Pressed but not Crushed

“Intractable” is one of my favourite words. It refers to something that can’t be moved, no matter how hard you try, not even with a powerful tractor. Society has many intractable problems, and they all come from deep within our hearts. Things like anger, lust, shame, and insecurity are struggles we can’t seem to shake, no matter how hard we try.

These problems are so hard because they’re deeply rooted in us, almost as if they are part of who we are (2 Corinthians 4:10-12). You may want to be faithful, but another part of you pulls you toward sin and doubt. At times, it feels like the only way to be free from that inner conflict is to die.

In a sense, that’s exactly right.

Jesus’s death and resurrection aren’t just historical events; they reveal a pattern of renewal that we can enter into today. Jesus didn’t want to go to the cross, but He went anyway because He trusted that God would bring life through His suffering. In the same way, when we face hardship, we can either fixate on the pain or trust in the good God is producing through it. When we focus on what God is doing beneath the surface, suffering loses its grip. He has redeemed what we once considered bad. Our intractable problems begin to weaken, and we experience a kind of death of our old selves, followed by new life.

Maintaining this mindset is easier said than done, but it’s transformative for us and for those around us (2 Corinthians 4:13-15). It’s why Paul could remain joyful even after being nearly stoned to death; he trusted that God was using his pain for something greater.

So don’t be discouraged by what feels immovable (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Through the cross, God can bring new life out of what once seemed impossible to change.

Watch the full sermon here.