[Master Hand] looked down at the pebble again. “A rock is a good thing, too, you know,” he said, speaking less gravely. “If the Isles of Earthsea were all made of diamond, we’d lead a hard life here. Enjoy illusions, lad, and let the rocks be rocks.” He smiled, but Ged left dissatisfied. (Ursula Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea)
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:7
Ged (better known as Sparrowhawk, because a wizard doesn’t throw around his true name) and the Corinthians don’t know about each other, but they have a lot in common: gifted yet immature, they lack perspective and balance. And they tend to misunderstand and mistrust their mentors. What’s wrong with transmuting rocks into jewels? If you can do amazing things, why not make it pay? What’s the point of doing magic or miracles, if not to get ahead?
For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart. 2 Corinthians 5:12
The church at Corinth frustrated Paul, as he must have frustrated them! He counterbalances their energy. They want to be capable and impressive; he shares personal struggles and infirmities, and situations he does not control. They want to appear smart and powerful; he acknowledges foolishness and weakness. They want to be vested with authority; Paul wears the mantle of apostle ironically, if not lightly. They want to be changed into diamonds; he lets rocks be rocks.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
Paul isn’t just trolling the Corinthians. He has intentionally cultivated an appreciation–even a celebration–of his limitations, as a necessary complement to channeling the power of God.
I’m a basic-level student of church history. Others here will have gone deeper into it than I have, and could make a case in more detail. But the big picture is clear enough. When Christians (individually or collectively) max out our social, economic and political power, we trade away spiritual and moral power, and the understanding of how God’s true power operates through us. As the church becomes richer, miracles become rarer. As our doctrinal systems become more sophisticated, there are more parts of the Bible we don’t know what to do with.
One of my hopes for nerdchurch is that we can be an exception, even an unwinding, of the tendency to trade humility and limitations for influence and impressiveness, to claim to know all the answers at the price of forgetting important questions.
When Jesus chose Simon, he didn’t call him Diamond Simon, as catchy as that would have been. He just called him Rock.
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