Welcome to this week’s episode, a special rerun from our Speaking of Life archive. We hope you find its timeless message as meaningful today as it was when it was first shared.
Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcqK3X16KRA
Program Transcript
Speaking of Life 4032 | True Boasting
Greg Williams
Have you ever had a medical bill that made you cringe? Regardless of where you fall in debates over how you should pay for healthcare, there is one thing everyone can agree on. Good care is priceless. This is as true today as it was three millennia ago.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the story of Naaman.
Naaman was a successful commander, competent warrior, and a well-regarded statesman. Yet the Bible reveals that he also suffered from a skin condition. In the ancient world, all dermatological conditions were lumped into the same category – leprosy.
Help for Naaman came through a young, humble servant in his home. She told Naaman’s wife that the Lord’s prophet Elisha had the power to heal.
We pick up the story in 2 Kings, where we find Naaman with a letter from his king written to the king of Israel:
“So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
2 Kings 5:5-6
It seems that even in the 9th century BC, specialized health care was expensive! The wealth that Naaman brought with him was significant, enough to buy a large swathe of land.
The prophet Elisha heard about the letter and told the king to send Naaman to him. When Naaman arrived, Elisha sent a messenger telling Naaman to go bathe in the river Jordan seven times before he will see him in person!
This is the turning point in the narrative. Until this point, Naaman has relied on his own importance, resources, and power. But none of these things are considered in Elisha’s treatment plan. Naman is furious that Elisha won’t even see him and he leaves in a huff.
Fortunately, his servants intervened saying, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”
Convinced Naaman washes in the river Jordan seven times, and is healed!
Humbled and restored, Naaman wants to present Elisha with a gift, but Elisha refuses payment or privileges. Naman realizes the riches of God’s glory, and promises that any boasting he does in the future will not be of his own strength, but of the provision of God.
The story of Naaman’s healing is the story of abundant Grace. It tells of how kings, generals, and warriors are powerless to change the things that really matter to us, but God’s grace is all-powerful. Naaman returned to Aram boasting in the one true God of Israel and the grace-filled deliverance God gave him.
Echoing these words, a millennia later the apostle Paul calls us to boast “in the cross of our Lord Jesus.” Like Naaman, we are powerless to heal ourselves – physically and spiritually. But we can boast in the one who restores us, redeems us, and fills us with grace. We boast in Jesus Christ.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
Program Transcript
Speaking of Life 4032 | True Boasting
Greg Williams
Have you ever had a medical bill that made you cringe? Regardless of where you fall in debates over how you should pay for healthcare, there is one thing everyone can agree on. Good care is priceless. This is as true today as it was three millennia ago.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the story of Naaman.
Naaman was a successful commander, competent warrior, and a well-regarded statesman. Yet the Bible reveals that he also suffered from a skin condition. In the ancient world, all dermatological conditions were lumped into the same category – leprosy.
Help for Naaman came through a young, humble servant in his home. She told Naaman’s wife that the Lord’s prophet Elisha had the power to heal.
We pick up the story in 2 Kings, where we find Naaman with a letter from his king written to the king of Israel:
“So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
2 Kings 5:5-6
It seems that even in the 9th century BC, specialized health care was expensive! The wealth that Naaman brought with him was significant, enough to buy a large swathe of land.
The prophet Elisha heard about the letter and told the king to send Naaman to him. When Naaman arrived, Elisha sent a messenger telling Naaman to go bathe in the river Jordan seven times before he will see him in person!
This is the turning point in the narrative. Until this point, Naaman has relied on his own importance, resources, and power. But none of these things are considered in Elisha’s treatment plan. Naman is furious that Elisha won’t even see him and he leaves in a huff.
Fortunately, his servants intervened saying, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!”
Convinced Naaman washes in the river Jordan seven times, and is healed!
Humbled and restored, Naaman wants to present Elisha with a gift, but Elisha refuses payment or privileges. Naman realizes the riches of God’s glory, and promises that any boasting he does in the future will not be of his own strength, but of the provision of God.
The story of Naaman’s healing is the story of abundant Grace. It tells of how kings, generals, and warriors are powerless to change the things that really matter to us, but God’s grace is all-powerful. Naaman returned to Aram boasting in the one true God of Israel and the grace-filled deliverance God gave him.
