Sunday, August 6, 2006

The new life

De Profundis! Out of the depths I cry to you. David cries out of the depths for his rebellious son, Absalom. He also sings of God’s forgiveness.

If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is great power to redeem.

It is he who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.

Paul talks of our forgiveness in Christ, putting off all the old life. He then says, “So then.” He gives a list of ways to live out the new life – a together kind of life. Peterson says in his introduction to Ephesians that Paul explains that the old life of sin has hurt us and then proceeds to uncover how every bone in our bodies is broken and crushed. It will take work to live the new kind of life we have been born to.

Since we are members of each other, we shouldn’t lie to our neighbors, because in the end we will be lying to ourselves. He tells the church, “Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”

Amen.

Bread of Life

Elijah running for his life from Ahab and Jezebel is given the Angel bread to sustain him. Three times the angel tells him to eat and be sustained. Then powered by the holy food alone he makes the 40-day trip to mount Horeb to see God.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.

O taste and see that the LORD is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” 40 days is a miracle fast, 40 days is nothing! Jesus declares that we will never hunger or thirst after feasting on him. He is infinitely greater than the angel-bread manna. He is the bread of life!