Though he is a towering figure in Christian history, Paul never sought the glory of men even though he deserved to be honored in the sight of men. Is our greatest desire to be faithful to the Lord in our work? Or are we ultimately after another prize, one that fades, such as the Nobel Prize, big money, a luxury house, or fame?

The news that broke the day after the last Hangul Day (October 9) sent a wave of excitement through Korean society. Hangul Day celebrates the invention of the Korean alphabet, and the subsequent announcement that author Han Kang had won the Nobel Prize in Literature was not only a momentous occasion for her personally but also a source of national pride. As Koreans, we deeply appreciate this achievement, recognizing its significance both at home and abroad.

Yet what about the servants of the Lord, the coworkers with God in Christ’s ministry? What prize do they look to receive? The prize of Apostle Paul’s faithful ministry was not like the honor of the Nobel:

It seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. . . . We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world. (1 Cor 4:9, 13, NIV)

How could our merciful Lord treat the Apostle, who was willing to lay down his life for the gospel of the grace, in such a way? It would have been understandable if Paul had complained, but he did not. Instead, he took pride in it. He saw it as a glory to bear the marks of Christ’s suffering on his body. It was an even greater prize to boast in than the Nobel Prize.

How could this be? As Paul confessed, “Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). He valued the crown of righteousness that he would receive from our Lord and King Jesus Christ more than any Nobel Prize in the world.

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