kingdom
Our Faithful Witness
By Linda Rex
April 27, 2025, 2nd Sunday in Easter—During this particular cycle of the Revised Common Lectionary, the New Testament passages are drawn from the Revelation of Jesus Christ to the apostle John. There has been so much published about this particular book of the Bible, we may have a lot of preconceived ideas about what it is about and what is in it. One thing we can be sure of is that John tells us that in it, he is testifying to God’s word and to Jesus Christ.
John begins his book, which is filled with imagery and visions and pictures and numbers, with a focus on the One the book is written about—our Lord Jesus Christ—and his Father, and the Spirit. In our passage for this Sunday, Revelation 1:4–8, he shows the purpose of Jesus’ sacrificial self-offering: our freedom from sin and the building up of his kingdom of priests who serve his heavenly Father.
John draws upon the imagery of the Old Testament to help his readers grasp the magnitude of what Jesus Christ has done. In Exodus 19:6, God told his covenant people, the ancient nation of Israel they would be this very thing, which Jesus fulfilled and expanded to include believers of all nations: “… and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” There is great hope in realizing that what God promised his people—what he determined they were created and meant to be—he accomplished, in his own self-offering in Jesus Christ.
Throughout this book of Revelation, John helps his readers—people who were experiencing great persecution and tribulation—to see that Jesus Christ is the slain Lamb of God who has rescued all of us from sin and death, and who does and will reign triumphantly over all. John reminds those who are threatened, harassed, and battered by the evil, sin, wickedness, and death in their culture and in their lives, that Jesus is Lord of all, and in the end, our triune God wins.
The final pictures of this book show God coming to dwell with humans in the new heaven and earth—this was always God’s plan. The God who did this and is doing this and will do this is the I Am of the Old Testament, the triune God who created all things, who made ancient Israel his covenant nation, who came in the person of Jesus Christ the Son of God to fulfill all his promises, and who came in the person of the Holy Spirit on the Pentecost following Jesus’ death and resurrection.
In the meantime, we find much hope and peace in knowing who this triune God is. As we open ourselves up to God and receive his grace and peace, we are able to grow in our relationship with him. We come to see who Jesus Christ is and what he has done for us. Jesus is the perfect expression of who God is, was, and will be in his love for each and every human being. Indeed, in Jesus, we see that there is no part of our human existence that Jesus was not willing to enter into and participate in. He was tempted in every way, yet he did not sin. He bore our sorrows, carried our griefs, and embraced our weakness. God, in Christ, has met us at our lowest point, even the depths of suffering and death, to bring us up in the resurrection into eternal life in face-to-face union and communion with our heavenly Father in the Spirit.
What was brought to my mind this week about this passage was that in the ancient nation of Israel, the priesthood was named to be held by those who were of the tribe of Levi. These Levites were not given an inheritance in the land or nation. Their inheritance was the Lord and the care of his tabernacle or temple. Can you see how this carries forward into this passage which the apostle John wrote?
Jesus has created a called-out people whose only inheritance is himself. We are brought together by the Spirit into the Body of Christ, the Church, to be a kingdom of priests who serve our heavenly Father. We serve a representative role on behalf of the entire world, as a united body of people who are meant to reflect and serve the triune God, and to point others to him by our love for one another, and for the world.
Jesus is the High Priest, and intercedes in the heavenlies with his Father in the Spirit. He is the Faithful Witness to our triune God. We participate in what he is doing in our intercessions for one another in the Spirit through prayer. We participate in Jesus’ own priestly mission in this world, as we share the good news of all he has done, is doing, and will do, with those around us in both our words and our actions.
Because Jesus reigns in glory and is faithfully interceding on our behalf, standing in our place, we can have great hope and look forward with much anticipation to see all God is going to do for us, no matter how difficult, painful, or dangerous our circumstances or situations may get. So, we continue to bear faithful witness as our participation in Christ, the Faithful Witness of our Father in the Spirit.
Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us such great hope in your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you, Jesus, for embracing us in your self-offering as the Lamb of God. Thank you for giving us your Spirit, and being present in us and with us through every difficulty and struggle. Grant us the grace to faithfully bear witness to you in each moment by being a true reflection of your glory, through Jesus our Lord and by your Spirit. Amen.
“John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood—and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. ‘Behold, He is coming with the clouds’, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’ ” Revelation 1:4–8 NASB
“… Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.’ Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. John 20:(19–29) 30–31 NASB
“When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had put to death by hanging Him on a cross. He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” Acts 5:27–32
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Counting It All Loss
By Linda Rex
April 6, 2025, 5th Sunday in Preparation for Easter or Lent—How hard are you working at being a good person? Do you ever find yourself performing hard in an effort to make sure you are okay with God and other people? Sometimes we do not realize when we are depending upon ourselves rather than fully resting in Christ. And too often, when we are sharing our life in Christ with others, we throw people back upon their own ability to get themselves where they feel they need to be in relationship with God and others.
The apostle Paul reminds us in our New Testament passage for this Sunday, Philippians 3:4b–14, that we need to quit depending upon our own ability, our family history, our heritage, or any of those things we humanly count on, and to rest completely in Christ. When you consider Paul’s story, you can see that he experienced a tremendous about-face in his life when he encountered the resurrected Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Nothing was the way it used to be after that conversation with the Lord.