Echoing these words, a millennia later the apostle Paul calls us to boast “in the cross of our Lord Jesus.” Like Naaman, we are powerless to heal ourselves – physically and spiritually. But we can boast in the one who restores us, redeems us, and fills us with grace. We boast in Jesus Christ.
I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.
Psalm 30:1–12 • 2 Kings 5:1–14 • Galatians 6:7–16 • Luke 10:1–11, 16–20
This week’s theme is God’s restorative healing power. In our call to worship psalm, David celebrates God’s healing power in deeply personal ways. In 2 Kings, Naaman experiences restorative healing from leprosy by being washed in the Jordan River. In Galatians, Paul alludes to restoration and healing in the church by bearing one another’s burdens as well as individual accountability. And in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus empowers dozens of his disciples to heal the sick as part of proclaiming God’s kingdom.
How to use this sermon resource.
Sowing in the Spirit and Reaping a Harvest
Galatians 6:7–16 NIV
Howard Schultz was the CEO of Starbucks. But before the iconic coffee brand became famous, Howard was turned down by 217 banks while trying to secure funds to start his business. Schultz faced constant rejection as well as family pressure, yet he did not give up. His persistence eventually paid off as he finally secured the needed funding. Now the company is the most widely recognized coffee brand in the world and boasting more than 137,000 employees worldwide.1 You could say that through his persistence, Shultz reaped a harvest.
The apostle Paul informs the Galatian church that if they do not give up, they will also reap a harvest. Our pericope today is Galatians 6:7–16. Here Paul urges the believers in Galatia to continue sowing to the Spirit rather than the flesh and to persevere in doing good. In doing so, a bountiful harvest awaits us. Let us begin by reading verse 8.
Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:8 NIV
Paul’s audience lived in a fertile valley where grains were cultivated. Also, the area was agriculturally rich in fruits and vegetables.2 Because of this, the Galatian church would have easily understood Paul’s analogy about sowing and reaping.
One certainty about sowing and reaping is that you cannot reap what you did not sow. If you sowed lettuce seeds, you wouldn’t expect to reap 10-foot corn stalks. Paul is making the connection to the Galatians that neither can you sow seeds of an ungodly nature and expect to reap from the Spirit.
Indulging in judgment and criticism may appeal to our flesh, but it brings about destruction in our faith communities, as was happening amongst the believers in Galatia. The Church, intended to be a sanctuary of grace and acceptance, withers when it mirrors the divisive behaviors prevalent in our society.
When we sow to please the Spirit through restoration and compassion, we reap the eternal harvest of transformed lives. As we have opportunity, we must resist the impulse to criticize and condemn, which only drives away those who most need spiritual comfort.
Ask yourselves this question: what is it that you want to see crop up in your life or in your church? (Pun intended.) Let us not grow weary in this spiritual sowing, for in due season we will reap a harvest of restored lives if we do not give up.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:9–10 NIV
So, how can we ensure that we will reap a harvest from the Spirit rather than our flesh? Perhaps we should ask ourselves the following questions. What are our daily habits? What is it that occupies our thoughts? And in what are we investing our time?
Paul talked about doing good to others, especially those in our own churches. In Galatians 6:2, Paul urges the church to carry one another’s burdens. This can be done by connecting with those who are in need. We can also look for places in the church where support is lacking, whether that be in our worship gatherings, our connect groups, or community engagements.
When our members grow in grace and their support of each other, a healthier congregation is the result. As we recognize our individual responsibilities, while bearing one another’s burdens, we grow healthier. And a healthier congregation serves as a better witness to the communities surrounding us by providing a spiritual environment that is inviting for them to join.
Those who want to impress people by means of the flesh are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised keep the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your circumcision in the flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:12–14 NIV
There were those in the Galatian church insisting that circumcision was required to complete the work of God in their lives. The act of circumcision typically signaled to the Jewish community that a person was serious about following Torah and keeping its requirements.4
Paul calls out this group for their hypocrisy, citing the fact that even they themselves do not follow the law. These hypocrites appear to be trying to dodge any potential persecution from other Jews. Yet, they were boasting that they were winning converts to their misguided teachings.
