Galatians 6:11-16
See with what large letters I am writing to you with my
own hand. 12 It is those who want to make a good
showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and
only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For
even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire
to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But
far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither
circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. 16 And
as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and
upon the Israel of God.
The Cross: Our Boast
Imagine you’re reading a letter. It’s handwritten. It came
from someone who has had an important impact on your life. Then, all of a
sudden, in the middle of the writing, the letters get much larger, and it’s
written in all capital letters. What do those larger letters communicate to
you?
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Angry?
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Excited?
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Emphasis?
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How about vision problems?
As we read Galatians 6, Paul wrote, “See with what large
letters I am writing to you with my own hand.” And it should make us
wonder, why did the letters get large all of a sudden? And it’s probably a
combination of all those things I mentioned before.
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Angry – Paul is clearly frustrated with the
Christians in Galatia (modern day central Turkey).
o
Dismayed they were “so easily led astray.”
o
He has to defend his ministry to people who, at
one time, cared deeply about him.
o
At one point, he says he wishes the people that
were causing problems and false teaching among them would be “cut off.” Part of
the controversy was around circumcision … and that’s what he’s talking about
being “cut off”!
o
So, yeah, there is some anger in those large
letters.
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He’s also at the end of this very excitable
letter, so he wants to emphasize the importance of the cross in the life of
these believers.
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It also seems that Paul may have had some kind
of eye condition.
o
We know that Paul often used a scribe.
o
Perhaps related to being struck blind? Thorn in
the flesh?
o
He refers to writing with large letters
elsewhere.
o
In Chapter 4, Paul says that it was because of
bodily ailment that he first found himself if Galatia, and that was the
opportunity to share the gospel with them.
o
He says this condition was a “trial” to the
Galatians – eye disease can be really hard to look at!
o
He also says that the Galatian believers were so
grateful for hearing about Jesus that they would have been willing to gouge out
their own eyes to give them to Paul – if that could relieve his suffering.
o
So many believe that there was something wrong
with Paul’s eyes that would make it necessary for him to write with large
letters … just so he could see them!
The reason that Paul wrote to the Galatian church was
because they had lost the Gospel. He says that they were pursuing another
gospel, which was no gospel at all.
This still happens. Sometimes people will tell me about a
church they attended that had great “gospel” preaching. I appreciate good
preaching, so I like to learn more about it. I often find that what these
people mean by “gospel” preaching is that the sermons:
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Gave practical guidance from the Bible about how
to live.
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Were bold and opinionated on important issues to
the hearer – truth, justice
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Condemned the sins of the culture
Those things can all be good, but they are not the Gospel. In
fact, they are sermons based on the Law – which, “The Law of God is good and
wise!” It teaches, confronts, and condemns.
The Gospel, properly speaking, is the message of God’s love
and forgiveness won and freely given by Jesus dying on the cross for sinners
and received by faith in the Son of God.
The Galatians had lost this message! Instead, they were
taught that they would be saved by keeping the laws of the O.T. people of
Israel – specifically the laws around dietary restriction, sabbath observance,
and (as I mentioned before) circumcision.
Those large letters in v. 11 are Paul saying, listen up! Pay
attention! This is important!
“It is those who want to make a good showing in the
flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that
they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are
circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you
circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.” He’s saying it’s not about the
form, it’s about the substance. It might look good – all this hard work you’re
doing to try to observe all these traditions and the laws that, frankly, Jesus
already fulfilled for you – but in the end, the substance of the Christian faith
is the cross – that God so loved the world … (you know!) For God did not send
His Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him.
(Without any help from you!)
So, Paul continues, “far be it from me to boast except
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been
crucified to me, and I to the world.”
When we think of our religious life, our focus begin – not on
ourselves, but on Jesus and on His cross.
We are always tempted to look at ourselves – our works, our
generosity, our skills, our service, our morality, our “specialness” or superiority
to others. That’s all rubbish!
“Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of Jesus!”
This moment that outwardly looks like failure is the actual heart of the
matter! Look at the cross – there is your savior! (This is one of the reasons I
wanted a crucifix – not just an empty cross.) Look there upon Jesus, there is
your God, bleedling and dying to redeem you! Look how great is his love! How
costly his forgiveness!
This is our boast; not in what we’ve done, but in what
Jesus has done.
Now, did I just say that what you do doesn’t matter? No! The
way we live matters. Our lives can be blessings to our neighbors, testimonies
of grace, channels of God’s love. In fact, you might remember this, “He has showed
you, O man, what is good: and what does the Lord require of you but to do
_________, and to love _______________, and to walk ______________ with your
God?” But these are not things we do in order to be saved. We do these things
because we are saved!
So boast! Boast in the cross of Christ! Look at what kind of
savior you have! Point to His wondrous love! Tell the world, “Jesus is here for
you, too!” Believe that the cross is for you. Amen.
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