January 29, 2024

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE READING:

“But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it is said [in God’s word…see Psalm 68.18] ‘When He ascended on high, He took many captives and gave gifts to His people.’” (Ephesians 4.7-8)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

Remembering the lead question from a few days ago “What captivates you?” I read this verse from Paul to the Ephesian community of faith in Christ and David’s psalm to the people of Israel gathered in Jerusalem and know “we are the captives of God.” Think about it for a moment. In sin, we are in rebellion against God. Even when we know what is right and “good,” we still struggle with the temptation to make our own way validating questionable choices with redefining logic. We are, as we have heard in recent history, guilty of insurrection. We take on the ruling authority believing in our heart and mind, and our soul, that we are within our rights. Yet, is it with a righteous indignation that we think and act in such a way? Or is it, simply self-righteous indignation? It happens that in our fear of our own weakness and discomfort with the truth, we are more easily convinced by our own thinking to act contrary to what it actually is meant to be in, through, for and over our lives. Paul would write to the Philippian community of faith in Christ, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4.8) To forsake such a calling is not to live a life worthy of the calling by which we have been called. Yet, in all of that God will never forsake us and leave us with our selves in rebellion against that which is “true….” He has promised to Himself to bring us into the light of truth out of the darkness of fear, despair and the attractiveness of “the lie.”

It is in God’s word made known in proclamation, declaration and administration through preaching, teaching, wise counsel and acts of mercy and grace that we are confronted. It does not fight against us but we do have the tendency to battle against it. Paul would later write in this same Letter to the Ephesians “For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6.12) Notice that it does not say that God is “battling against us.” But, God does come against our wrong thinking, our wrong decision-making and our wrong actions with the testimony of the truth which never fails. He has already exerted all the effort and energy to win the battles and the war. He did so through His Son, Jesus the Christ, who took on those evil and dark forces in Heaven and on earth at Jerusalem. Yes, Jerusalem, the City of Light and Peace, which in His day and in the centuries before it was anything but that. The testimonies of Ezekiel and Jeremiah described perfectly that foul state that false faith in God had rendered it and the Temple which bore God’s name. It was further defiled by other cultures, specifically Rome and Egypt, who ignored God’s rightful claim on it and her people. What Jesus did at Calvary was lead the insurrection of faith against those elements of sin, sinfulness and sinners. He took captive those who surrendered to His will doing as His Father had willed for our sake. We must continue to surrender daily to His will that captivates our heart, soul, mind and spirit. Such surrender keeps us on the battle front to bring good gifts to the people of the world. They are the gifts of faith, hope, love, mercy, grace as well as the fruit of the Spirit intertwined with the promise of God’s Word for eternal and abundant life.

Hear, too, then the reality of “He who ascended also descended.” He who became as Moses’s “serpent in the wilderness lifted up before the people to preserve their lives from the evil in the valley of the shadow of death” was Himself lifted up before all the world as represented by the Temple, the Roman authorities and the people of God who had come from all corners of the world to worship God at Passover and Pentecost. In being lifted up and all eyes seeing Him, those who would believe would be saved. They would go back down (departing from Jerusalem) and carry this good news to all the world just as Christ would further commission, call, His disciples to do as “the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip His people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4.11-13). In our faith and faithfulness, captivated by the spirit of truth in the way of the life of Christ, we ascend and descend upon Him to continue to show our worthiness of being called His followers. In our coming in and in our going out, we lead the people of the world into His presence with thanksgiving and joy, celebrating the victory which has been won. We do not take captives ourselves but share in the captivating love and mercy of God who saves, Jesus, Immanuel, God with us still until the close of the Age when all things will be made perfectly clear. Let us continue the battle of truth versus the lie, good against evil and love over hate.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit spoke us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit so that others may be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind that we would know that we are Your people and that You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.