Monday, May 1, 2023

 

Monday, May 1, 2023


Psalm 74

Exodus 24

John 11:1-16


Observance: Philip and James, apostles and martyrs


“Let us also go, that we may die with him.”


In the time of warfare when men fought with gunpowder, steel and cannonballs, taking a position that was fortified by the enemy was no easy task. The attacking army would lay siege, digging tunnels up to the fortress walls, while the artillery would pound on the position from afar. Through a combination of these and other works of siege engineering, a breach in the walls would eventually appear. It was at this point that the call would be put out among the men for volunteers to make up the first group of soldiers to go through the breach: the Forlorn Hope. Sometimes, men would volunteer for this position because they had been caught doing something very naughty, and surviving as part of a Forlorn Hope promised forgiveness for their crimes. But more often, men would volunteer for the chance at the glory of being known as the first through the breach.


It is difficult to comprehend the idea of a Christian who, upon receiving salvation and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, would then proceed to sit on their laurels for the rest of their life. The transformed life seems to lead to more activity rather than less. Having been called into God’s family through the blood of Jesus, God then gives us the uniform of robes of spotless white. We are handed our arsenal in the pages of holy scripture. The Holy Spirit comes beside us as military chaplain, guiding our moral decisions and providing a willing ear whenever we need to rest from the action.


Thomas displays the attitude of one volunteering for the Forlorn Hope. Upon hearing that death is the means by which Christ will display both His glory and the glory of the Father, he puts forward himself and his comrades as those willing and eager to see that glory displayed further. We can have that bravery, too. Because death is the ultimate expression of evil, and death has been destroyed, there is therefore nothing we can fear. We put forward our own lives in the service of our Captain and Friend, so that God’s glory may be displayed for the whole world to see.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Monday, September 12, 2022

  Monday, September 12, 2022 Psalm 33 Habakkuk 1:1-11 Ephesians 1:1-14 In Christ we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us. The lectionary has taken us from the beloved disciple to one of the most beloved of Paul's epistles: Ephesians. Paul must have loved this church very much: we get a sense of his fondness for them and their shared sense of purpose and worship just from the introduction. In what is likely just an introduction to a letter in the style of the ancient Roman world, Paul has managed to squeeze in the entire, wondrous story of God's work of redemption. Paul has framed it the way it ought to be framed: in a pastoral, encouraging tone. He has three main points here (remember, Paul proceeds logically to build up an argument, unlike John who circles around his main point). First: God intended to save us before the world was formed. Think back to the first l
Read more

“Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.”

  Monday, September 11, 2023 Psalms 28; 29 1 Kings 7:51-8:21 Acts 26:19-32 Observance: Deiniol, bishop (d. 384) “ Short time or long – I pray to God not only you but all who are listening become like I am, except for these chains.” The great many blessings of being under the protection of the blood of the Lamb fill our hearts with joy and peace. To have the Almighty Creator of the universe, the One who sits above the flood, filling the temple of our being with the cloud of His presence is what it truly means to be human. Every day is filled with adventure; every night turns to the rest of the victor. Certainly there are chains: sometimes they are physical chains, the suffering of being a Christian among people who do not love the Lord. Sometimes they are spiritual; the attacks of the powers of the air who try to distract us from the One we love. But they always fall away. Our Rock of Ages always frees us; always brings us out of the pit of despair. A won
Read more

Monday, September 19

  Monday, September 19 Psalm 45 Nahum 1:15-2:9 Ephesians 4:17-28 ...be renewed in the spirit of your minds... It is far too easy to read some of these Pauline lists of virtues and vices and feel like we have gone back to the dark days before the Reformation. The idea that if we behave ourselves then we can call ourselves “good people” is pagan, not Christian. Paul feels very strongly about how Christians behave, he “affirms and insists” upon it. But it is because of what has already happened that we should mind our step, not because of where we are going. Christ's resurrection is many things, but one aspect relevant for Paul's teaching this morning is that it demonstrates to us the radical new reality in which we now live. We too have passed (spiritually) from death to life; therefore, we experience a “renewal of our minds”. Instead of treading water until we die, we live lives. Everything now makes sense: God has spoken, so we have logic. God made us in His im
Read more