Verse By Verse Devotional On 2 Corinthians By Pastor Jack #53

Paul’s Burden

2:12-13 "Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia."

The little episode Paul describes here is chock-full of gems.

After sending off the severe letter (now lost) to the Corinthians by means of Titus, Paul was preaching the gospel in Asia Minor. But he was distracted by wondering how the Corinthians would respond to his rebuke. It appeared to be a make-or-break moment for the Corinthian church. He was anxiously awaiting Titus’ return and report. Perhaps he even drifted north to Troas (the port from which one would set off across the Aegean Sea for Macedonia and other parts of the Greek peninsula -- including Corinth) to evangelize in hopes of finding Titus there. While in Troas, Paul did not find Titus (who had not yet arrived from Macedonia) but found open opportunities to preach the gospel. However, he was so troubled about what might be happening in Corinth that he finally abandoned the evangelistic opportunities and hopped on a boat to Macedonia in order to meet Titus before he even embarked. There he found Titus and heard from him the very sweet news of a favorable Corinthian response to his letter.

What yearning Paul had for the Corinthians! He was so concerned about the Corinthians’ faith that he couldn’t take advantage of evangelistic opportunities — and we know how passionate Paul was about preaching the gospel!

Why would Paul feel this way? Because he is like Christ, because he is filled with the Spirit of Christ, because he has the mind of Christ. Paul carried the burden of Christ for His people around in his heart. He describes this concern for the churches later in this letter:

“Apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?” (2Cor.11:28-29)

In love, he was burning with jealousy that the Corinthians maintain their allegiance to Christ:

" For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ." (2Cor.11:2-3)

A similar situation to the one in 2Cor.2:12-13 is related in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. Soon after planting the church there, Paul had heard of persecution breaking out in Thessalonica. Even though the ministry was prospering mightily where they were, Paul was so anxious about his brethren in Thessalonica that his concern finally drove him to take Timothy off of his ministry assignment and send him to find out how their faith was holding out:

"W hen I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain. But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord." (1Thes.3:5-8)

Paul’s burden for God’s people was so deep that he could say, "If you stand firm in the Lord, then I can really live." What a wonderful example to us of caring about the ones God cares about!

O Lord, forgive me for how very much I care about myself and how little I care about Your people. Please lay this burden for Your people on my heart. Help me to ache when they suffer. Help me to burn with concern when their faith falters. Break my heart with a holy passion that Your bride be brought to maturity and the fullness of the knowledge of the Son of God. Give me a profound compulsion that your beloved people be no longer like children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, but firmly established on the Rock of our salvation.