Later on in his life, as he reached out to the non-Jews in the Roman Empire with the good news of Jesus Christ, the apostle Paul experienced severe opposition. Those who insisted that keeping the law of Moses was essential for salvation were strong and even vicious opponents, who sought a following. These zealous opponents counted on their merits as law-abiding Jews, along with their positions of importance, and their background of impeccable ancestry—all of which were valued in that ancient culture.
But the apostle Paul had all these merits—even more so than his opponents. There was a time when he had valued everything his opponents valued. But then he met the risen Lord Jesus Christ. After that, all of these things he had valued before became worthless to him. In God’s kingdom, our human pedigree, our observation of certain laws and rites and rituals, gain us nothing. Paul considered these things to be of no use whatsoever—in fact, he considered them to be garbage, the kind of filth to be thrown on the trash heap. Paul had come to see that in the long run, these items cherished by his opponents were valueless, and needed to be tossed out and replaced with Jesus Christ, in his life, death, and resurrection. What needed to be embraced was a new life in Christ given to us in the person and presence of the Holy Spirit.
Possibly, we may say that no one values things like pedigree, position, or law keeping anymore. But within the context of our own educational venues, spiritual communities, denominations, or religious cultures, we often venerate people with the appropriate pedigree or certifications, and give less attention to those who are not so educationally well endowed, or culturally accepted. We celebrate those with the degrees, those who are part of the religious elite, and others who have achieved great financial, physical, material, even spiritual success from a human point of view. It’s hard to admit, but we easily slip into focusing on the human aspects of our life in Christ, and forget to embrace the true humility of our personal need for Christ. We can easily forget that our efforts to achieve a right relationship with God and with others actually does us no good in the sight of God.
The apostle Paul reminds us to lay ourselves and our own efforts on the altar, and to pick up instead, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus has done the hard lifting—our life is in him. And Paul wrote in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me.” It is Jesus Christ, living in us by the Holy Spirit, we are to trust in, rather than counting on ourselves and our own efforts.
Our response to all Jesus has done for us is meant to be a visceral pouring out of ourselves in gratitude and devotion to Jesus. This was demonstrated by Mary as she poured spikenard lavishly and in free abandon on Jesus’ feet, and then wiping his feet with her hair (John 12:1–8), even in the face of criticism and condemnation. Our response to Jesus is an internally motivated pouring out of ourselves in worship of and devotion to Jesus, not a forced, for show effort to get a response from Jesus or to win the praise of others. It’s true that Mary made some effort to procure the oil, and took some action in applying it to Jesus’ feet, but what we see happen is not slavish devotion driven by fear or an attempt to win God’s favor or love. Rather, it is an internal response driven by deep gratitude for the Lord’s intervention on behalf of her and her family, in raising her brother Lazarus from the dead. This is an expression of deep gratitude and devotion to Jesus—this is what drove her actions. And this is our response to God raising our “brother” Jesus from the dead, on our behalf.
In our call to worship psalm, the psalmist declares that God has done all that is needed for our salvation, therefore we rejoice: “When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with joyful shouting; then they said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad” (Psalm 126:1–3 NASB). The point is, Jesus has saved us, is saving us, and will save us. Therefore, in response, our life is a praise song of gratitude and joy, as we rest fully in Jesus’ finished work, and let go of all our human efforts to get ourselves right with God and each other. The Holy Spirit, filling our hearts and minds, unites us with Christ, and we are never the same, ever again. Our lives, our relationships, and our actions are never the same again, because we are “in Christ.”
Our Redeemer and Savior, Lord of all, thank you for your faithfulness and goodness to us. Grant us the grace to surrender all our human efforts to save ourselves. Enable us instead to trust in you completely, allowing you to transform our hearts and lives by faith. We celebrate your mighty and wonderful work of salvation with gratitude and praise. Amen.
“… If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:4b–14 NASB
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Paul Says, Follow Me
By Linda Rex
March 16, 2025, 2nd Sunday in Preparation for Easter or Lent—One of the questions I often come across as a follower of Christ is the contradiction which people experience between what we as Christians profess and how we actually live our lives. As those who follow Christ, we are held to a standard—Jesus—which we cannot genuinely attain by any human effort. Our best efforts so often fall short of his perfection, and this is why we must remind ourselves that it is all of grace. Even though those who know us may not offer us the grace which God gives us, we are called by our Lord to continue to “stand firm” and trust that God will finish what he has begun in us through Jesus and by the Spirit.
In the New Testament passage for this Sunday, Philippians 3:17–4:1, the apostle Paul encourages the believers to follow his example. These believers were being impacted by a culture which, on the one hand, encouraged an atheistic view of life which embraced self-indulgence and pleasure, while on the other hand, embraced a self-salvation via rigid observation of rules, rites and rituals. The emperor cult saw the Roman Caesar as being the savior of the people, and no doubt, the believers had to face the challenge of their community expecting their participation in emperor worship. To follow the culture would have placed them at odds with all they had come to see and believe in when they heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul’s encouragement that they follow his own example actually comes after his admonishment that they follow the example of Jesus Christ. Earlier in this letter, the apostle Paul reminds his readers that the Son of God humbled himself, emptying himself to join us in our humanity, to live a truly human life, and die at the hands of those he created. But the Father exalted Jesus, raising him up and seating him at his right hand in glory. This gives a great basis for the rest of Paul’s letter, which encourages the believers to be willing to follow Christ’s example. Great humility comes before exaltation—and God will exalt those who humble themselves before him (Phil. 2:5–11).
