Outer Man and Inner Man

2 Cor 4:16-18

 

1. This year, several members of our congregation suffer physical sickness. As we pray for them as brothers and sisters in the Lord, we share our sympathy with them, their suffering and pain. In fact, there is no perfect man with perfect health. A healthy man means simply a relatively healthy man at the given moment or less often than others. We all have a history of sickness more or less. Even though medical science and technology make progress, hospital and medicine continually increases and expands. Even though medical progress contributes for longer life, longer life of aged people seems not without or less pain. In fact, aged life itself is burdensome and painful. A day for them is painful as a year. As we become older and older, our body experiences more and deeper pains.

2. Even the children of God are not exception. It is general to every human. Apostle Paul is one of the most beloved human by God, but his life was full of pain, including the severe and rare decease called “the thorn of Satan.” It was painful and hard to bear. As Paul understands, “our outer men are wasting away.”(16) We need to realize our physical weakness and accept the sure fact that we are mere human creatures. In Ecclesiastes 12, the evangelist urged to remember your Creator before too late, allegorically describing and reminding that our physical decay is approaching dramatically:

[1] Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"-- [2] before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars grow dark(darkening in vision and skin), and the clouds return after the rain(unceasing pain); [3] when the keepers of the house tremble(leg), and the strong men stoop(arm), when the grinders cease because they are few(teeth), and those looking through the windows grow dim(eye); [4] when the doors to the street are closed(ear, mouth) and the sound of grinding fades(teeth); when men rise up at the sound of birds(sleepless), but all their songs grow faint(hearing loss); [5] when men are afraid of heights and of dangers in the streets; when the almond tree blossoms(hair whitening) and the grasshopper drags himself along(bone and muscle) and desire no longer is stirred(sexual desire). Then man goes to his eternal home and mourners go about the streets. [6] Remember him--before the silver cord is severed, or the golden bowl is broken; before the pitcher is shattered at the spring, or the wheel broken at the well, [7] and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. [8] "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Everything is meaningless!"

3. However, if we remember our Creator and restore our creaturely humility, our life will not be meaningless. So, Paul said that even though our physical body is rapidly and painfully decaying, “we do not lose heart!” Whenever I drive US 131, I see a billboard with a picture of a leg-lost and iron-replaced runner and a moving phrase that “He lost leg not heart.” Even though many people are aging and dying with despair and anxiety, we Christians have wonderful joy and strong hope. How and why? What makes this significant difference? First, it is because “though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”(16) Human being is composed of soul and body. Even though they are inseparably united in lifetime, they are separated in death. Our body returns to dust, while our soul returns to heaven. Our body has a limited value in a limited period, but our soul is eternal. Our soul is like “treasure in earthen vessel.”(7) Therefore, caring our soul is far more important that that of our body. To neglect our soul because we are too busy to care our body is the worst foolishness as possible in our life. How blessed we are, for even though our body is decaying and collapsing, our soul is renewed day by day! Our born again soul is renewed day by day, as it grows mature. Generally speaking, older people is wiser and more spiritual than younger people in the sense that they know what is more important and what is less important, that they are easier to give up worldly desires and pursue divine commands, that they are more humble and benevolent, and that they care value than pleasure, family than oneself, faith than self-will, God than world, eternity than momentary life. Our soul prepares to leave this world and return to God. Therefore, our soul becomes purer, simpler, and prettier. Therefore, our aging and aging pain is neither valueless nor joyless. Our soul is transformed to a butterfly. So, “we do not lose heart!”

4. Second, it is because “our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”(17) In our life, we are used to compare and choose. We cannot have everything. Life is choice! Somebody wastes too much time to make choice. However, right choice is important and even crucial. People gladly and willingly accept some hardship and even pain when they are convinced that it will produce or result in far better gain or glory. Even though our life is painful in living out God’s mission and command, when we think the unspeakable glory because of that, our pain and difficulty in this life becomes easier and even joyful to bear. Therefore, in this decaying pain and painful burden, “we do not lose heart!”

5. Third, it is because “what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”(18b) Sinful and secular men are used to estimate and judge a person by appearances. So, old people are easily disappointed of themselves and have low self-esteem. It is because of wrong standard. What is seen is not everything but rather limited and temporal. What is unseen is eternal, being far more precious and essential. The most important and precious like God, love, soul are all unseen. Esteem yourself not by your physical condition but by your spiritual maturity! Your body is seen, while your soul is unseen. Then, “we do not lose heart!” Strengthen your faith to see what is unseen! Soon we will see what is unseen here, such as God and angels, heaven and our Lord Jesus Christ. As Paul concluded, “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.”(18a)