2 Corinthians 12

V. 14-18, Children do not care for their parents

One of the things that a parent does is take great pride and joy in providing for every need of their children and then some. Mommy’s and Daddy’s will work long hours to sacrifice for their children because they want the best for them. They will do with out what they want so their children can have what they want. Paul tells the church of Corinth that as a spiritual father to them they should know that he is not expecting anything in return from them. He says a child does save up to care for the parent but instead the parent for the child. He goes on to further say that he not only didn’t want anything but that he would give up everything so that they may have more. Paul wasn’t your ordinary everyday run of the mill person, he loved with all his heart and he wasn’t afraid to give up everything he had to show it.
In our society, it is sometimes hard to not look for the motives behind people’s actions, what are they going to get out of doing this? Spiritually Paul wanted the church of Corinth to know that he wasn’t in it for his profit but for their profit. He would gladly give up all that he had to see them come into a lasting relationship with Jesus Christ. He took great pride and joy in being able to provide for his spiritual children of Corinth but also great heart ache in knowing that they had strayed from their original path. A parent wants nothing more than for their child to have everything they need in life, Paul understood, and we should too that there is no greater need in this world than Jesus. Without Jesus there is no hope and the last thing a parent wants are to give their child is no hope. Jesus is a treasure worth giving up everything for others to obtain but are we willing to give up the things of this world to obtain things not of this world.