Paul goes on to show all of the human glories that he once had as a religious leader of his people. There was a time when he had all of the special marks of the cream of the crop, holding to the righteousness which was by the law of Moses. But now, as he wrote this letter, he considered every one of these things which made him look good to others, seem good to others, as loss for the sake of Christ. The apostle was willing to suffer the loss of all these things for the sake of knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord. This was what mattered most to him—and everything else was worthless in comparison (Phil. 3:7–11).
This concept is what sets the stage for our passage for this Sunday. Paul begins by helping the believers see that they need to follow Christ’s example. Then he shows the profound difference between following the expectations of the culture and the religious leaders around them, and following Jesus Christ. Paul had left all that humanly gave him worth and value behind to find his value and worth in Jesus Christ alone. How he lived his life was no longer based on his pleasure or expectations, but solely on following Jesus Christ, and doing his will. So, when Paul told his readers to follow his example, he was encouraging them to live in the grace that was theirs in Jesus. He was trying to help them turn away from their culture, away from themselves, and to turn back to Jesus.
Even though these believers may have been Roman citizens, as citizens of the lesser region of Philippi, they were part of an even greater kingdom which would last forever—the kingdom of God. They needed to start living in the truth of who they were as citizens of this divine kingdom, rather than citizens of the broken culture in which they lived.
This is our struggle even today as those who seek to follow Christ in our own broken culture. On the one hand, we are given many ways to live that are supposed to save us, make us successful, and enable us to achieve and acquire all that we seek in this world. On the other hand, we are told to live life however we wish, to indulge our flesh and seek our pleasure. God’s word to us today is to turn away from all these things and to turn to Jesus Christ—to do things his way, not our way. And when we fall short, to turn to him in faith, and ask for the grace that is ours in him.
The good news is that we probably won’t get it right, but Jesus Christ stands in our place on our behalf, as we trust in him. We follow him, down the road to humility and suffering, so that one day we will be lifted up into glory, given new glorified bodies in the new heaven and earth. We look expectantly toward that day when we will see our glorified Jesus face to face. Meanwhile, we follow him. And we do our best to be the kind of Christ followers who are a true reflection of his goodness and love where we are, right now.
Father, thank you for giving us your Son so freely, and thank you, Jesus, for your great humility in joining us where we are in our darkness to bring us into your light. Grant us the grace to follow you in faithful obedience as we longingly wait for your return in glory. Amen.
“Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself. Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.” Philippians 3:17–4:1 NASB
“Let me be your example here, my brothers: let my example be the standard by which you can tell who are the genuine Christians among those about you. For there are many, of whom I have told you before and tell you again now, even with tears, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ. These men are heading for utter destruction—their god is their own appetite, their pride is in what they should be ashamed of, and this world is the limit of their horizon. But we are citizens of Heaven; our outlook goes beyond this world to the hopeful expectation of the saviour who will come from Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will re-make these wretched bodies of ours to resemble his own glorious body, by that power of his which makes him the master of everything that is. So, my brothers whom I love and long for, my joy and my crown, do stand firmly in the Lord, and remember how much I love you.” Philippians 3:17–4:1 JB Phillips
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Hold Fast and Stand
By Linda Rex
February 9, 2025, 5th Sunday in Epiphany—What do you believe about the Lord Jesus Christ? Why do you believe what you believe? What impact does this belief regarding Jesus have on your life, if any?
The apostle Paul, in our New Testament reading for this Sunday, 1 Corinthians 15:1–11, challenges the Christians in Corinth with the basics of their faith. In his letter to them, he addresses quite a few issues which were occurring within that church, which brought into question the seriousness of their faith in Jesus Christ. If they truly believed that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, who lived, died, and rose again, appearing to many people after his resurrection, then why wasn’t their behavior demonstrating this? They were acting more like the culture they lived in than they were acting like Jesus Christ and his kingdom culture. This was a grave concern for the apostle.
In this passage, Paul rehearses an early statement of faith which was probably recited by the believers of his day. He reminds his readers of how Jesus Christ, in his life, death, and resurrection, fulfilled the prophetic Word, which predicted his life’s events. Going on beyond that, Paul points out the many eyewitness accounts of encounters with the resurrected Jesus, who after his bodily resurrection interacted with, and ate and drank with many people, before he ascended back to heaven.
Today we do not have the benefit of being able to have a face-to-face conversation with those who knew Jesus Christ personally and witnessed his life, death, and resurrection. But we do have the written testimony of the New Testament scriptures, and the witness of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to understand and believe what we read about Jesus. Because of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to come to faith in Jesus, realizing that he is still alive and active today in our world and in us, and in our lives.
It’s important, though, to remember that Jesus Christ is not just this person who lived many millennia ago. He is so much more than a human being who lives and dies and ends up forgotten or memorialized in a book somewhere. What makes Jesus so significant is that he is not just human, but is God in human flesh. This means that his life here on earth is of eternal significance, and what he did for all of us as humans is profound. In and through him, we have new life. Our human existence, our personhood, has been transformed, brought up to a new level within which we live and participate by faith in Jesus Christ.
What difference does it make that we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior? Faith in Jesus Christ, in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, means that our human existence is grounded in something beyond our transient, temporal existence. Our culture is constantly changing and morphing into something new. Its trends and expectations are always being replaced by new ones, which are grounded in changing human opinions, preferences, and passions. Instead of the solidity of our Maker’s design and redemptive work, we are beset by a kaleidoscope of possibilities and impossibilities, which are ever in flux.
