We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.
2 Corinthians 8:1–2 (ESV)
Paul wants the Corinthian believers to know about the grace of God in a tangible way, so he gives testimony to the pouring out of God’s grace among the churches of Macedonia. He wants the church of Corinth to know about this grace of God by giving a tangible, real life example that they can readily identify and connect with on a personal level. There are a few shocking details in this example that caused me to stop and reflect about the work of God’s grace in my own life. First, there was a severe test of affliction. Second, there was both an abundance of joy and extreme poverty. This all led to the point that Paul wants the Corinthians church to grasp. In this test of affliction, their joy and poverty overflowed into a wealth of generosity. What I want to reflect on is the seeming inconsistency of this equation (God’s grace > Severe affliction > Abundance of joy in Extreme poverty > Wealth of generosity). It defies the logic of my 21st century mind.
I must admit that when I think and pray and hope for the grace of God to be manifest in my life, the picture that comes to mind does not involve any sort of affliction, much less a severe test of affliction. In my mind, the grace of God brings joy and happiness. I can easily see the grace of God working to bring peace and prosperity in my life, but I struggle to see the grace of God working to bring a test of affliction. Yet, this is the tangible example that Paul uses to illustrate the work of God’s grace among the church in Macedonia. I have conditioned myself to believe that any test of affliction is a judgment of some sorts brought into my life for repentance and cleansing. This is often true, but not always. Maybe the test of affliction is there to showcase the grace of God working in my life. The test may even be severe, but it becomes a platform to reveal the wonderful work of Jesus in my life.
In this affliction, the Macedonian church had a unique combination that I never truly put together in my mind. They had an abundance of joy and extreme poverty. I am a shocked by the descriptive modifiers that Paul uses here. There is an abundance of joy. So much joy that it is overflowing. This is the type of joy that I think about when I desire to have the grace of God given to me. This abundant and overflowing joy is the picture of peace and happiness that my heart and mind imagine. Yet, Paul is quick to point out that along with this joy there was poverty. Not just a basic poverty, but an extreme poverty. I can’t even imagine what extreme poverty looked liked in the Macedonian church at that time. This is a poverty that doesn’t make sense to me, because I cannot wrap my mind around it. The word that comes to mind is destitute.
So in this time of severe affliction, the Macedonians had abundant joy and extreme poverty. I find this so incredibly difficult to grasp. Whenever I have even the most minor tests of affliction, I struggle to find even the most basic level of joy in my life. I move toward despair and depression. I question why God has brought the affliction. It never occurs to me that the affliction could possibly be the pathway to an abundance of joy in the Lord himself.
Paul then brings this all to the point, the life lesson that he wants the Corinthians and me to understand. This abundance of joy in severe affliction and extreme poverty led to a wealth of generosity on the part of the Macedonian church. That is so incredibly shocking to me. The people who are being afflicted and have such miniscule resources available to them are living a life of such generosity that Paul would classify them as being wealthy in their giving. This church was a generous church by character, and this severe test of affliction brought the opportunity to display this character to everyone around them. It became the canvas to display the grace of God at work in the lives of his people.
Lord, I need this message to sink deep within my heart. I am not dealing with extreme poverty by any means, but there is a financial burden that has been building for the last five years and is weighing on me. I can see from this passage that I have allowed it to affect the joy I have in Christ alone. I don’t feel that abundance of joy that is available to me in Jesus. I am so focused on the affliction or the “poverty” that my eyes have moved away from my first love. Lord, refocus my heart and mind upon the wonderful grace and mercy of Christ in my life. Remind me of the truth that He gave up everything to come and rescue me. He became poor for me. He saved me. This is the only wealth that I ever need. Give me this abundance of joy in my heart so that it will overflow into a wealth of generosity and love. Show me the path of joy and hope in Christ alone.