The God of Consolation
August 20, 2024One pastor argues, I have recently been struck by the first chapter of 2 Corinthians. Paul is writing to a community he loves but is physically separated from. The community is undergoing suffering in various forms, as are Paul and his companions.
They are all seeking to make meaning of their circumstances. However, instead of trying to explain their suffering or guide them out of their painful situation, Paul takes a different approach. He reminds them of who God is: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation…" (2 Cor. 1:3).
The God of all consolation. In verses 3-7, Paul uses forms of the word "consolation" 10 times! He explains that this God of all consolation is the God who has known suffering from the inside in Jesus, and who thus provides comfort for all who are afflicted and empowers them to console others.
The pastor asserts, this passage provides insight into our current situation, as all of us in this season of life to weather this storm. We are all experiencing the afflictions of COVID-19 in various ways, the separation, the alienation, the griefs, and the homegoing of a loved one. In fact, we are all situated in communities and a world that is in deep need of consolation. Another pastor wonders if we might follow Paul's lead by lifting our eyes and the eyes of others away from ourselves to the God of consolation who comes alongside us in our suffering and confusion.
The same root word that is translated as "consolation" in 2 Corinthians 1 is used in the Gospel of John to describe the Holy Spirit, the "Comforter" who abides in us, teaches us, guides us into truth, gives us peace and empowers us to join God in his work in the world. Jesus even goes so far as to say that "it is for your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you" (John 16:7). As Jesus finishes his work on earth, he promises us comfort, consolation and purpose through the Holy Spirit, regardless of the adverse circumstances that may come.
None of us expected to be in this situation, predicament, or hard place. None of us thought we would need to be so concerned about our own health and the health of the vulnerable in our midst. No one foresaw such economic distress near and far. No older saints or seniors envisioned finishing their last days away from beloved friends and families. No preacher desires to preach to an empty building. No Sunday School teachers thought that their classes would not reconvene and their students would be missing in action. We were in a hard place, a difficult place and a painful place. Where do we go when the familiar becomes unbearable or is destroyed?
None of us have answers as to why these hardships and countless others in our current situation are occurring. However, as beloved children of Yahweh, we all have one thing: We know the "God of all consolation who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
Likewise, we remember “No temptation has overtaken you except something common to mankind; and God is faithful, so He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13).
It is the prayer of my heart for you and all of us who part of God’s family, no matter what comes our way, we would know God's comfort revealed in Jesus Christ and confirmed by the Holy Spirit and thus be vessels of God's consolation to an anxious and distressed world.
In His Care,
Felix Flavien