New Year's Beseechment

Beseeching is like begging.

It is very rare that someone in a prominent position would beg.  They are more used to demanding or commanding.

It would have to not only be something extremely important... it would have to be urgent.  There would need to be a sense of imminent necessity... as if what was being asked for was a life or death situation.

Some things should be treated with this type of urgency.

Paul certainly understood this.

He felt so strongly… felt that it was so important… that he was willing to parakaleō (beseech, implore, beg…) the Corinthians…

“Now I beseech (parakaleō ) you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together…” 1 Corinthians 1:10

Can you imagine some leaders today begging those they led?  Can you picture them kneeling down and crying “Please! Please! Stop what you are doing! Listen to me! For the love of God! (Romans 15:30)”

Humility that would risk one’s own position to get a point across is rare.

But that is how important unity within the body of Christ is.

Paul was confident of his position in Christ… he wasn’t worried about anyone saying, “Get up! Stop groveling! You look like a fool!  Act like a man!”

He was worried more about them than he was about himself.

He was willing to risk being seen as weak…

in order to strengthen them.

In unity.

Being perfectly joined together.

As this New Year begins… and many people make resolutions… “re-solutions” to past problems…

We must be resolved to stand together… to speak the Gospel… the Good News of how God demonstrates His love toward us… about how Jesus, while we were yet sinners, died for us.

To come into the experience that caused David to declare in the Psalms, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” (133:1)

Christ did not rise from the dead so that we could pull Him to pieces.

I pray that the Body may be whole.

In Jesus’ name.

Yeah… it’s that important...  I'll beg.


SDG