But Jesus, as the perfected human, who brings us into right relationship with his Father in the Spirit, stands as our Rock amid this constantly changing scene. Jesus provides us with a foundation which is solid, and on which we can take our stand, no matter what may come our way. As Paul addresses the issues in the church at Corinth, he brings the believers back to the basis of their faith—Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and rose again, as their Messiah. He was their unity, in spite of their many differences. He was their wisdom, right relationship with God and one another, and their redemption. It was Jesus they were growing up into by the Spirit, and who gave them all the Spirit’s gifts and blessings for the benefit of the entire Body. The true evidence of life in the Spirit was when they were actually living in such a way that they resembled Jesus Christ. Today, as we gather in Jesus’ name, we want to be sure that we heed the apostle Paul’s words by living in truth of who we are in Jesus. Jesus is our life. May our lives, words, and deeds be a true reflection of him in every way, for this is our true humanity.
Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us so much that you gave your Son and your Spirit so that we could share in your love and life. Enable us to trust in Jesus, and by your Spirit, to live out our faith in a way that is a true reflection of your kingdom glory. Amen.
“Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep; then He appeared to 1ames, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as to one untimely born, He appeared to me also. For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” 1 Corinthians 15:1–11 NASB
“… When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ Simon answered and said, ‘Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.’ When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, ‘Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!’ … When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.” Luke 5:1–11 NASB
“In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, ‘Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ ” Isaiah 6:1–8 NASB
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Just Making Noise
By Linda Rex
February 2, 2025, 4th Sunday in Epiphany—During this season of Epiphany, we consider how Jesus Christ is revealed to us as being the Son of God in human flesh, and what that means for us as God’s children. Recently, we’ve looked at the way in which God has equipped his people with spiritual gifts, for the sake of the community of faith, so that we all may grow up in Christ, share the good news of Jesus, and serve others.
In our New Testament passage for this Sunday, 1 Corinthians 13:1–13, the apostle Paul uses a poetic summary of the love of God expressed to us in Christ, to enable the members in Corinth to see themselves in a new light. They believed that the spiritual gift of speaking in tongues was the supreme gift. They valued prophetic speaking and special knowledge, and miracles. But Paul says that apart from love or agapē (God and Christ’s self-giving love—Utley), a person speaking in tongues is just making a lot of noise. In the same way, a generous and sacrificial person, apart from agapē, has done nothing profitable. Paul says that person who is a great preacher and does a lot of miracles, apart from agapē, is nothing.
For those of us who are active in the Christian faith, and trying live lives that are full of service and sacrifice, these are powerful words. Just what are the motives which drive us? How do we express ourselves in our everyday lives? As I have gotten older, the Lord has shown me more and more how my motives for doing what I do are often mistaken. This is why it is all of grace. We need Christ in us, the hope of glory, for apart from his love at work in our hearts by his Holy Spirit, we are all just making a lot of noise.
The apostle Paul wanted the church at Corinth to realize that the Lord they said they worshipped was not at all like how they were living. He wanted them to grow up in Christ—to put on Christ in such a way that they were a true expression of humanity as God intended it to be. By looking into the mirror of their soul, Jesus Christ, they would see themselves as children who needed to grow up and put away the childish things which were keeping them from living in God’s love as they were created to live.
When reading this passage closely and with open hearts to the Spirit, we begin to realize that this is a description of Jesus, and of our Triune God. In his life here on earth, Jesus was patient, kind, and not jealous. He did not brag, but spoke truthfully about who he was and why he was here on earth, even though people did not believe him. He was never rude, though he was often straightforward and honest with the people he encountered. He did not take into account any wrong done to him, even those wrongs which placed him on the cross. We find Jesus, to the bitter end, loving all of us in spite of how we treated him, in such a way that he died a horrific death.
It is hard to look at ourselves sometimes, to see the truth about our motives and inclinations. We don’t like it when the Spirit gives us that gentle nudge which says, “That thing you are doing—it needs to stop,” or “To not do that when you could do it to help them—that’s sin.” When our hearts condemn us—and they do sometimes—God is greater and knows the truth. But he also knows what’s going on inside when we go through the motions of the Christian life without having our hearts in the right place. And he calls us to repent—to have a change of heart and mind which turns us around and gets us going in the right direction again.
It is God’s heart of love, given to us by his Spirit, which flowing into us and through us, enables us to love others as God does. It is Christ in us, living in and through us, who enables our everyday life to reflect the divine glory. We open ourselves up to the Spirit, welcoming the presence and power of God, flowing in and through us. And we respond to the Spirit’s lead in ways that express the love of God in Christ. As the apostle Paul shows us, these are ways grounded in the motive of agapē which reflect the very nature of God, and are an expression of spiritual maturity, a true reflection of our Lord Jesus Christ in this dark world. Apart from God’s grace, we are all just making a lot of noise. Thankfully, God is ever at work bringing us into the orchestrated wonder of his heavenly kingdom, and he will not quit until we are all singing his perfect song of agapē as his beloved children.
Father, Jesus, Spirit, thank you that your motive in all that you do is genuine love. Fill us anew with your presence and power, that we may love as you do. May all we say and do come from your heart of love and grace, through Jesus and by your Spirit. Amen.
