During Lent I studied Paul’s letter to the Colossians closely. I would read two or three verses each night before bedtime, and then think about them meditatively. Sometimes people get confused about meditation, as if it were just something for Eastern religions and new agers. But Rick Warren has said that if you can worry, you can meditate. Worry is essentially focused meditation on a problem.
One positive thing for us is to meditate on what’s good in the Christian life. Paul does this in his writing. Colossians 1:15-19 for example is what I would call a Christological mediation. In other words, Paul is meditating on the person of Christ: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” It’s similar in Colossians 2:9 where Paul begins with a short Christological meditation: “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” But that immediately leads into an extended soteriological meditation in Colossians 2:10-15. It’s a deep line of thought about the doctrinal truth of Christian salvation -- a very dense, rich text filled with powerful images of what God has done in and for us. These images include filling, burial and resurrection, death and life, circumcision and baptism, debt cancellation, etc. Think about this for yourself: How often do you meditate on your salvation? Or, on God’s acts of deliverance in your life? And how does this effect your overall demeanor? As Paul was writing his meditation developed out of his concern for them. He warned them against delusion from sweet-spoken arguments (2:4). He warned about worldly human traditions, which he labelled as philosophy and empty deceit. This is not according to Christ, and therefore is a form of captivity – like being hunted down as prey (2:8). This made me think of two Eastertide messages I preached recently from Matthew 27:62-66 and 28:11-15. The Pharisees and chief priests (who were Sadducees) collaborated with Pontius Pilate under the pretense of preventing deception, which is a good motive. Trying to stop a lie or keep a rumor at bay is a good thing. The trouble comes when someone believes that a lie is the truth and the truth is a lie. That stands to corrupt the whole sequence of actions that follow. And this is what happened with these men. Clearly they thought that Jesus was an imposter. They remembered Him alluding to His future resurrection (back in Matthew 12:40), and they wanted to prevent it from emerging. So they arranged for guards at the tomb (27:65-66). But what they got instead was firsthand testimony (28:11) of the angelic event that happened at the grave (in 28:2-7). This they tried to suppress with a conspiracy of bribery and deceit (28:12-15). So even though they began with a mission to prevent deception, in the end they were held captive by a lie. Jesus said famously in John 8:31b-32, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Lies can pursue us like prey; they can take people captive and lead them away from Christ. But the resurrectional truth of Jesus is freeing. It leads into encouragement in a family of faith knit together by love, bringing all the riches of assurance of understanding in the knowledge of Christ (Colossians 2:2-3), and into a walk with Jesus – being built up and established in him, and abounding in thanksgiving (2:6-7). God bless you, Pastor Andrew McHenry
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Andrew McHenryI am a husband, a Congregational pastor, and a native Kansan currently living in Thermalito, California. In the past I have also been a prison chaplain and a youth pastor. Interests include reading, railroads, prog rock, KU, and the KC Royals. Archives
March 2024
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