (vs. 1:3). But the Father in Heaven gives this blessing of caring that "we" might share it with others (vs. 4).

SOLACE AND AFFLICTION GO TOGETHER

Affliction and solace from God the Father go hand in hand. Our Heavenly Father permits sorrow, but He also bestows comfort in equal measure. And both are meant to strengthen the faith and hope of all in the household of faith (vs. 6).

FOR REFLECTION

Whatever sorrow we have, the Lord is with us to offer us an equal measure of comfort. Of this balance of grief and consolation, the Russian Orthodox novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote in Crime and Punishment, "The darker the night, the brighter the stars, the deeper the grief, the closer to God."