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 NASB
“And He began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, ‘Is this not Joseph’s son?’ … And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, He went His way.” Luke 4:21–30 NASB
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For the Common Good
By Linda Rex
January 19, 2025, 2nd Sunday in Epiphany—In our culture today, we are told that our goal in life is to find what in life makes us happy and to go do that. We are to find the person to be with that enables us to be happy, and to leave behind that person who does not make us happy. We are encouraged to find what we enjoy doing and can do well, and to go out and do it, so that we can feel fulfilled and enjoy great success, financially, and in other ways.
In contrast, we find in God’s kingdom culture that our goals are centered in the mission and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. We may have been given talents and abilities by God, and spiritual gifts by his Spirit, but our purpose for using them is not solely for our own benefit or aggrandizement.
When we look at Jesus, the King of the kingdom of God, we see an entirely different way of applying our gifts and abilities to the circumstances in our lives. In the Gospel passage for this Sunday, John 2:1–11, we see Jesus and his disciples attending a wedding in Cana along with his mother, Mary. During this week-long celebration, Mary realizes that the wine has run out—a serious issue for the newlyweds. It would create a social catastrophe for the couple in that small community that they would never live down. Mary is concerned about this on their behalf and so she goes to Jesus, and tells them of her concern.
Here we see the wonder of Jesus’ tender loving care for us as human beings. He tells Mary that it is not his time yet. He could do the miracle she wanted, but at what price? To begin to do miracles was to begin to walk the road to the cross. Was she ready for him to do that? Was he ready to do that?
Here we also find some guidance on using our abilities or gifts as given to us by God. At times it may be inconvenient for us. Or it may exact a price that is costly. Or it may require us doing the uncomfortable thing we aren’t quite yet prepared to do. But Jesus is not dissuaded by any of these things. He simply steps up to the task and does what is needed, in abundance. He over-provides, in such a way that the wedding festivities could continue in joyful celebration, with the best wine being the last wine served.
In our New Testament passage for this Sunday, 1 Corinthians 12:1–11, we see that the apostle Paul attempts to educate the members on the proper use of spiritual gifts. We are not given the Lord Jesus Christ by the Spirit so that we can curse others, but so that we can be a blessing to them. Our gifts and abilities are given for the common good.
The whole Trinity is involved in our spiritual giftedness, for by the Spirit we are given a variety of gifts. The Lord gives us a variety of ministries. And God, by these gifts and ministries works a variety of effects within Christ’s Body, the Church. The point Paul makes is these gifts and abilities are not given for our personal use and pleasure and pride, but “for the common good.” The different ways in which we are gifted and able to do particular things is for the sake of the whole. Our distinctions are not meant to divide or to make us superior or less than one another, but so that we are able to help one another and lift one another up. The personhood of the Holy Spirit is pointed out by the apostle Paul as he explains that the distribution of spiritual gifts is a decision the Spirit makes. It is by the Spirit’s will that we receive what is uniquely ours in giftedness and ability.
As we follow in Christ’s footsteps, we offer our spiritual gifts and our abilities to the Lord in service to him and others. We realize that to give ourselves in service in this way exacts a price, just as it cost Jesus everything. This is why we humbly offer ourselves in service—we realize that there are going to be challenges, difficulties, and that it may be very costly for us to serve God and others in this way. But this is why God gifted us—for the benefit of others, especially the Body of Christ, not solely for the benefit of ourselves.
I am reminded at this point about what happens when we offer our tiny, insignificant gifts to Jesus. The young boy gave his child’s mite of fish and loaves into the hands of Jesus, who offered them in thanksgiving to his heavenly Father. What Jesus received back by the Spirit was enough for thousands of people, and twelve basketfuls of leftovers. When we lay it all at the feet of Jesus, miracles happen. We don’t know what God may do with our self-offering, the humble use of our spiritual gifts and abilities for the mission and ministry of the Lord, but we can trust that it will further his kingdom work and bless his people. Thank the Lord!
Dear Spirit, thank you for the gifts and abilities you have given to each of us. Father, grant us the grace to surrender all of these to you, that they may be used to further your kingdom purposes and serve Christ’s Body, the Church. All we have is yours—may we faithfully serve you with all that we are, through Jesus our Lord by your Spirit. Amen.
“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus is accursed’; and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:1–11 NASB
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Faith in Action
By Linda Rex
September 8, 2024, Proper 18 | After Pentecost—In my personal faith tradition years ago, having the right theology or correct belief system was essential. In the extreme form of this belief and practice, exclusion of any group or person that did not agree with our faith tradition was the norm. Sadly, this meant that we were blind to how God was working with every person in this world and within other faith traditions.
Over the years, I began to see that there were huge flaws in what I believed and practiced in the name of obeying God and following what the Bible taught. Much of this was due to a desperate need for the Spirit to give me a new framework through which to view God and the Bible, a framework given to us by God himself. He gave us his Son, Jesus Christ, as the sole true interpreter and revealer of God and his will and his ways. When I began to see through the lens of Jesus Christ, everything changed, thanks to the Spirit’s gracious work.
When James addresses the issue of Christian faith and practice, he does so through the lens of Jesus Christ and all that Jesus is for us in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, and in the gift of the Spirit. In order to read the book of James properly, we need to find the indicatives which undergird each of the imperatives or commands which the apostle gives us to follow. For example, in our New Testament reading for this Sunday, James 2:1–10, 14–17, the apostle James tells us that we are not to treat some people better than others when they join us in Christian fellowship. And he says that we need to be aware that our faith is empty or dead if it is not accompanied by actions which affirm its reality. These are the imperatives or commands James is encouraging us to put into practice.
