Title: Traces of Jesus / Galatians 6:17
Content Traces of Jesus / Galatians 6:17
The text is set in the background of the conflict in the Galatia church. Judaist Christians emphasized the Law, insisting that all who become Christians must be circumcised. So, the apostle Paul taught those who boasted about being circumcised as if they were a Christian mark, teaching that the true circumcision is not in the flesh, but in the heart.
Trace (stigma) is derived from the words ‘to stab’ and ‘to insert’, and was originally a mark to prove possession by engraving or stigmatizing a tattoo. However, today, there are many people who engraved the brand they did only on animals for style. The traces Paul was talking about can be seen as meaning a brand that denotes “slave” among them. Because Paul has always referred to himself as a servant of Christ. Therefore, when Paul declared, “I have the marks of Jesus on my body,” he was saying that he belonged to Jesus Christ and that he was a working apostle for Christ.
Dear brothers and sisters, what are the traces made for Christ? This mark is not in the flesh, but is a confirmation of faith living for Jesus Christ. Even today, our new and old people are fighting a spiritual battle on the battlefield of the body. The way to overcome the flesh is the life of those who have the traces of Jesus and the life of victory. A Christian who lives only according to his own desires and his own will cannot be said to belong to Christ. I hope that you will become saints who have the traces of belonging to Christ.
I heard a story about a man who, while studying in a distant country to get his PhD, became seriously ill because he could not overcome the stress and emotional pain. After sitting at a desk for 15 to 20 hours a day for years, it is strange that I do not get sick. I was away from my family to get a degree, and I couldn't eat or sleep well at a distant place, so how stressful was that? What is an alternative degree, so that you are pouring out all of your life's passion with no guarantee of success? There are many people in the world who study like this. They cling because they can't give up their dream of the very day they will succeed.
Let us believe that our future citizenship in the kingdom of heaven is incomparable to anything like this. May you have only traces of Jesus Christ. Rather, I hope you will speak boldly toward those who ridicule and ridicule.
“Do not trouble me; I have the marks of Jesus on my body. Hallelujah!"