Here’s why this was a serious issue: if the Galatians succumbed to circumcision, it would have meant a rejection of the sufficiency of Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice. It would have been witnessed as an attempt to gain righteousness through their own works as opposed to Christ’s work. The Galatians were being told that to be part of God’s family, they had to adopt Jewish cultural practices and adhere to the religious requirements of the law — something the “circumcision group” was boasting about.
In verse 14, Paul declares to us that our boasting should be about how we did nothing to merit God’s inclusion into his family. Simply put, we boast in the sufficiency of the works of Christ Jesus on humanity’s behalf. We can boast that there is One who fulfilled the law in its entirety for us. And like Paul, we have died to everything that the flesh could boast in. And we can boast that we are now dead to that life and alive to the Spirit.
It can be tempting to stray from the spiritual path of grace and be drawn in by voices of the flesh — voices that promise our relationship with God will be more secure or that we will become more righteous and holy, if we simply do or avoid certain things.
We also might be tempted to fear being outside of what our society declares as the norm. None of us wants to feel the sting of disapproval or persecution. But like Paul, we have a far greater boast that we have been received by the Father through the life of the Son — a fulfilling life in the Spirit.
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God. Galatians 6:15–16 NIV
Paul punctuates the last two verses in this section by putting an end to the argument once and for all. In the end, it was never about getting circumcised or not. What truly matters is that through Christ we have been made new. We are new creations who live through the Spirit of God.
Miroslav Volf wrote: “Christian life is life in the spirit of the new creation, or it is not Christian life at all.” As believers, we live by the finished work of Christ. We need to stay the course and trust that what Jesus has begun will be carried to completion. Our job is to live in the recognition and reality of that truth. We now live daily by the spirit of the new creation that has been given to us.
Please don’t fall for the trap of relying on our works to earn favor with God. God’s favor has already been granted with no strings attached. Instead, we are to acknowledge the principle of sowing and reaping that Paul took us through earlier. We are to display our good works through living by the faith of the Son of God. We now get to sow the seeds of faith, hope, and love. In so doing, he promised that we will reap a harvest.
Let us persevere through standing in the truth that it is through Christ alone that we have become new creations in the sight of God. We are unashamed of this truth and our only hope is in what Christ has done. Let that, and that alone, be our only boast.
- https://historygreek.org/geography/galatia
- Commentary on Galatians 6:[1–6] 7–16 — Working Preacher from Luther Seminary
- The Letter to the Galatians: Exegesis and Theology — NTWrightPage
- https://christianscholars.com/the-theology-of-work-and-the-work-of-christian-scholars/
Andrew Torrance—Year C Proper 9
Listen to audio: https://cloud.gci.org/dl/GReverb/GR065-Torrance-YearC-Proper9.mp3
July 6, 2025 — Proper 9 in Ordinary Time
Galatians 6:7-16
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Program Transcript
Andrew Torrance—Year C Proper 9
Anthony: Our first pericope of the month is Galatians 6:7–16. I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version, the updated edition. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 9 in Ordinary Time, July 6.
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith. 11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Andrew, how would you explain sowing to the flesh versus sowing to the Spirit, which we find in verse 8. And how can this text be read without being overly prescriptive or sounding like karma dressed up in Christianity?
Andrew: Great, thank you, Anthony. So, the sow to the Spirit is to recognize first that the reality of something going on in this world that is so much greater than the ways in which we define the world for ourselves. And that’s something theological. It’s witnessing to the triune God and the particular ways in which God is working in the world. And following Pentecost, God works in the world through the Spirit, who is at work in the church animating and empowering our lives to express something that goes beyond what is on the kind of the surface of this world.
Those things that appear to us immediately. And so often, the habits of the way we interpret the world, is to reduce the reality to what is immediately in front of us, to allow our basic instincts to determine the direction of our lives, to let this world as it’s kind of closed in its own kind of bubble to be what defines all that there is in this world.
And what it means to sow to the Spirit is to seek the more to reality, and that more to reality is the way in which God is defining it from beyond the ways in which the world might try to define itself. Okay? And so that means that we are called to participate in something that is beyond our every expectation.
Okay? So, this kind of way we might think about balance and forms of karma, is to operate in very human categories. Where there it’s dealing with the work of the Spirit, there’s something incredibly inspiring and just very new, which means that we’re constantly required to seek God in ways that allow him to speak to us in new ways, to guide our lives in new directions.