But notice the indicatives or underlying spiritual realities behind these imperatives. He asks, “did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?” The royal law expressed in Jesus Christ—the lens through which we view all things—is that God in Christ was willing to lay down his life for us so that we could be with him forever. This is the God, the Lord Jesus, who while on this earth spent much of his time with the everyday people of his land, ministering to the poor, needy, and afflicted, both Jew and non-Jew. James tells us that, because of Jesus Christ and because of his own law of love written on our hearts by the Spirit, we treat every human being with dignity, respect, and kindness. The person may be different than us, they may be struggling, but they are our equals—as the apostle Paul says, we are all one in Christ Jesus.
In the Gospel passage, Mark 7:24–37, Mark tells two stories within the context of Jesus’ harassment by the leaders of his people. One is about a woman who was “a Gentile [a non-Jew], of the Syrophoenician race”—someone who the Jewish leaders would have avoided having anything to do with, even though she needed their help in freeing her daughter from demon possession. And, even though Jesus reminds her that his immediate focus is currently on his own Jewish people, she counters his initial refusal with a humble, yet bold remark about how even the pet dogs get the crumbs off the table. Touched by her faith, Jesus heals her daughter.
The other story is about a man who is deaf and mute that some people brought to Jesus to heal. Jesus shows the man what he’s going to do and then says, “Be opened.” In that moment, the man’s ears are opened and he is once again able to speak. Jesus tells the people who brought him not to say anything about his healing, since it would complicate Jesus’ ability to continue to do ministry in that area. But they become more and more vocal about it. And Jesus knows that this will only increase his persecution by the leaders of his people. And Jesus knows that the Jewish leaders of that day needed a new lens through which to view the people with whom God had given them the responsibility to lead and care for. They needed to get out of their religious box and begin simply practicing the law they knew by heart, to truly love their neighbor as themselves. Their faith in their loving God needed to be evidenced in the actions they took day by day as they encountered the different people in their lives, no matter their background, history, circumstances, religious affiliation, or race.
So, going back to our passage in James, we see that the people James writes to have the same issues that Jesus was up against during his time here on earth. The human tendency to put some people lower and some people higher is at work in this fellowship, and James calls them back to the spiritual realities of their faith in Christ. In the Triune oneness of Father, Son, and Spirit, there’s unique personhood, yet equality and unity. In the same way, this group of believers needed to start acting like the children of God they were, treating one another as unique equals who were sharing in the oneness which is ours in Christ by the Spirit. And when someone came into their gathering who did not fit any human category of value and worth, they were to still treat them as a beloved child of God, for in Christ, that is what they are. And here we find the impetus to live this out ourselves today, as God’s beloved children, who God, in Christ, stooped down to include in his own life and love, both now and forever. Who might God want us to include who we have previously excluded?
Thank you, Father, for going to such extent to include us in your life and love through your Son Jesus in the Spirit. Thank you for raising us up out of our poverty of evil, sin, and death, and for giving us the dignity and worth of being called your very own adopted children. Grant us the grace to value others with the same grace and worth with which you value us, through Jesus our Lord. Amen.
“My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and you say to the poor man, ‘You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,’ have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called? If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. … What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” James 2:1–10, 14–17 NASB
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Working Together with Christ
By Linda Rex
June 23, 2024, Proper 7 | After Pentecost—When we talk about the topic of grace and the forgiveness we have in Jesus Christ, a lot of times we focus on what this does for each of us in our own individual life and circumstance. We often neglect to talk about the implications of this—in what does our acceptance of God’s grace result?
In our New Testament passage for this Sunday, 2 Corinthians 6:1–13, the apostle Paul reminds the members in Corinth that God’s grace is a wonderful thing. We don’t want to underestimate God’s grace or make it less than it is. What God has done for us in Christ, in his life, death, resurrection, and ascension, and in the gift of the Spirit, is wonderful, powerful, and effective. God has opened the way for each of us to share in his life and love. In Christ and by the Spirit, each of us is welcomed home, and has a place at the Lord’s table. But Paul warns us that we are not to receive this grace in vain. There’s a response to this grace Paul calls us to—a self-offering which reflects the self-offering of Jesus Christ. Because of what Jesus has done and is doing, we want to actively respond with our own service to God and others.
Paul draws attention to the reality that we are each called to be co-workers with Christ. This was our original calling in the garden of Eden, and God has redeemed us in Christ for this very purpose. Our lives are a participation in Christ’s life. Our fellowship with God and others is a participation in Christ’s own fellowship with our Father and one another. Because we are in Christ and Christ is in us, we are caught up in the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in this world. There is a message of good news, of God’s grace for us in Jesus Christ, which is available for all, which the Lord wants us to share with everyone.
This labor of love, of sharing the good news with others, is our participation with Christ, and it means we will face some challenges. The apostle Paul speaks of the many difficulties he faced: “much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger.” Although we may not experience challenges as difficult as these, we have our own struggles that we go through as we seek to live out the truth of God’s amazing grace at work in our lives. When we share the good news of Jesus Christ with others, these challenges may become even more complicated and difficult.
The blessing which goes along with these struggles is that the grace of God in Christ means we have available the gift of the indwelling Spirit of God. This means that our participation in Christ’s ministry and mission in this world are not something we do on our own or under our own strength. Indeed, Paul reminds us that we are given divine spiritual weapons (“weapons of righteousness”) for us to use for both offense and defense (“the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left”). By the Spirit, we have genuine love for others, and have the word of truth upon our lips. Paul says that we are filled with patience and kindness by the power of God, so that we are able to present the gospel and live our lives in a way in which God’s ministry will not be discredited or cause unnecessary offense.
