God used 2 Corinthians 5:20 to touch my heart, soul, and mind, in a way far more than just on a logical level. Over the last two months, I had the privilege to be present at various occasions where people gave their hearts to the Lord Jesus Christ. Every time I have the privilege to experience this miracle, I am overcome by God’s love, mercy and grace. But 2 Corinthians 5:20 showed me the heart of God, and my world came tumbling down.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. (The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995 (electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version.) (2 Kor 5:19-20). Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
The word translated as “beseech” παρακαλέω (
parakaleō), is actually better translated as “beg or plead.” It is the same word found in Luke 8:41:
41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and
begged him that he would come into his house:
42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying.
The words translated as “we pray you,” δεόμεθα (deomai), can also be rendered “begging.” It is the same word we get in Luke 5:12:
12 In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.
So, 2 Corinthians 5:20 may be better translated thus:
“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beg you by us: we are begging you for Christ sake, be ye reconciled to God”
Imagine God almighty on His knees with tears in His eyes begging those who do not know Him to be reconciled with Him! Imagine the Almighty maker of heaven and earth, the creator of perfect love, broken-hearted about you, me, and all the people out there, that His Son died for. The God of grace longing to pour out His grace on us.
When this picture formed before my eyes I not only wanted to praise and worship this God. I needed to run to Him and throw my arms around Him. Crying, holding on, I wanted to say everything will be alright. But then I saw my God’s heart --- how can everything be alright if His beloved children don’t know Him; don’t know Him for who He is? How could everything be alright, if so many of His beloved children are broken or in pain?
I sat down sobbing, feeling hopeless, but then I saw the hope in God. We are God’s hope! Therefore we must go out, begging people for the sake of Christ, to be reconciled to God. We are not suppose to be the beggars, begging God for more. We are suppose to be the begging God’s beggars, begging the lost to come to Christ.
To serve this loving amazing God, is the one thing I want to do with all my heart, mind and soul. We do not proclaim theology, institution, or morals. We proclaim Christ! Christ who died on the cross, so that we could be reconciled with God. It does not matter who you are, or what you have done. God does not want to judge you, He loves you. He wants to be reconciled with you.
We don’t proclaim because we know it all, or because we are commanded. No, we proclaim because we saw this loving God, and He has touched our hearts. We don’t proclaim because we want to notch up another conversion. We proclaim because we saw God’s love for others.
How can I turn away from this God, and those He loves? What is worth doing in this life that is more important than this?
Acts 4:31
31 After they prayed(παρακαλέω begged), the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