And that means transformation — to receive and to sow our life to the Spirit is to be people that are transformed in ways that align us with God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven.
Anthony: I didn’t plan to ask you this question, so I hope you don’t mind, but as I’m looking at verse 9, it talks about not growing weary and doing good.
And there’s that preposition “if”, and it can sound very conditional: “if you don’t give up.” Is there a word of good news for somebody who maybe in their walk with Christ right now who is just feeling like they want to give up? Is there something we can take away from that as good news?
Andrew: What this verse is doing with its “if” isn’t simply prescriptive, it’s descriptive. And what this verse is doing is telling you about the reality of things that gives people a sense of security and a groundedness that is beyond what they’re able to achieve for themselves. And it encourages people to rest, to embrace that kind of Sabbath reality.
And when they’re weary, to take time out to seek God and to seek a form of empowerment and inspiration and energy that they just don’t have the capacity to achieve. I think when some things are taken out of our hands, when we recognize that there’s something beyond us that is securing our lives in this world, that can give people a sense of peace and rest.
But with any answer like this, we’ve got to know the specifics of the situations and the struggles that people are facing, I think, in order to address them better. But I think simply being, simply recognizing that the gospel calls people to a sense of peace and rest in order for them to be empowered to be witnesses to the reality of the gospel, I think that’s something that should ease the minds of people that are experiencing stress and anxiety in their lives.
Anthony: Yeah, that’s a good word, Andrew. You talked about just resting and I have found, just my own personal experience and you mentioned this as well, discerning the particularity of the situation. But when I grow weary, I’m trying to do too much on my own like by my own strength and my own might, which is fragile, anemic at best. And so, leaning on Christ, as you said. And we read here, Paul writes in verse 15, that new creation is everything. Okay, everything. So, what’s he getting at?
Andrew: There’s so many things that can be got at with these words. How I take them is that Paul is challenging the ways in which we are living in the old creation. In some ways, as I said already, we settle into the patterns of this world and make that world everything. We settle into the patterns of the flesh, we make these patterns, everything.
And when we recognize the reality of who God is for us in Jesus Christ, and we recognize the ways in which we’re embraced constantly by the power of the Holy Spirit, that requires us to recognize that this newness is everything. It is everywhere. It surrounds us. It’s elevating us into experiencing reality in a way that is transformative. And to say that this newness is everywhere and that it is, everything, resists our desire to guess It.
I think when we, it’s so easy for us to compartmentalize in ways that puts our Christian faith into a small quarter in the room, into a small box, maybe a box we open on a Sunday morning, or maybe when we open a few times a day when we pray. And we compartmentalize our lives in ways that means that we’re not always living into that reality.
And what this verse tells us is to say, no, you shouldn’t be doing that. This is fundamental to every aspect of your lives, and unless you learn to interpret your bias, you’re calling in this world more than that, you’re going to be deluded. You’re going to be living into the old passions of this world, so into the flesh in ways that means that you’re missing out on what is actually going on. You’re asleep, you’re not awakened to the reality of the worth of the Spirit.
Anthony: Wake up, O sleeper. Let’s go.
Program Transcript
Andrew Torrance—Year C Proper 9
Anthony: Our first pericope of the month is Galatians 6:7–16. I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version, the updated edition. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 9 in Ordinary Time, July 6.
Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8 If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh, but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9 So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. 10 So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all and especially for those of the family of faith. 11 See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12 It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who try to compel you to be circumcised—only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything, but a new creation is everything! 16 As for those who will follow this rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Andrew, how would you explain sowing to the flesh versus sowing to the Spirit, which we find in verse 8. And how can this text be read without being overly prescriptive or sounding like karma dressed up in Christianity?
Andrew: Great, thank you, Anthony. So, the sow to the Spirit is to recognize first that the reality of something going on in this world that is so much greater than the ways in which we define the world for ourselves. And that’s something theological. It’s witnessing to the triune God and the particular ways in which God is working in the world. And following Pentecost, God works in the world through the Spirit, who is at work in the church animating and empowering our lives to express something that goes beyond what is on the kind of the surface of this world.
