In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul reminds the Corinthians how important it is for us to live out our faith, and to shine His light on others. Sometimes it is hard to see the “treasure” of Jesus in our lives, because we are “jars of clay.” What an appropriate image. Even when we are at our best, we still have leftover sin in our lives, and people might now see Jesus clearly. Nevertheless, we continue to live in the power of the Holy Spirit, submitting ourselves to Him, and showing the world the new life available to all through Jesus.
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul reminds us when we die to this life, when our “earthly tent” is destroyed, we will have a new building, eternal in the heavens. We live in this tension every day, because as long as we live here on earth, we miss out on our eternal home in heaven. To be present in the body is to be away from the Lord. We have the Holy Spirit as a “deposit” of the eternal life we will enjoy. Paul reminds us we will all appear before the judgments seat of Christ to answer for the deeds of our lives whether good or bad. This idea of being judged for our actions bothers many, but it reminds us while our salvation is a gift, the reward in heaven comes from the good works we live in our lives in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the second half of the chapter, Paul reminds us God has entrusted the ministry of reconciliation to us. We are new creatures in Jesus, and once we have been made new, we become “ambassadors for Christ,” and God makes His appeal through us.
In 2 Corinthians 6, Paul reminds the Corinthians of all the hardships he went through, because of his life in Jesus. He then challenges the Corinthians not to be “unequally yoked” with unbelievers. This command is generally considered a command not to be married to an unbeliever, but it can also be thought of more broadly as a command not to enter into significant relationships in an ongoing way with those outside of the believing community.
In 2 Corinthians 7, Paul emphasizes his strong words for the Corinthian believers were intended to produce repentance. He makes a powerful point: Godly sorrow produces repentance in our lives. Because of this promise, Paul was filled with joy. In the same way, in our own lives when we have grieved God or one another, and then become aware of it, the same godly sorrow moves us to repentance, restoration and ultimately to reconciliation with God and others.
As we return to Matthew 23, Jesus pronounces seven “woes” over the Pharisees. The Greek word used to describe what Jesus was doing can literally be translated “damn you,” or “curse you,” so Jesus used the strongest language to denounce the activities and ways of the Pharisees. At the end of the chapter, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, because of what He knows will happen in just a short time–His arrest, trial, conviction, beating and crucifixion.