"HOW CAN YOU TURN BACK AGAIN?"

Lectionary passage: Galatians 4:8-16 - 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. ⁹Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? ¹⁰You are observing special days, and months, and seasons, and years. ¹¹I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted.

12 Friends, I beg you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. ¹³You know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I first announced the gospel to you; ¹⁴though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or despise me, but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵What has become of the goodwill you felt? For I testify that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

“Back in the days when you did not know God,
to those who were not gods you were as slaves.
But now that you know and are known by God,
why are you acting as a slave behaves,
and turning back to principles again
(observing special days and months and years)
of those who are not gods at all, but men?
My efforts have been wasted, it appears!”
Paul voices the frustrations that he feels,
because of their heedless apostasy.
Then to their Christian conscience he appeals:
“I plead with you, my friends, become like me,
because for your sake, I became like you.
I am not saying you have done me wrong.
Because of illness, I first preached to you
the gospel, as you have known all along.
And even though my illness was a trial
to you, as well as me, you did not scorn
nor treat me with contempt or show denial,
but welcomed me as if I’d not been born
a mortal, but an angel sent by God —
as if I were Christ Jesus, not just Paul!
That’s how devoted you were to our God.
So what happened, I ask you, to all
the joy you felt, for I can testify
that you would have torn out your eyes for me,
could you have done so.  Now I ask, am I,
for telling you the truth, your enemy?”