Those things that appear to us immediately. And so often, the habits of the way we interpret the world, is to reduce the reality to what is immediately in front of us, to allow our basic instincts to determine the direction of our lives, to let this world as it’s kind of closed in its own kind of bubble to be what defines all that there is in this world.
And what it means to sow to the Spirit is to seek the more to reality, and that more to reality is the way in which God is defining it from beyond the ways in which the world might try to define itself. Okay? And so that means that we are called to participate in something that is beyond our every expectation.
Okay? So, this kind of way we might think about balance and forms of karma, is to operate in very human categories. Where there it’s dealing with the work of the Spirit, there’s something incredibly inspiring and just very new, which means that we’re constantly required to seek God in ways that allow him to speak to us in new ways, to guide our lives in new directions.
And that means transformation — to receive and to sow our life to the Spirit is to be people that are transformed in ways that align us with God’s kingdom coming on earth as it is in heaven.
Anthony: I didn’t plan to ask you this question, so I hope you don’t mind, but as I’m looking at verse 9, it talks about not growing weary and doing good.
And there’s that preposition “if”, and it can sound very conditional: “if you don’t give up.” Is there a word of good news for somebody who maybe in their walk with Christ right now who is just feeling like they want to give up? Is there something we can take away from that as good news?
Andrew: What this verse is doing with its “if” isn’t simply prescriptive, it’s descriptive. And what this verse is doing is telling you about the reality of things that gives people a sense of security and a groundedness that is beyond what they’re able to achieve for themselves. And it encourages people to rest, to embrace that kind of Sabbath reality.
And when they’re weary, to take time out to seek God and to seek a form of empowerment and inspiration and energy that they just don’t have the capacity to achieve. I think when some things are taken out of our hands, when we recognize that there’s something beyond us that is securing our lives in this world, that can give people a sense of peace and rest.
But with any answer like this, we’ve got to know the specifics of the situations and the struggles that people are facing, I think, in order to address them better. But I think simply being, simply recognizing that the gospel calls people to a sense of peace and rest in order for them to be empowered to be witnesses to the reality of the gospel, I think that’s something that should ease the minds of people that are experiencing stress and anxiety in their lives.
Anthony: Yeah, that’s a good word, Andrew. You talked about just resting and I have found, just my own personal experience and you mentioned this as well, discerning the particularity of the situation. But when I grow weary, I’m trying to do too much on my own like by my own strength and my own might, which is fragile, anemic at best. And so, leaning on Christ, as you said. And we read here, Paul writes in verse 15, that new creation is everything. Okay, everything. So, what’s he getting at?
Andrew: There’s so many things that can be got at with these words. How I take them is that Paul is challenging the ways in which we are living in the old creation. In some ways, as I said already, we settle into the patterns of this world and make that world everything. We settle into the patterns of the flesh, we make these patterns, everything.
And when we recognize the reality of who God is for us in Jesus Christ, and we recognize the ways in which we’re embraced constantly by the power of the Holy Spirit, that requires us to recognize that this newness is everything. It is everywhere. It surrounds us. It’s elevating us into experiencing reality in a way that is transformative. And to say that this newness is everywhere and that it is, everything, resists our desire to guess It.
I think when we, it’s so easy for us to compartmentalize in ways that puts our Christian faith into a small quarter in the room, into a small box, maybe a box we open on a Sunday morning, or maybe when we open a few times a day when we pray. And we compartmentalize our lives in ways that means that we’re not always living into that reality.
And what this verse tells us is to say, no, you shouldn’t be doing that. This is fundamental to every aspect of your lives, and unless you learn to interpret your bias, you’re calling in this world more than that, you’re going to be deluded. You’re going to be living into the old passions of this world, so into the flesh in ways that means that you’re missing out on what is actually going on. You’re asleep, you’re not awakened to the reality of the worth of the Spirit.
Anthony: Wake up, O sleeper. Let’s go.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- Do you feel pressure to mirror some of the ungodly behaviors that we see in the world? If so, how does the Spirit strengthen you against this?
- What would be some good examples of sowing to the Spirit?
- What are some ways that we can bear one another’s burdens in the Body of Christ?
- What is it that you hope to reap in your life?
- How are we tempted to try to finish in our flesh what was started in the Spirit?
