2 Corinthians 5:19-21 — To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Yesterday’s thoughts were based on the experiences of the day. Today it’s different. I read chapter five of Second Corinthians this morning and these verses blazed outcast me.
The text is actually a bit complicated isn’t it?
One thing to know about Paul is that he viewed himself, in a way, as Christ’s successor as the builder and communicator of the church — the next in a logical succession, with the expectation that others would follow him and pick up the mantle.
In that context, as we look at this passage we should see an implication that, as Christ was to Paul God’s ambassador, so Paul was to the Corinthians, and all believers are to be to the world — ambassadors.
God made peace with the world through Christ. In a chain of communication, that peace — and the mission to make peace — has been passed to us. It’s the kind of process, I think, that Paul was describing to Timothy when he wrote:
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. (2 Timothy 2:2)
The word that blazes out at me is “beseech”. What passion is suggested in the idea that God, not willing that any should perish, should beseech us to be reconciled.
That impression of passion is reinforced by the mechanism of reconciliation. God is made human in Christ and pays the price, in His human self, of man’s sin.
The process almost looks like a mirror image in the text — He became sin, we became righteousness. We, however, do not become righteousness on Christ’s behalf. The benefits are entirely one-sided. He took our sin upon Himself, and laid His righteousness on us.
God sent Jesus to die for us, and He willingly came. Sinless in Himself, Jesus took on our sin.
We are called — beseeched — as disciples, not only to receive the blessing in our own behalf but also to take up the challenge to pass it on.
Have you caught the passion?