Title: Traces of Jesus / Galatians 6:11-17
Content Traces of Jesus / Galatians 6:11-17
Whatever a person does leaves a mark. The apostle Paul also says that he had the marks of Jesus on his body. What are these signs of Jesus? The Greek word for trace is 'stigma'. It is to express ‘a wound on the body made by being pierced by a needle’ or ‘stigma on the forehead or hand of a slave’. Some people interpret the medieval church to say that Paul had nail marks and gut marks on Jesus' forehead, hands, and feet, and on his chest. It is said that when Saint Francis of Assisi meditated on the scars of Christ, blackish fleshy bumps soaked with blood appeared on the same part of the body of Christ. In general, if we understand the traces of Jesus, we can understand it as referring to the scars of persecution that he suffered while preaching the gospel.
According to verse 14, from Paul's point of view, the world is dead, and from the world's point of view, Paul is dead. The world wanted to kill Paul. From the world's point of view, Paul is dead. If so, the mark of Jesus here is ‘dead to the world’. Are there any traces of abandoning the pleasures of the world? Are there any traces of death to the world? Next, they are the marks of persecution they received while preaching Jesus. According to 2 Corinthians 11:24-25, he was beaten with 39 rods five times, with a rod three times, and once with a stone. What load are you carrying? In general, there are people who do not carry the burden they have to bear and put it on others. There are people who like people and carry the burdens of others for them.
Now, the Bible tells us that the ultimate burden we must bear is not preaching the gospel, but the scars and persecution we received while preaching the gospel. It would be even more glorious if the trace was death. No one has that burden. The weight of the luggage is the same. However, those who are used like Paul are those who enjoy the weight of the burden without feeling burdened. What are the signs of Jesus on me? Look at Paul, who is not afraid to have the marks of Jesus on his body. Look at Paul proud of it. What makes this persecution proud? It is because they met Jesus and know the depth of his grace.