For Your Joy

For Your Joy.  Through the gospel of Christ’s grace, it is a privilege to be positioned and enabled to pray for the congregation. Ministry, not to mention ministry leadership, is exactly upside-down in this regard as compared to the other forms of leadership. Shepherds pray for the sheep, whereas wolves prey upon the sheep. 

In the wider world, the stereotypical boss steers the organization and its thralls toward his or her advancement and ease. The phrase that Jesus used of this kind of I-win/you-lose leadership style is ironic: these lords “lord it over them” (Matt. 20:25), which is to say that they leverage their position toward their exaltation. But Jesus, who is the Lord of all lords—who has the right but does not leverage it here—counters conventional leadership practice and thereby redefines it: “But whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matt. 20:26). According to our Great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13), greatness is measured not by amassing servants, but by serving others in love (Gal. 5:6). 

Paul applies Jesus’ “upside-down” servant-leadership to the church, particularly in terms of prayer, specifically during a time when the church doubts Paul’s trustworthiness as a shepherd. Obliquely mentioning a trial in Asia that “burdened [us] beyond our strength” (2 Cor. 1:8), Paul writes: “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many” (2 Cor. 1:11). Apparently, Paul had indicated that he would visit Corinth, but when Paul was delayed, the church interpreted his absence as evidence of neglect. Pressed into an uncomfortable position of needing to defend himself, Paul measured his ministry against Jesus’ words and assured Corinth that his love was pure, and his leadership was pastoral. “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith” (2 Cor. 1:24).

Paul was not working against them for his own joy but working with them, even at a distance, for their own joy, even at a cost to himself. Principally, his off-site labor for them was praying for them, writing to them, and sending people to minister to them when he was delayed.