Wednesday, June 25, 2025
Note to readers: This is an alternate reading from the Three Year Lectionary, and may not match up with the readings your church uses this Sunday.
Galatians 2:1-7a, 8b, 10 – [Paul wrote:] “Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the Gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the Gospel might be preserved for you. And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Gospel … to the Gentiles … and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the [Jews]. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”
I’m not surprised that the first major conflict in the baby Christian church had to do with God’s Law. Because we’ve had this problem and temptation for us from the very beginning—Is Jesus enough to save us, or do we have to add something else to Him? When He suffered and died on the cross—yes, and rose from the dead!—was it really, truly finished? Are we safe in God’s hands completely because of Jesus? Or do we have to add something to His work?
Here the fight is about the Jewish law. But you’ll hear the same argument going on in other language even today—Do we need Jesus and something else? Jesus and holy living, Jesus and the right political stand, Jesus and some kind of extra mystical experience that certifies we are really Christians?
Or is Jesus enough?
Jesus is enough. Paul knew it, and that’s why he was so ferocious in his efforts to keep the true Gospel in our hands. Two thousand years of Christians know it, that when Jesus said “It is finished” on the cross, He was telling the truth—and so now and forever, everyone who simply trusts in Jesus for forgiveness and salvation will have everything they need—hope, joy, peace with God, life everlasting. All of these come to us as a free gift from the hands of Jesus—those hands forever marked with the scars of His love for us. Jesus is our joy, our Savior, and our way to the Father—for we will live in Him forever.
WE PRAY: Dear Jesus, let me not add anything to what You have done for me. Let Your Spirit give me true faith and joy in You forever. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions: