“I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” (Gal.6:17b )
The cross is at the center of the
Christian faith—and thus the cross is the inescapable obligation for every
disciple to carry. Following Christ
means self-denial and sacrificial death—it is the Calvary Road
The word marks is from stigma (στιγμα). The word had various uses. Slaves in the Phrygian temples with which
the Galatians were familiar, were attached for life to the service of the
temple, and were branded with the name of the deity. The name was the stigma (στιγμα) or mark. Slaves and soldiers bore branded
upon their bodies the names of their masters and commanding generals. The marks
(stigma (στιγμα)) of the Lord
Jesus were the scars that were caused by the scourgings, the Roman rods, and
the stoning at Lystra which Paul had received. The word bear is from bastazō (βασταζω) which means “to bear what is burdensome.”
Paul’s body, marked by the assaults made upon his person, must often have been
wracked with pain. Paul was a man old before his time, partly by reason of the
sufferings he endured at the hands of his enemies, the Judaizers. [1]
How often we suffer
the cut of sharp criticism, are called to endure a late night crisis of a
church member, or help lift the heavy burden of a struggling saint. Our messages are dissected over Sunday lunch,
our methods and motives questioned by fellow pastors, our money may run short
and stress be compounded out of concern for our family, our manner judged too
serious or too frivolous, too legalistic or too liberal—there is no shortage of
those willing to critique the minister for these and a myriad of other
dimensions of ministry. Our response may
be, “I don’t deserve this!” True—what we
deserve is hell—so anything short of that is grace and mercy! Do we think we are better than Jesus? If the only perfect Preacher was crucified,
then dare we believe we can avoid the cross?
Paul bore the scars of his service.
So will we—if we desire to be fruitful.
Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls
into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much
grain.” (John 12:24 )
George Mueller was one of those
fruitful men of God we ought to emulate.
Listen to him:
There was
a day when I died—died to George Mueller, his opinions, preferences, tastes,
and will—died to the world, it approval or censure—died to the approval or
blame even of my brethren or friends—and since then I have studied only to show
myself approved unto God.
We will be wounded warriors, but
in the end there is conquest, comfort, and a crown!
[1] Wuest, K.
S. (1997). Wuest’s word studies from the
Greek New Testament: for the English reader (Ga 6:17 ). Grand Rapids
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