16 May 2011

Psalm 41, 52; Wisdom 1:16-2:11,21-24; Col. 1:1-14; Luke 6:1-11

Parts of the passage could have been ripped directly from Ecclesiastes. The writer speaks of the wisdom of the world in pursuing worldly things as though they were all there was to pursue. A world without God is limited in knowledge and wisdom to the things that it can see, hear, taste, smell and otherwise enjoy in the flesh. Everything is an end in itself, even if it is also means to some other end. In a world that knows and believes in a God who created all things and who is eternal, other forms of wisdom are open and possible, and things are seen as not means or ends in themselves but God’s gracious goodness and pointers beyond themselves to their creator. The writer points beyond this life which was destroyed by sin, the sin brought on by the devil’s envy (v. 24) to the reality that we were created for incorruption. Our experience of life is that all things pass away eventually and see corruption, change into some other form, but that is a result of sin, not original intent. How do we get back to the intent? The answer is by faith in Jesus who did not see corruption in spite of death.

Jesus is accused of working on the Sabbath with respect to rubbing grain in the hands to separate the inedible chaff from the kernel and in the case of healing a man with a withered hand. His response to the accusations is that He is lord of the Sabbath and notes in the first instance that taking care of the legitimate needs of the body sometimes bring conflict with the law, noting that David once violated the law by eating of the bread of the presence which is allowable only to the priests. In the second instance, He points to the reality that it is permissible to do good on the Sabbath when necessary. When He says that the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath He makes a remarkable statement of His pre-eminence. His ability to heal does not trump the restrictions of the Pharisees concerning work, however, in the minds of those who witness the healing, they are filled with fury and discuss what they would do to Jesus. The arrogance of presumption is astounding.

Is there any finer prayer for others than verses 9-14? Could we want more for others or ourselves than Paul prays for the Colossians? We need to pray for one another as Paul does, that we increase continually in our knowledge of the Lord and that we walk in the light of the knowledge we have. He prays for strength for endurance and patience in affliction but also that they be given joyful and thankful hearts and closes with the reason they should indeed be joyful and thankful. We know that the hope of our lives is eternal life and that this is secure because we know that Christ Jesus came back from the dead, death is not the end of life, just this particular form of life. In Him we have hope of everlasting life and so we live not for the things of earth but for eternal glory, to please the One who has given us this hope and this life.

My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of Thy name.