The Negative Superlative
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength because he considered me faithful. So he appointed me to ministry 13 even though I used to speak against him, attack his people, and I was proud. But I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith. 14 Our Lord’s favor poured all over me along with the faithfulness and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 This saying is reliable and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I’m the biggest sinner of all. 16 But this is why I was shown mercy, so that Christ Jesus could show his endless patience to me first of all. So I’m an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. 17 Now to the king of the ages, to the immortal, invisible, and only God, may honor and glory be given to him forever and always! Amen.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
When I read today’s scripture reading, I was reminded of Sunday school lessons that I heard when I was a child. Stories about Saul’s conversion and Moses leading his people out of Egypt played in my mind. When I heard the stories, I was impressed but thought they really didn’t have much to do with me. I would never do anything important.
Now that I’m much older and have twenty-twenty hindsight, I see that Jesus Christ used me in much the same way as He used Paul and Moses – of course on a lesser scale!
Do you remember taking timed tests in elementary school? They were the bane of my existence! We took timed tests on multiplication tables and the timed CTBS (Achievement) Test. But the one that seems to have affected me the most was the timed reading test that came with the SRA Reading Lab. You see, I could read fast. Or I could read for content. I just couldn’t do both at the same time.
The lab was simply a box containing color-coded cards. Each color corresponded to a reading level. The idea was to read the article and answer the questions at the end correctly. Of course, before we could begin, we had to know what our reading levels were. How would we know? You guessed it! We took a timed test!
I won’t keep you in suspense. I was one of the last ones to finish the questions. When I got my assessment, I was in the lowest level, green. As the months passed, I did work my way up the color scale, but I never quite got over the embarrassment of being the slowest reader – which meant to me that I was the dumbest student.
I made my way through junior high and high school with good grades, but I always felt insecure about my intelligence. In order to remember information, I would read orally to myself, make up acronyms and draw pictures and charts to remind me of facts. It would be later, in the college of education, that I would learn that the more senses I could use to learn something, the more likely I was to keep it in long term storage. I realized that I wasn’t stupid after all, and later I was able to teach those strategies to other “slow” students in my classroom. I would tell them, “I was the slowest reader in my class. If these strategies can change my life, they can certainly change yours!”
I think that is what Paul is saying in his letter at the top of the page. As Saul, he had hunted, persecuted, and killed Christians. He was filled with hate. That was just the sort of person Jesus needed to spread the word of His grace and love. After his conversion, Paul would tell anyone who would listen,” I was the worst sinner ever. If Jesus’ love and grace can change my life, they can certainly change yours!” He meant it then. It’s still true today.
Prayer: Immortal, invisible God, many times I act in ignorance and without faith, but You always take me back. Thank You for guiding my life. Like a good parent, You don’t always give me what I want, but You have always given me what I need. Let me remember that even when I’m the worst, You love me best, not because I’m worthy but because I’m Yours. In Your name I pray.
Amen
Becky Warren
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