For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle [e]to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. (1Co 4,9-11)

How do we imagine a winner? Usually we like favourites who win in a start-finish style, outperforming others because they are gifted, but on top of that they have added a lot of work on themselves. We admire them because no one else can do what they have done. Or our admiration is won by the outsiders who started from the last place and yet outperform the others and in the end sensationally stand on the podium. But some hackneyed half-victories, half-losses, tedious plight, endless striving, and yet no great glory, do not inspire much enthusiasm and admiration.

But let's face it, life, the real life, is mostly like that.

And how then do we imagine God's victory? Did Paul, for example, walk in it? If all we knew about him was what he wrote to the Corinthians (see above) we would probably doubt it, but that is exactly how he saw his life. We are weak... We just mustn't read that passage without seeing the meaning behind it and what Paul is saying: that's how our life on this earth appears when seen on the outside, but it's different on the inside and very different when viewed from eternity above: and yes, then it really is the victory of God.

Abraham ascended his height and attained faith. One would expect something of a triumphal march in the limelight - he has a son, he preserves the lineage, and possession of the promised land is thereby sealed for his posterity. Great rejoicing, to be sure, but no spotlight - after all, even Isaac's birth took place outside the land because it was currently in drought. And who would have expected that from now on all problems would end and only jubilation would follow, then some new problems have only now emerged... As Paul writes elsewhere: "...we are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed..." (2Co 4,8-9)

And yet - Paul lived a victorious life, just as Abraham has now achieved victory. Only, we must not be mistaken about what such victories actually look like: they appear quite differently when viewed from the standpoint of this world and the world to come.

Just as with the man who died in weakness in the sight of all to overcome sin and the world in order to open the way to eternal glory for all of us.