The writer sees that those who are righteous will have the
last word. Can we see the Beatitudes
writ large in this passage? Blessing
sometimes waits until the final judgment to be seen but that which is seen is
no less real and it has also the benefit of being both final and eternal. Suffering in this life for righteousness sake
is to be taken for granted, beginning with Genesis 3 isn't it? Once sin entered the world, we all have a
problem with righteousness. What was
intended to define life is now countercultural.
We have chosen ourselves as king rather than God, both in our lives and
in our culture. Those who live according
to righteousness are not guaranteed prosperity and popularity, in fact quite
the opposite is guaranteed. Are we
living for today or forever?
But Jesus, aren't we then doormats and patsies to the
world? If I love those who hate me,
offer to allow them to strike me on both cheeks, give more than demanded by
wicked people, others will think less of me, I will lose my self-respect and
the respect of those near to me. I will
look weak in the eyes of the world and ultimately I will have everything taken
from me. In this, I show that I am not
living for this world, I am ultimately strong enough to choose, and then I can
be merciful as He is merciful. Only the
stronger party can extend mercy. We are
loved by the one whose enemies we once were, we strike Him on the cheek when we
choose sin over righteousness, we are the ones in need of His mercy. Can we then hate others who do to us what we
do to Him? We are, ultimately, no
better. If we would see the world
changed, it must begin with us, we must be like Jesus who did all these things
at the cross, and in what looked like weakness we see His strength and love, we
find salvation, mercy, and truly amazing grace.
I have never once said, "I rejoice in my
sufferings." Paul, however, knew
that his suffering was for Christ, revealing to those in Colossae that the
sufferings of Jesus were only the beginning, that He did not take all suffering
on Himself in order that we might not suffer.
Paul is quite clear that there is nothing for Him but Christ, and anything
else is no more than folly and vanity.
It is all about Jesus, the mystery of God. Sometimes I hear people say they are seeking
after the deep things of God and Paul would laugh at that idea. The deep mystery of God is Jesus, the Messiah
who died for the sins of the world.
Christ is the glory of God, the wisdom of God, the image of God, the
righteousness of God and Christ in you is the hope of glory. As the Gershwins musically asked, "Who
could ask for anything more?"
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