Max Lucado - Eternal Weight of Glory
Summary:
The preacher wants believers to view the hardships of this life, including pandemics and personal struggles, as temporary «light afflictions» that pale in comparison to the eternal glory awaiting in heaven. He draws primarily from 2 Corinthians 4:17 and Paul’s catalog of sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11 to illustrate this perspective. The encouraging conclusion is that recognizing life’s brevity empowers us to endure any challenge «for just a moment,» as God offsets our burdens with the overwhelming eternal weight of glory through faith in Christ.
An Invitation to Reflect
Do you have about seven minutes to talk about your eternal life? If you do, I’m so happy that you’re interested because I am too. If you don’t, let us know how to pray for you, please, before you slip out. Jesus said, «For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.»
Seeing Life as God Sees It
With God’s help, let’s open our understanding and see our view of life as He sees our lives—living with the gift of eternal life. You know, some years ago we celebrated the graduation of our youngest with a wonderful family vacation. I mean, graduation one day and on the plane the next. I can recall spending a dozen days with my favorite people—my wife and my three daughters.
A Splendid Family Trip
This was long before we had son-in-laws. Oh, how we watched the sunset, the fish jump, and the waves crash! We laughed at old stories and made new memories. It was simply a splendid trip—a trip for the ages. Yet, somewhere in its inception, I had something really unpleasant happen. I had to go through airport security and get checked out.
The Frustration of Security
We waited in line to lug our bags onto the security belt and walk through the metal detectors. I really don’t like airport security. Of course, I haven’t been on an airplane in several months now, and I’ve kind of forgotten what they’re like. I know airport security is essential, and yet it’s just a reminder of this corrupt world.
A Forgotten Moment
Well, I got the wand all over me; I got my bag searched. I just kind of got frustrated. But let me tell you, that moment is a forgotten part of that wonderful trip. I mean, just a forgotten part. I’m wondering if someday we’ll say the same about this physical life, especially during this pandemic.
Looking Back from Heaven
Will we look back and say, «Yeah, that was pretty rotten, but boy, hasn’t life been great ever since?» Will we see our struggles differently in the light of heaven? The Apostle Paul said, «Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory» (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Paul’s Incredible Perspective
What if we had a glimpse of the Apostle Paul as he wrote those words? By this time in his life, he had been beaten times without number. He had often been in danger of death. Five times, he said, «Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes.» Five times! Three times, he says, «I was beaten with rods.»
Paul’s Sufferings
Once, he was stoned. Three times, he writes, «I was shipwrecked.» A night and a day he spent in the deep. That’s kind of a paraphrase of how he describes his life—those wilderness wanderings, those struggles, those beatings, those exposures, those attacks, that hunger, that thirst—all described in 2 Corinthians 11:25–27.
Light Afflictions for a Moment
These are, according to Paul, light afflictions which are to be endured, to use his words, «but for a moment.» Now, what if we took the same attitude toward life? What if we saw these, granted, tough times but as a grain of sand, scarcely worth contrasting with the forever dunes that await us?
These Tough Times
I know what these days are like for many of you. You’re weary, you’re wounded, and you’re worried. You’re weary of the pandemic, you’re wounded by relationships, by racism, by rejection. You’re worried—you’re worried about your work, you’re worried about your futures, you’re worried about the economy, about the country.
No Minimizing the Pain
You’re worried about your health; you’re worried about your friends. These are tough times. I’m not trying to minimize them one bit. I’m simply trying to put them in perspective because some of you are thinking, «I can’t last another day. I can’t last another week. I certainly can’t last a year of this.»
God’s Counsel: Stay In
Conventional wisdom says life is tough; life is short. Get out. God’s counsel, however, says life is tough; it’s short. Stay in. You see, the brevity of life is not an excuse to bail, but rather its power to abide. Fleeting days don’t justify fleeing from problems; they certainly don’t justify fleeing from life.
Enduring Because It’s Brief
Fleeting days strengthen us to endure problems. Will your problems pass? No guarantee they will. Will your pain cease? I hope so; perhaps it will, perhaps not. But heaven gives this promise: «Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.» It’s working for us a weight of glory.
The Weight of Glory
Now, the words «weight of glory» conjure up images, at least in my mind, of the ancient pan scale. You recall the images of the pan scale—the blindfolded lady of justice in the courtroom, holding a pan scale with two pans on either side of the needle. The weight of the purchase would be determined by placing weights on one side and the produce or the purchase on the other.
God Balances the Scale
God does the same with your struggles. Now, watch this. On one side, He stacks all your burdens. He stacks them all. Can you see that pan scale? They’re hard burdens! I’m talking about parents who forgot you, bosses who ignored you, bad breaks, broken hearts, bad health, bad days—stack them up, stack them up, stack them up and watch one side of the pan scale plummet.
Offsetting with Eternity
Now, here’s what God does. God’s response—does He remove the burdens? Does He eliminate the pain? No. Rather than take them, He offsets them. He places an eternal weight of glory right here—endless joy, measureless peace, an eternity of praise to His name. And when this happens, when He sets eternity on your scale, everything shifts.
The Heavy Becomes Light
Everything changes. The burden is lifted; the heavy becomes light. He offsets the struggles of this life with the promise of eternal life. If life is just a moment, my friend, can’t you endure any challenge for just a moment? We can be sick for just a moment. We can be lonely for just a moment.
It’s About His Glory
We can be persecuted for just a moment. We can struggle for just a moment. We can wait for our peace. It’s not about us anyway, right? It’s about God. It’s about His glory, and it’s really not about now; it’s about eternity and the eternal home that He is preparing for us.
Closing Prayer
I close this message with a prayer. Oh Lord, have mercy! Have mercy. I read the prayer requests posted by these precious children of Yours—they feel so weighed down. Lord, please remind them, remind me, of the eternal weight of glory that will be here in just a moment. Through Christ, I pray, amen. Amen.