Good Morning Friends,
Today’s scripture is a bit about the profound nature of suffering as part of life for the glory of God and the recognition that real life will have an element of tragedy. Our bodies fail. The beauty is that Jesus can change even the most hopeless of situations for he brings courage to those who are struggling to hold on through the pain of life to experience the glory. For it is at such times as these that we sometimes get to see the bigger picture of not just the child in a manger but of Christ on a cross and the form of the larger association of our collective society of believers working together in the Spirit. Think of the victim by the side of the road and the response of the Good Samaritan. But also think of the status of the called-out assembly of God where you live, for we are all connected. And think about Simeon who for years upon years waited in the Temple to see the promised child and when Jesus finally arrived his heart leaps up much like that of John the Baptist in the womb of Elizabeth a few months earlier. Yes, Simeon gave a blessing and foretelling what would come true and a prophecy connecting the Christmas story and the Cross to ultimately bless the people of the world in every nation with the hope of the salvation of humanity promised to Abraham. And that is our hope too for the Body of Christ that Paul describes to the Corinthians as a means of understanding the church would too be a rather amazing thing to see too, for the risen Christ still has the signs of the crucifixion. So, Does Your Heart Race In The Love Of The Promise Hoped For Through Christ’s Body United?
Scripture: For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31a (NRSV)
I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth. Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.
1 Timothy 3:14-16 (NRSV)
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
Luke 10:30-37 (NRSV)
And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Luke 2:33-35 (NRSV)
And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
John 19:25-27 (NRSV)
Message: We all have different gifts so that we might need each other and sometimes we are drawn out of compassion because of a compelling need of others to demonstrates the power of an individual act in love that inspires a collective action. And here is the message in the convergence of despair and hope for the church today for we are still called to care for each other in the Body of Christ. Friends, when one part of the Body is hurting, God wants the rest of us to do everything we can to help. He wants us to show that we care. Jesus calls all believers to a life of Godly sympathy. But friends, as sinners, we all need a miracle much like the ones in today’s Gospel readings. Maybe if we all played our part, we too could be part of the miracle of life. Day by day Simeon kept watch over those coming into the Temple and each time a young couple came in with a baby he wondered if that child would be the one to fulfill the promise to Abraham and then perhaps when he was well into his seventies or even older, after years of waiting he sees an unlikely couple, a poor carpenter and a peasant girl carrying a little baby boy. Suddenly Simeon’s heart leaps within him. The long wait is finally over, the Christ child is before him. At that point Simeon breaks out into a song of praise, a song that is so beautiful that it has come down through the centuries to us as the final and climactic song of Christmas. The song is called the Nunc Dimittis, the title being taken from the first two words of the Latin translation of Simeon’s words. Here is the link:
Here Simeon calls Jesus “the glory of Israel.” Simeon calls him “a light of revelation for the Gentiles.” Simeon explicitly says that this baby will not only be the glory of his own people Israel. He will also be the light of revelation for the Gentiles. He’s not just for Israel. He didn’t come just for their benefit. He came to shine a light of the revelation of God into every nation, every tribe, every kindred, and every tongue. To me this sounds like the role of the church. And though we too are destined to a falling and rising, we are also to be a collective force that will be spoken against all so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed in the promise. The Bible does not separate the cradle from the cross. This little baby was born to die. The joy of Christmas leads on to the agony of Good Friday. He was born to end up that way and so are we.
And So, at the very beginning of time God made a resolution to redeem human beings who break his commandments. And God kept this promise through the birth, life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. God knows that we cannot keep the law. He knows that for the most part we do not want to disobey the command to love, but we do and cannot help ourselves. God knows that all human hearts long for peace and harmony with our Creator. But on our own we just cannot make it become reality. And so today we make the connection of the larger story of the one born in the manger at Christmas, and the one who died on the Cross as being part of the plan from the beginning of creation, all so that we might be rescued and redeemed in the power of the Holy Spirit to be part of the Body. The Bible uses lots of metaphors to describe the church. Sometimes it is described as a flock and at other times a marriage, but perhaps the most compelling is that of a body. The Church is described as the Body of Christ to stress the connections that we all must share with one another, as well as our response to the direction of the head, Jesus Christ. We are to love. It was a relationship of love from the very beginning. Indeed, we like Simeon want to see the one keeping of the promise of love and the amazing thing is that when we become part of the body of believers, we can. You see, God has designed the Body of Christ with such diversity to accomplish every need and Godly desire of the individual members. The gifts that He has equipped the individual members with are designed to help fulfill the calling of each person to relate co-operatively to others in the body for the purpose of glorifying God. This is about the unity of believers in the mind in Christ. So, it should not surprise you that today’ scripture gets me thinking about how this happen and how we each feel in our hearts about it through the process of forgiveness, repentance, obedience lived out until we become the Body of Christ together. We all need each other in the body of Christ because on our own none of us is complete. We may be separated for a time but ultimately no person can be isolated and be part of the church. We cannot be islands forever. Certainly, we live in a society where individualism is cherished, but that is a dangerous thing about our culture and the demand of social isolation. We are not complete in and of ourselves. That is why we share in the sacrament of communion. Friends, if we are responsive to the will of Christ just like our physical bodies are responsive to the will of the mind, then that body is going to look like Christ.
Pray we meditate on the Body of Christ. Pray we make a conscious choice to obey Jesus. Pray we are changed and re-committed more deeply for the future of the whole. Pray we serve collectively with others. Pray we help heal the severed body parts and assist them in finding a home. Pray our efforts in ministry are surrounded by people who help to teach and challenge and comfort. Pray we realize that this life is way too tough to try to go it alone. Pray we realize that God wants fellowship with each of us and will initiate this relationship both through the Spirit placed in us and through the Spirit in others. Pray we are connected to the rest, recreation, and restoration of the body. Pray our bond of love helps us to look like Christ. Pray we believe that Jesus can change even the most hopeless situations. Pray we as members of Christ’s body bring hope to those who are struggling to hold on. Pray we see our place in the Body of Christ. Pray we realize that Jesus cares for us now and forever. Pray as Christians we realize that we never are to be in a state of despair, even though we might have sorrow. Pray we realize we always have hope. Pray we realize that the body is healthiest when all its parts are healthy and whole. Pray we realize that God wants us to see the value of our bodies and in His Body scars and all. Pray we realize that unity does not mean we are all the same, but it does mean we all have the same love of Jesus.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 