But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them– yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1Co 15:10 NIV)

Doesn’t that sound quite the Pharisee? Paul comparing himself with the other apostles? He doesn’t compare himself with robbers, thieves, adulterers or tax collectors as that other Pharisee did in Jesus parable (Lk.18:10ff), but rather with his brothers in the high calling of the apostolate. Especially if he appears as the shining example in this comparison: “I worked harder than all of them…” Well, doesn’t that mean that he trumped the very best, the most blessed people in fruits and blessings and good works? That’s what he writes to those talkative, yes garrulous bunch in Corinth. They will make sure that that hits the headlines and reaches the rest of the apostles too. Yes, St. Paul accounts more to himself  than that notorious Pharisee mentioned above and in his own glorification he supersedes all others. And still St. Paul is no Pharisee anymore. Yes, comparing St. Paul with the Pharisee praying in the temple is really quite revealing in that it shows that these two are entirely different altogether and in now way of the same kind. The difference is made up of that little word “grace”. That changes everything. “By the grace of God I am what I am”. That praying Pharisee in the temple was convinced of his own merit and worthiness. The saintly apostle however gives thanks to God for his great and rich life, which was so full of incomparable suffering and hardship as he knows it is all thanks to the grace of God. He’s not proud, but quite humble. He praises God and gives him all honor and glory for he has called and converted the biggest sinner and turned him into the greatest missionary of all times. Not only his sermons and correspondence, but rather his entire life and doing was a splendid recommendation of the new way of salvation, that Jesus Christ had revealed as the new testament for God’s people. It is the way of grace, which leads out of depths to glorious heights, out of death to life with God.

O Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and our King! You have revealed your glory and magnanimity in your apostle St. Paul. You transformed the persecutor of your Church into the precious instrument to build and consolidate it throughout the Roman empire. You converted a self-righteous Pharisee into a poor miserable sinner, who lives solely by your gracious forgiveness and is a living praise of your grace and mercy. You turned a person, who was self-content into a disciple, who sacrifices all of his life out of gratitude to your service. Let us learn from his shining example, that we too would gladly and willingly offer all and everything to lead this life in your grace as a blessing to your Church. Lord, we will not let you go unless you bless us. Amen.

By grace! On this I’ll rest when dying; In Jesus’ promise I rejoice; For though I know my heart’s condition, I also know my Savior’s voice. My heart is glad, all grief has flown Since I am saved by grace alone. (Korneluis Heinrich Dretzel 1742)

 This is a rather free translation of Wilhelm Löhe’s devotion for Thursday after the eleventh Sunday after the high holiday and festival of the Holy Trinity. It is found on Pg. 296 in Lob sei Dir ewig, o Jesu!   (Eternal Praise to you o Jesus!) edited by A. Schuster and published in the Freimund Verlag, Neuendettelsau 1949.