THE NEXT PASSAGE puts together seeming weakness and manifest strength: “For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we are weak in him, but in dealing with you we shall live with him by the power of God” (2 Cor. 13:4). “For we are weak in him”—we have surrendered to Him, abdicated in His favor, and hence seem weak. We are. We are weak, just as He was weak in His crucifixion when He submitted to God and man and let life wreak its vengeance on Him. Amid that apparent weakness, however, there was a terrible strength—He was the Terrible Meek. “Pilate . . . was the more afraid” (John 19:8)—the ruler afraid of his prisoner! The centurion smote his breast—the crucifier afraid of the crucified! The keepers were like dead men—afraid of this new power, that trampled on death.
The surrendered become the assertive; the weak turn into the meek, and the meek turn into the terrible meek. There is nothing so terrible as a person wholly surrendered to God but who will surrender to nothing else. You cannot bribe, browbeat, or bend such persons.
A boy’s lunch was stolen. The principal went down the line and asked each boy whether he had stolen the lunch. No one acknowledged having done it. A hunchbacked boy arose and said he had done it. The principal called him out: “You know the rules. Take off your coat.” “Oh no,” said the hunchback, “not that.” He was poor and had on no shirt, and his deformed back would be exposed to all. The big boy, whose lunch had been stolen, arose and said, “Is there any rule against my taking his punishment?” He took the punishment. It so impressed the hunchback that he was changed and is now preaching the gospel.
You become everybody’s doormat and everybody’s temple of refuge. You possess nothing—and everything! It turns out to be the only strength.
O Jesus, my Lord and Savior, I want to know Thy weakness that I may know Thy power. I want to be crucified that I may rise into life. I want to empty my hands that I may take everything. In Thy name. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Let me be weak in the surrender of my rights, and strong in the assertion of my influence.
