Sometimes you need a place to go to put life into perspective. You need something to act as an anchor when the “storms of life” seem to be tossing the ship uncontrollably. A reminder of how things really are that sheds some context on how things appear to be. 2Corinthians 4 is such a place . . . such an anchor . . . such a reminder.

This part of God’s word presents a number contrasts . . . those who are blinded by the god of this age vs. the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ shining on them (4:4) . . . glorious treasure that is packed into earthen vessels or jars of clay (4:7) . . . harsh earthly pressures vs. a sustaining heavenly presence . . . being “hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (4:8-9) . . . delivered over to death of Jesus’ sake so the the life of Jesus might be manifest in their mortal flesh (4:11) . . . the outward man perishing vs. the inward man being renewed day by day (4:16).

Paul was no stranger to hardship . . . he knew his share of trial and testing and suffering . . . and yet, he could declare, “We do not lose heart” (4:1, 16). “We keep on keeping on . . . we don’t throw in the towel . . . we press forward . . . we keep seeking the kingdom . . . we keep trusting in God . . . we hold fast to that which we know to be true . . . we do not lose heart. And at the heart of not losing heart is this perspective, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (4:17). Chew on that for a bit . . . more contrasts . . . some trial-sustaining perspective.

Paul steels himself with the reminder that his trials are but “for a moment” compared to the eternal life which is before him . . . that’s perspective. And then he also considers being hard pressed and being perplexed and being persecuted and being struck down as all being “light afflictions”. Not that they weren’t significant . . . not that he would just as soon not have to endure them . . . not that they weren’t painful and discouraging . . . this wasn’t the sting of a mosquito but the wounds of a sword . . . but they were “light afflictions” compared to the “exceeding and eternal weight of glory” that would be to come . . . more perspective.

The phrase “weight of glory” caught my eye . . . kind of an unusual phrase, it seems. So I looked up “weight” . . . and sure enough, it literally means “heaviness or weight” . . . and the word is only used 6 times in the New Testament. But what I find interesting is that, except for here, the word is translated “burden”. Jesus uses it in the his teaching referring to those who “have borne the burden of the day” (Matt. 20:12) . . . it’s the word used when we’re told to “bear one another’s burdens” (Gal. 6:2) or, help carry each other’s load or heaviness or weight. So it’s got me thinking about bearing this eternal “burden of glory”.

That’s what awaits us . . . a burden of glory . . . a heavenly, God-measured, glorious burden of glory. And, unlike these “light afflictions” that suck it all out of us, the anticipation of this “burden” is what keeps us from being crushed . . . prevents us from diving into despair . . . reminds us that we are not forsaken . . . assures us that we will not be destroyed . . . therefore, we do not lose heart. Instead we look to being loaded up with a weight of glory . . . celebrating our “jars-of-clay-ness” now, knowing that through it the power of God is evident and the treasure of the glory of Christ is shining through the cracks of our beat up earthen vessels.

And so “we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen” (4:18a) . . . we endure the “light afflictions” but we are not consumed with them because we focus on the burden of glory that will be ours . . . that “burden” that even now renews the inner man. “For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (4:18b) . . . the “light afflictions” are but for a moment . . . the “burden of glory” is eternal . . . the trials are for a season, a night time, but joy comes in the morning and lasts as long as God and I shall be!

Oh, that God would grace upon His people such perspective . . . therefore, we do not lose heart . . . bring on the burden of glory . . . for your glory . . . amen.