The apostle Paul then mentions certain paradoxes. When we look closely at these, we begin to see how our participation in Christ and his mission and ministry is reflected in our own life of faith. Paul writes that he and his co-workers show themselves commendable servants (NKJV: ministers) by “by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things.” As we look closely at this list of paradoxes, we see much that resonates with the life of Christ. The Son of God left the riches and glories of heaven to join us in our poverty, that he might make us rich. The Son of God came to die that we might live forever, and he became a man of sorrows, that we might together rejoice, now and forever, in his heavenly kingdom. The One who gave up everything, so that we might one day share all things with him, is the One who is in us, with us, and for us—Jesus Christ. As we participate in Jesus’ mission and ministry in this world, we can be comforted that we go through nothing alone—he is ever with us and in us. In Christ, we have great hope, and we want to share that hope with others, no matter the cost. Our ability to bear that cost, whatever it may be, is given to us by our heavenly Father, through his Son Jesus, in the Spirit. This is why we want to be open-hearted toward others, because God has been so open-hearted toward us in Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Trinity, thank you for the love you have shown to us by making a place for us in your divine fellowship, that we may share in your life and love. Thank you for the grace which is ours in Jesus. Grant that we may faithfully share this good news with others as you have shared it so generously with us, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
“And working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain—for He says, ‘at the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.’ Behold, now is ‘the acceptable time,’ behold, now is ‘the day of salvation’—giving no cause for offense in anything, so that the ministry will not be discredited, but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things. Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. Now in a like exchange—I speak as to children—open wide to us also.” 2 Corinthians 6:1–13 NASB
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On Behalf of Others
By Linda Rex
June 16, 2024, Proper 6 | After Pentecost—As part of my morning routine, I often read a chapter out of a book on theology or the Christian faith. My most recent book has been Hidden in Contradiction by Jeff McSwain, which I am rereading. In the chapter I read this morning, New and Old, Jeff talks about our New Testament passage for this Sunday, 2 Corinthians 5:6–10, 14–17.
Jeff shows how we often read the last portion of this passage, “the old things passed away; behold, new things have come”, and assume that this means that when we come to faith in Christ, we are made new, so we will never repeat the old ways we were caught up in before. This doesn’t wholly reflect the reality of our walk in Christ, for any of us who are honest with ourselves and others, and are truthful before God, know that our thought-life and daily walk very often do not fully measure up to the goodness and glory of God we were created to reflect.
Jeff’s point in this chapter is that because all persons died with Christ and rose with Christ, we are all caught up in the reality of the already-not-yet of God’s kingdom. By faith we walk in the new life which is ours, which is “hidden with Christ in God.” But in our broken flesh, we still find ourselves at times walking in old ways, those ways which Jesus crucified on the cross and buried with himself in the grave, those things we are dead to. Just as Jesus is now fully God and fully man, right now we live daily in that place where all that God created us to be and redeemed us to is true, but we are still having to experience and live in the false self, the “old man” as the apostle Paul calls it. We are growing up in Christ, maturing in our faith, becoming more and more who God created us to be, but we will never fully reflect the divine nature until Jesus returns in glory and we are changed. Then all God created us to be will be fully revealed.
This is the paradox which we find difficult to understand or live in. This may be why the apostle Paul said that he would rather be “absent from the body” and “at home with the Lord”. If you are like me, there are times when this life, and our tendency to drift towards the things of this passing temporal existence, grieve us, and we long to be freed. We want to be with Jesus forever, living in the glorious, joyful bliss of God’s heavenly kingdom here on earth. The good news is that even though we will continue to live in this broken existence for a time, not only is our future life with Christ certain, but we can begin to experience moments of God’s kingdom joy and peace even now in this life by the Spirit. We participate in God’s life and mission on this earth as part of our everyday existence, even when it seems that we cannot get it right and we find ourselves breaking faith with God and others.
What holds us together and keeps us moving forward in hope is the precious gift God has given to us in his Son and in his Spirit. It is God’s love which drives us on and compels us to not only live out his kingdom life in this world, but also to share it with others. God’s love for us is so profound, so great and wonderful, that we find we want to share this good news with others. We don’t want to keep it all to ourselves.
And that is truly the heart of God, as Father, Son, and Spirit. This triune God, who for all eternity, lives in other-centered, self-giving love, was willing to do something tremendous and unthinkably amazing on behalf of his creatures and his creation. Indeed, on behalf of all of us, for our sake, the Son of God set aside the privileges of divinity for a time to join us in our humanity, in order to bring us home into the inner fellowship of Father, Son, and Spirit. And in Christ, that is where we are all today.
Our hope is in Christ, in his finished work, in what he has done, is doing, and will do. God’s motive of other-centered, self-giving, sacrificial love is what motivates each of us to be other-centered, self-giving, and sacrificial. When you see this kind of love being expressed, God is the source of such love, whether the person knows or understands it, or not. As we see God’s love being expressed in these ways, we are called to bear witness to it—to testify to the beauty and wonder of God’s love. And, as we respond to the leading of the Spirit, we will find ourselves living and serving, on behalf of others. And by doing this, that we reflect the glory of God, and his Son, in the Spirit. We live in the truth of who we are as his beloved children. Praise his holy name!
