Daniel began his sermon Sunday with this Tim Keller quote, “ The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.” In the scriptures we are faced with numerous paradoxes that we can’t seem to quite reconcile. Evidenced in verses such as, “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:7), “whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses life for my sake will find it” (Mat 10:39), and “the greatest among you shall be your servant” (Mat 23:11). How do we process this? How do we live in light of these paradoxes that we may theologically know to be true, but don’t always quite feel real?

            When Jesus speaks to the church in Philadelphia he acknowledges the tension the people were experiencing, describing their faithfulness to the gospel in terms of their weakness and the persecution they faced. Daniel reminded us that our measure of success as the church should not be viewed through the lens of power and prosperity, but that our lives become a paradox to the world around us when it is shaped by the gospel.

            In the letters to the seven churches, Jesus uniquely speaks and identifies himself to each. To the church in Philadelphia, he reminds them that he is the holy one, true one, and the key of David. To a church dealing with intense persecution and weak standing, he reminds them that he is the ultimate authority. When Jesus commends the church, he rejoices in the fact that they have not denied his name, even with little power, and have kept the Word with patient endurance. Here is another paradox: the church is praised for being weak.

2 Corinthians 12:10 says, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” To the outside world, the weakness of people, of the church, is seen as a fault. But Paul reminds us that our failings point to the ultimate paradox of the gospel.

I rarely want to acknowledge the extent of my weakness. I may briefly touch on it at women’s groups or in conversation with a trusted friend, but I tend to justify it and use Christian lingo to covey my conviction. Lately, I have seen the sin of anger and control rear it’s ugly head in my parenting. I can become so frustrated when Lucy is not doing the things I have asked, this rage begins to stir inside of me. I am so weak. I don’t know how to get a handle on this. It feels like something that will always be present there, waiting to take over my responses. The exhortation that Jesus gives to the church in Revelation 3:11, “Hold fast to what you have” was of great comfort to me. What is it that I hold fast to in the midst of my weakness? Jesus. The one who perfectly lived the life I couldn’t and his life is counted as my own. I don’t have to deny or hide my weakness because the beauty of them is they point to a God who promises to make me new.

            The Church of Philadelphia could serve and love, amidst persecution and weakness because they held fast to the promises of redemption. Revelation 21 reminds us, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’. And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘ Behold, I am making all things new”.  This is my prayer for us as individuals and as a church that we would hold fast to Jesus in our weakness and failings and that we would live in light of what is to come.

~ Bronwyn Siebert