com·mend o deliver with confidence.

This morning, I stopped at 2 Corinthians 6:4 – commend ourselves. As a servant of God, have I delivered myself with confidence? Paul provides a list full of paradox. How do we react to suffering, difficulties, and hardship? Most of us don’t have to put up with beatings and imprisonments and if we did would we respond with kindness and sincere love?

Somehow the reading feels appropriate for a Good Friday. This is a day of paradox. An instrument of Roman torture became a symbol of God’s grace and love. Jesus, beaten, tortured, imprisoned, executed and as a result draws us ever closer to God. This week, a child asked, “why it is called Good Friday?” I replied, “It wasn’t good for Jesus but it was good for us.”

Part of the task of being a Christian is to be able to grieve and celebrate at the same time.

In the words of the song, “Amazing Love”: Amazing love, how can it be; That you My king would die for me; Amazing love, I know it’s true; It’s my joy to honor you; In all I do I honor you.

To honor the gift of Jesus Christ, let us commend ourselves in every way.