SWALLOWED UP
2 Corinthians 2:6-8 NKJV
6 This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, 7 so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. 8 Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him.
Paul was referring to the man that he wrote about in the first letter to the Corinthians. This was the guy who took his stepmother away from his father, and you can figure out where that’s going. Paul urged the church to put him out of the fellowship. Evidently, the church complied. I can see the social media posts now. But it appears that this removal from fellowship reached the man, and he adjusted. Now, Paul is instructing the church on what they need to do next.
Forgive and comfort him. Paul was encouraging the church to forgive the man and offer comfort or encouragement. The word comfort is related to the word we saw yesterday and involves giving aid, help, and encouragement. This is a great picture of restoration. When someone repents and makes a change, this is not the time to keep them on the outside because isolation causes pain.
Paul encouraged the church to forgive and comfort so that this man would not be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Swallowed up with too much sorrow paints a graphic picture that I believe we are dealing with today. Because of isolation and the lack of family foundations, many of our young people are swallowed up with too much sorrow. The end result makes them fragile and unable to cope with the regular challenges of life, much less the severity that life can bring. The best solution is strong families. Families that have Christ as a foundation make it more difficult to be swallowed up. No family can prevent sorrow and grief from touching their lives, but spiritually strong families can make a difference in the ability to bounce back.
But what of families that are already broken or just do not have the spiritual foundation to make a difference? This is where the church can step in and operate as that spiritual family that keeps not just our young ones but all ages from being swallowed up with too much sorrow. I have watched as church members have stepped up, offering love and comfort to those who have suffered loss or tragedy. Believers can make a difference with their love and comfort.
Paul encouraged the church to reach out and reaffirm their love for the man who had been overtaken in sin. Forgiveness, comfort, and love can keep someone from being swallowed up. People may laugh at my insistence that we turn and greet and reach out to those around us as we get together in our regular services. But for someone who has been isolated, that may be the only time anyone showed any care or interest. Way too many are swallowed up with sorrow, and it’s not just the young. The problem of loneliness is a problem that cannot be ignored. The nation of Japan created a cabinet spot in their government for a Minister of Loneliness. This position was created in 2020 after an alarming increase in suicide rates in the nation. When people are overcome with sorrow, they can hit lows that are seemingly unrecoverable.
In my earlier years in Christ, I limited being used by God to pray for someone’s healing or something along the lines of a supernatural gift of the Spirit. Those are valid ways to help people. But let’s not stop there. We can all be used by God to offer comfort, encouragement, love, and yes, forgiveness to those we come in contact with. We can be a part of people not being swallowed up.
A DARE PRAYER
Lord, lead me to the people who are in my path that may be swallowed up with too much sorrow. Give me eyes to see and a heart to help.