Heavenly Triune God, thank for all you have done on our behalf. By your Spirit, enable us to live, not for ourselves, but for you, Lord Jesus—you who died and rose on our behalf. Grant us the grace to live our lives as you have, on behalf of others. In your name, Jesus, we pray. Amen.
“Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:6–10 (11–13) 14–17 NASB
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When We Cannot Pray
By Linda Rex
May 19, 2024, Day of Pentecost | Easter—One of the reasons people give for not being a Christ follower is that they do not believe they could ever be a person of prayer. Our understanding of prayer and all that it involves is often influenced by the way in which we were raised. I personally could never talk to God using “thee” and “thou” because this manner of prayer seems distant and disconnected from God. Others find this language quite helpful and needful. Our exposure to people who pray a certain way may also cause us to believe prayer is something we never want to do or never could do well.
Over the years, the Lord has helped me to come to a deeper understanding of what it means to pray. I have learned that prayer, when it starts with me and is about me, is often a self-centered or dictating monologue, where I tell God what he should do and what I want or expect from him. This is not what prayer is meant to be. As Jesus taught us to pray, our conversations with God are to revolve around Jesus Christ, the will of our heavenly Father, and his kingdom purposes being worked out here on earth by his Spirit. Prayer recognizes and confesses the love of God for us, and his care and provision for us each day.
As we come in the cycle of the Christian calendar to this day of Pentecost, we are reminded of the precious gift given to all—the Holy Spirit. The Spirit awakens us to faith in Christ, draws us together into spiritual community, the Body of Christ or the Church, wherever and however it gathers in the name of Jesus and worships God in Spirit and in truth. As believers are united with Christ by the Spirit, they participate in the inner fellowship of Father and Son in the Spirit.
In our New Testament passage, Romans 8:22–27, we are reminded that being swept up into the inner life and love of the Trinity means we participate in their fellowship with one another. This is where prayer begins—not within ourselves, but within the face-to-face relationship of our Father and his Son in the Spirit. Jesus gives us the things of the Father in the Spirit. And our response through prayer and worship is given to the Father by Jesus in the Spirit. We open ourselves up to the Spirit and remain in a position of listening and humble openness. Doing this, we know in our own spirit the desires of our Father and are moved to pray in agreement with God’s will.
The apostle Paul reminds us that all of creation longs for the transformation of all God’s children, for then creation will be restored to God’s original design. Our longing for heaven and all its glories is an expression of our own yearning for restoration and renewal. We long to be what God always meant us to be—beloved children living in union and communion with God—whether we realize it or not. The agonies and sufferings that go with our current existence, whether personal or global, are all a part of the process of what Paul describes as spiritual pregnancy. Birth pangs come unexpectedly and last however long it takes for the birth of the child. God has been working for millennia to bring his children home to himself. He is never in a hurry, it seems. We may wish he would hurry up. But he will bring us all, in his good time, to the glory he always designed us to share in.
The union and communion evident within the inner relations of Father, Son, and Spirit are fundamental to our understanding of what it means for us to pray. Even though each member of the Trinity is unique, the Persons of the Trinity are so well united that each one knows the other’s thoughts and intents. This is how the Spirit knows the mind, heart and will of our heavenly Father. And our Father knows the mind, heart, and will of Jesus and of the Spirit. And Jesus is one with his Father and one with the Spirit. It is this deep, whole knowing we are brought into through Jesus in the Spirit. This is God’s design for every human being—that we each participate in this deep knowing and being known.
We so often trivialize prayer into a brief formula or ritual. And there are times when prayer seems to be impossible or difficult. We may know it is something we should do, but our prayers seem only to reach the ceiling. It is important to remember that prayer begins within the Triune life and love where we are held, accepted, and beloved. Jesus prays for us. The Spirit intercedes for us. When we cannot come up with the words, it is God through Jesus in the Spirit living in us, who prays in our place and on our behalf.
This is why even written prayers or prayers from a common prayer book can be so powerful. It is our own spirit communing with God through Jesus by the Spirit which is central to prayer. Having a prayer partner, or a small group, who is Spirit-filled and Spirit-led, can be very helpful in enabling us to commune with God in prayer. I’m grateful to my friend Paula, who has faithfully prayed with me each week for many years. Our weekly prayer time has helped me to weather the dry seasons in my relationship with God, and to grow spiritually as we faced life challenges and difficulties together. It takes a willingness to be vulnerable, patient and understanding of each other’s differences, and the grace of God’s Spirit to come together with others to pray. But it is well worth it.
One day we will realize that prayer is nothing more than close, intimate conversation with Someone who knows us thoroughly and loves us completely. We will see that often the best prayers are when we are listening and responding to God’s concern for his world and others. Our hearts will warm as we hear the voice of God’s Spirit speaking Jesus’ “Abba, Father” in our spirit, reminding us we are beloved, forgiven and accepted. We will understand that God has always been reaching out to us, sharing himself with us through Jesus in the Spirit, and including us in his life and love. And all the things we have made prayer into will fall away as we meet our Lord face-to-face in glory. How we, and all God’s creation, long for that day!
Thank you, Father, for your desire to have us be your beloved children, who live in close, loving fellowship with you through your Son in the Spirit. Teach us to pray, Lord. Enable us to listen more than speak, to hear your affirmations of your love and grace, and to allow your Spirit to lead us as we pray. Thank you, Jesus, for bringing us into the center of your Triune life and love. In your name and by your Spirit, we pray. Amen.
“For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it. In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:22–27 NASB
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